Quote:
Originally Posted by Turtle
This put me in mind of Rabbit Boy, and while not a god per se, he is a creator of god-like repute. Here is just the start of the story to get the flavor of what it means to be descended from a kicked-around bloodclot of unknown origin.  Just give me a kick if this is not what you had in mind.  If I hit the mark however, I know some interesting turtle-god stories.  
...rest of the story |
The line between spirit and god characters is kind of a blurry one I think, so Rabbit Boys are welcome! Turtle deities too, this thread is just about interesting supernatural agents in general.
Next up is
Gaia. Gaia is interesting because the Earth-Mother theme occurs in many cultures: the Greek pantheon,
Tiamat of Sumerian mythology,
Jörð in Norse mythology, again as
Gaia in new-age and neo-pagan religions, and in several others.
The
Gaia Hypothesis of James Lovelock resulted in some in some strange ideas that further blurr the line between gods, spirits, and uhhh.. .other entities:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by wik
A version called "Optimizing Gaia" asserts that biota manipulate their physical environment for the purpose of creating biologically favorable, or even optimal, conditions for themselves. "The Earth's atmosphere is more than merely anomalous; it appears to be a contrivance specifically constituted for a set of purposes"[7]. Further, "... it is unlikely that chance alone accounts for the fact that temperature, pH and the presence of compounds of nutrient elements have been, for immense periods, just those optimal for surface life. Rather, ... energy is expended by the biota to actively maintain these optima"[7].
Another strong hypothesis is the one called "Omega Gaia"[23]. Teilhard de Chardin claimed that the Earth is evolving through stages of cosmogenesis, affecting the geosphere, biogenesis of the biosphere, and noogenesis of the noosphere, culminating in the Omega Point. Another form of the strong Gaia hypothesis is proposed by Guy Murchie who extends the quality of a holistic lifeform to galaxies. "After all, we are made of star dust. Life is inherent in nature." Murchie describes geologic phenomena such as sand dunes, glaciers, fires, etc. as living organisms, as well as the life of metals and crystals. "The question is not whether there is life outside our planet, but whether it is possible to have "nonlife".
There are speculative versions of the Gaia hypothesis, including versions in which it is held that the Earth is conscious or part of some universe-wide evolution such as expressed in the Selfish Biocosm hypothesis strain of a larger speculative Gaia philosophy.
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Gaia is still invoked today as a metaphor by environmental groups like the
Gaia Movement. I quick scan of their
principles page did not reveal anything religious or mystical in nature. I find it interesting that this one concept is so pervasive in its many mutated forms.
