On the Art of Worldbuilding: Part 6 - Spirituality & Religion

Cue the introduction of gods, goddesses, deities, divines, and spirits in your world. Or don't, if that's not something you want to include. Whatever suits your fancy and interest. Regardless, as in the real world, the question "Where did it all come from?" might arise at some point, either through your way too sentient characters, or through your readers/users. If you want to answer this question without engaging in some ground-breaking research and proceeding to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, the go-to solution can be: God(s) did it.

Religion and spirituality have moved and captivated humans for centuries, if not millennia. People invented pantheons to explain the unexplainable: the beloved "god of the gaps". Some cultures worshiped a separate god/goddess for every natural phenomenon, other bundled them together in one. In your world, it's up to you how (and if) you want your deities worshiped, what they do and how they make their presence known to the people of your world, if they do at all. As I mentioned earlier, there are several religious systems to use, and you might choose to apply a different system for every culture your world has. In this article, we'll go over the different ways to present the gods of your world and how to worship them.

Monotheism

As explained in the fifth edition of the "Dungeon Master's Guide" by Mike Mearls and Jeremy Crawford (2014), monotheistic religions revere only one deity, and in some cases, deny the existence of any other deity. Most major religions in our world are monotheistic, while also believing that the other religions' god doesn't exist: Christianity, Islam and Judaism are the most well-known monotheistic religions, but there are many more.

As in the real world, you could apply monotheism across several different cultures and have people worship different gods, while remaining convinced that theirs is the only real one. Or, you could have your entire population worship the same god.

Polytheism

Opposite of monotheism is polytheism: the believe in more than one god, the worship of a pantheon. Hinduism is a good example of a polytheistic religion still practiced today, but this type of religious system was especially prevalent in earlier times. Many ancient religions practiced this system, perhaps the most well-known of these are the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Norsemen.

These religions had a god for everything, who were all related to each other in some way, but most interesting of all: these gods were surprisingly human. They weren't perfect, not even Zeus, Jupiter, or Odin. They were awfully flawed and three-dimensional. Like their creations, they felt love, hatred, joy, grief, jealousy, and many other emotions.

These character "flaws" were exactly what attracted one of my interviewees to applying a polytheistic religion to his world. While he himself wasn't religious, the personalities of gods from polytheistic religious systems fascinated him. It also made him wonder why people would worship powers just as flawed as themselves.

Henotheism

Possibly the middle ground between mono- and polytheism is henotheism, which is the worship of a single god, but not denying the (possible) existence of other deities. Later iterations of the Ancient Greek and Roman religions could be considered henotheistic: Zeus or Jupiter was considered the supreme god, all-powerful and all-knowing, king and father of the Olympian gods. Many people took to revering just him, while also acknowledging the existence of the other deities of the pantheon.

A modern example of henotheism can be found in Sikhism. This religion from India worships one god, but doesn't proclaim a monopoly on Absolute Truth, as opposed to, for instance, Christianity.

Dualism

The fifth edition of the "Dungeon Master's Guide" defines a dualistic religion as "a religion that views the world as the stage for a conflict between two diametrically opposed deities or divine forces". The everlasting battle between light and darkness, if you will, in whatever shape or form. In a sense, you could view medieval Christianity as a dualistic system, where people were caught between the force of God and the Devil. In a fictional setting, you could have two gods battle it out via their respective devotees: one race guided by one god fighting the other race guided by the other god.

Animism

Animism is the belief that spirits inhabit every part of the natural world. According to animistic beliefs, everything has a spirit, from the smallest pebble to the grandest mountain, the tiniest sprout to the tallest tree, and from the deepest ocean to the puddle after rainfall. Even the sun, moon, and stars have their own spirits. Animism functions as a large pantheon, with a vast plethora of spirits that one can worship. Animists usually don't pay allegiance to one spirit over the others, but offer prayer and sacrifice to different spirits at different times, depending on the situation.

In my latest world, I applied a combination of a polytheistic and animistic religious system. Using gods instead of spirits, the people worshiped the god they needed, when they needed them. For instance, when going out to hunt, they would make and offer to the goddess of the hunt, when going to war, they would pray to the god of war, etc.

Forces and Philosophies

Not every religious system needs a supernatural being to worship, or hold a belief that everything was called into existence by divine intervention. As Buddhism shows, a religious system can revolve around a philosophy, and one's "divinity" comes from within themselves. The same can be said for the Jedi-movement as portrayed in the Star Wars-universe, where the Force dictates a person's actions in pursuit of higher existence. They devote themselves to ideals, rather than a deity. Here, the ultimate goal is enlightenment and the shedding of all mortal desires. In more fantasy-like genres, meditation and "becoming one with one's surroundings" can have supernatural consequences, and a devoted practitioner can eventually possess qualities equal to those of a deity. A "personal manifestation of an impersonal force", as described in the fifth edition of the "Dungeon Master's Guide".

Atheism

Then, there's the complete lack of belief in gods, deities and other things deemed "supernatural". Atheists follow no religion, worship no gods, and believe only in what can be proven and demonstrated. Atheism can exist in any world, whether its gods exist or not, but should not be confused with anti-theism. Where anti-theism is an active opposition to the ruling god(s), atheism the total lack of belief in a god. Therefore, atheism isn't necessarily practiced: it requires literally no effort.

Ways of Worship

If the people of your world were to ever ask for favours from their gods, a little effort is often required. Taking examples and inspiration from Earth's many religions, paying allegiance to a god can range from offering verbal prayers, to practicing rites and rituals, to sacrificing something in that god's name. In the latter instance, produce is often easy, livestock is sometimes more appreciated, but even human(oid) sacrifices are not unusual.

This, of course, all depends on what you think your god requires. As mentioned in previous topics, not all deities need to be worshiped, not all need to have something sacrificed to them. Your people could have the unlimited attention and love of their patron god, who watches over them, and keeps them safe at all times. It's all up to you.

Your Take on Religion

Maybe you are religious, and your religion is easily implemented in your world. Maybe you're especially fascinated by other religions, whether extinct or still practiced. Maybe you're not religious at all and want nothing to do with it, so your self-constructed world lacks every trace of godlike intervention as well. This is your world, you can be the god of the gaps, or you can delegate that role to others.