what if brahma, yahweh, gilgamesh, viracocha etc were just like kings of very far and ancient civilization, or very spiritually powerful men, and religions were just a cargo cult effect about that?
This has always been my theory
And we've seen it in action all throughout history
FFS /fit/ started worshipping Zyzz, and more than a few east asians worship Douglas MacArthur
>>902028
At least we're 101% certain the Chinese myths of the Yellow Emperor (and generally the early mythical rulers/Gods) were based on prehistoric rulers and their exploits.
Same thing with the Japanese ones.
>>902092
One scottish missionary to the Zulus had to squash the growing belief that her dead father (beloved by the tribe) had the power of prophecy and weather control.
>>902028
Late
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euhemerism
>>902115
holy shit, thanks
Snorri claimed this is how Norse Paganism started. According to him, everyone deviated from Christianity when a bunch of Trojan noblemen went to the north and started impressing everyone with their technology and feats of strength.
>>902153
That was more a case of "PLEASE GUYS, I'M NOT A PAGAN. Seriously"
>>902178
Not really. He was a Christian writing a few hundred years after Christianization to a Christian audience. It was his way of explaining how his ancestors had fallen away from following the true religion that everyone was supposed to have followed in the distant past. He basically paints a picture of Norse mythology as quaint old stories (which were fundamentally wrong), and the ancient Norse as kind of stupid for believing them.
>>902187
That's what I meant
That's the Sikh view of all the Gods.
"In each and every age, God creates the kings, who are sung of as His Incarnations. Even they have not found God's limits; what can I speak of and contemplate? ||7||"
>>902028
And now suddenly religion makes PERFECT sense. We see that "God" is not just a shallow way of explaining where the universe comes from or why the sun rises but a way of spirtualising and exalting our most important figures.
In the distant the past the idea that a person became a God after doing great deeds was commonly understood. If you were a great king, a powerful conquererer, a man of supreme athletic ability, or a wise philosopher/scientist you would be seen as part divine.
Suddenly religion stops seeming out-dated but ESSENTIAL to the health of a culture.
>>902594
That's the entire point of every religion that isn't mainstream Christianity or total bullshit. It has never been outdated. You worship the god you want to become.
>>902594
Holy shit
Watership Down is deeper than I thought
El-Ahrairah was the collective memory of every brave, noble, clever, and righteous rabbit who ever lived
>>902028
It would be interesting if the pantheon of gods in Greek, Roman, Norse, Indian, etc. mythologies were euhemerisms of royal families of the PIE peoples.
>>902115
Came to post this. OP is a pleggot.
