Old Gods
Old gods are fictional gods from an older era. Often they are used in opposition to new gods. Whereas new gods often represent a new religious belief system and a culture adopting to new ways, belief in the old gods often symbolizes a return to the past. In fictional worlds where the gods are real, the old gods are often overthrown by the new gods. Unlike ancient gods who may be largely forgotten, the archetypal old gods typically still have active religious followers, cults, or religious factions which pray to them as well as an active, if diminishing, religion centered around them. The influence of the old gods is often depicted as waning in fictional worlds.
| Synonyms: elder gods, ancient gods |
| Example Mythonyms: Gods of the Old World, the Elder Ones |
Designing Fictional Old Gods
Archetypes
Overview
The old gods, as opposed to the new gods, are often depicted as being more in touch with nature, pure magic, primal forces, or the birth of the world. They may possess ancient knowledge, and may be more powerful than their newer counterparts. However, frequently in fictional worlds these older gods are overthrown by their newer cohorts, and may wind up dead or imprisoned after a war between the gods.
Old gods are often used to symbolize the changing of a culture, as a civilization or peoples transition from one older set of beliefs to a newer one. In this respect the old gods may represent the things that are being lost.
