And if you think about it every society especially the ones who developed further had a deep connection to higher beings/gods/spirits every culture who evolved in bigger societies had this and it’s interesting if you think about it especially when researches found out that the area of our brain which is strongly connected to the believing in higher beings is very very old. So it’s quite logical many ancient cultures we know little or nothing about had some higher entities they believed in/worshipped. And they all had very similar purposes.
What is a god?
I mean looking at the Greeks they had Nymphs for example. Are Nymphs also gods?
They are somewhat similar to the Japanese Kami. But Japanese also have Buddhist gods. Are Buddhist gods real gods?
Egyptian gods are also often based on animals but that doesn’t make them an animist religion.
I think a lot of those categorisations were made by people that grew up in a Christian society and therefor have a biased view on people.
When they learned about “Manitou” they basically set it equal to the Christian god. Similar to “Mana”. Some kinda of power that is inside of everything that is alive or just everything.
I don’t know much about the different believes of people from North America so I’m curious how many different “religions” they have. It’s sometimes hard to draw borders because the idea of a different “religion” is kinda modern.
Romans didn’t see Greeks, Celts, Germanic people or Egyptians as having a different religion, they just had either different names for the same gods or different gods (depending on the god).
Thor = Jupiter = Zeus
Odin = Mercury = Hermes (this one is kinda strange)
Tyr = Mars = Ares
Considering that the Norse already represent all Germanic people (pretty much), what groups of North American people could be represented as civilisations in AoMR.
For Central America the Aztecs and Mayan seem to be the obvious pics.
I do not pretend to to know a god is. I’m no expert. And animism =/= animal. Animism is a belief that everything has a soul, including rocks, trees, water, clouds, animals, etc.
I was just saying that Native Americans diverged from Old World religions a long time ago and consequently, their religion evolved independantly.
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I mean, you could argue that in Catholic and Orthodox thoughts, angels are functionally spirits, and saints are minor gods. The latest has even been a Protestant talking point for centuries.
EDIT:
It’s more complicated than the Romans seeing all gods as their own with different names, it was more political than religious in order to achieve cultural assimilation on conquered territories.
Random idea that I had:
Hersirs should have different weapons depending on your major god:
Thor = Hammer (like now)
Odin = Spear
Loki = Sword/Axe
something like that.
Stats can stay the same, just cool visuals.
Priests could also look different depending on your major god, they already have different abilities anyway.
They could also be called “Priest of Set/Isis/Ra”.
It would be funny to see a Christian civ in AoMR one day, but I think many people would not like it.
It was political but there were also cultural and religious reasons.
There was not idea of exclusion like the Jews, Christians and Muslims have.
The borders between religions were more fluid. Different gods were differently worshipped in different places and by different people. The borders between different religions were blurry.
Like the Romans honestly thought that people from some other religion did some things better then them or honestly worshipped some foreign gods.
I don’t think they build an Isis temple in London to please the Egyptian population on the other side of their empire.
Hm i would generally say the idea with the hersirs getting specific weapons for each god is kinda nice and reminds me of the game “Wolves of Midgard” but I personally was never a fan of the hersirs in general.
I would rather prefer god specific buffs for each military unit with the specific weapon like make units with hammers stronger when you play thor, make spear-units stronger when you play Odin (have to make spear-units first ofc) and so on. And hero wise i would give them a pool of UNIQUE heroes to choose from like maybe either some well known valkyries or maybe some important dwarves? Would be way more interesting than spamming one hero type with auto generated names over and over again.
(And yeah some or most major god mechanics should get reworked anyway like the hersir mechanic for Loki or the Miliz mechanic for Poseidon (which are too strong for that unit type and I don’t understand why Poseidon have those in specific etc)
AoM should use the AoE3 hero system in skirmish too to some degree.
Like give everyone a hero (many with the exception of the Egyptians) that can be rescued like the AoE3 explorer that also gains new abilities over time.
Then every civ has a main hero plus some secondary hero units like Priests.
Make the Hero dependent on the major god of course. Gaining new abilities or improved stats though the minor gods. Each minor god would give something different instead of just +10% everything on age up.
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That’s awesome. I would like to research and strengthen my knowledge for other myths.
Can you type out more than 10+ monsters from the Native American pantheon? I know this is an umbrella term but also which Native American tribe did you focus on?
Yes, I agree, although that may not allow you to create new heroes…
I strictly stuck to Lakota stories, which meant I rather ignored Dakota and Dakhota stories. They could have their own culture in the game entirely separate from the Lakota.
I do have more than enough creatures to fill out a Myth Unit roster, and at least one goddess gives two myth units.
Because of the complex gameplay (in comparison to the rest of the Age of Mythology civs both vanilla and from the Divine Edition mod) that the Lakota have, their human units are rather limited, but simultaneously have one of the most flexible militaries in the game.
Persian and Mesopotamic
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What are the names of the creatures for the Lakota mythology?
Below is a list of commonly recognized figures who are part of Lakota mythology, a Native American tribe with current lands in North and South Dakota. The spiritual entities of Lakota mythology are categorized in several major categories, including major deities, wind spirits, personified concepts, and other beings.
Gods[edit]
Major Spirits[edit] (Major Gods)
- Aŋpo - The spirit of the dawn, an entity with two faces.
- Haŋwí - The moon Spirit who accompanies Wi. Also known as Haŋhépi Wi (Nighttime Wi) to differentiate her from Wi. The Spirit of mother hood, constancy, kinship, and feminine things.
- Íŋyaŋ - The primordial creator Spirit. His color is yellow.[1]
- Kssa - The Spirit of knowledge and wisdom. He invented language,[1] stories, names, games, and the first lodge, in which fire from Wi was placed at the center.[2] One story about Iktomi mentions that Iktomi was Kssa, but was stripped of his title for his trouble-making ways. The Oglala Lakota believe that Iktomi was the second manifestation, or degeneration, of Ksa, who hatched from the cosmic egg laid by Wakíŋyaŋ. He is the enemy of Unk.[1]
- Iktómi - The trickster Spider Spirit and son of Inyan.
- Maka-akaŋ, or Maka - The earth Spirit created by Íŋyaŋ as his lover. Her color is green.[1]
- Skan - The motion of the universe. His color is blue.[1]
- Untunktahe - The water Spirit.
- Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka - The Great Spirit/Great Spirits.
- Wakíŋyaŋ, or Waukheon - Thunder Spirits. Wakíŋyaŋ is believed to be a bird. The Thunderbird.
- Wóhpe, or Woohpe - The Spirit of peace and the wife of the south wind Okaga. Spirit of amity, beauty, compassion, and happiness. She moves among oppositions to create harmony.[1]
- Wi - The solar spirit of bison. Also known as Aŋpétu Wi (Daytime Wi) to differentiate him from Haŋwí, who is also known as Wi. He is also the Spirit of bravery, constancy, endurance, fortitude, honesty, reliance, and contests. His color is red.[1]
- Wičháȟpi hiŋȟpáya - Wičháȟpi or Star spirit, born of wičháȟpi owáŋžila (Resting star or Polaris) and Tapun Sa Win (Red Cheeked Woman).
Wind spirits[edit] (Minor Gods)
- Anúŋğite, or Ite - Wife of the wind Spirit Tate. The two-faced Spirit referred to as mother of the Four Winds, Yum the Whirlwind, and the daughter of the Pȟežúta (Medicine Men) Ka and Wa. She is also known as Wakanka, the elderly woman.[1]
- Tate - The wind Spirit.
- Taku Skanskan - Capricious chaotic spirit who is master of the four winds and the four-night spirits, Raven, Vulture, Wolf, Fox.
- Wani, or Wanim - The four elder sons of Tate who oversee the cardinal directions, the four winds, health, the weather, and fertility. They can be combined into a single figure.
- Yum - A whirlwind Spirit, child of Anog Ite. He is the Spirit of love.[1]
Animal spirits[edit] (Animal Mythic Units) (like the Animals of Set)
- Čapa - The Beaver Spirit of labour and taxes.
- Četáŋ - The hawk spirit of the East. Associated with the qualities of speed, dedication and good vision.
- Hehaka - The male Elk Spirit of sexuality.
- Hnaska - The Frog Spirit of Holy Medicine.
- Hogan - The purifying Fish Spirit of water.
- Hunomp, or Hununpa - The bipedal Bear Spirit of wisdom. He became the lower Spirit of wisdom after Iktomi forfeited his position as the Spirit of wisdom on being made the trickster.[1]
- Iktomi - The Trickster, Spider Spirit of Deception and Lies. The son of Inyan.
- Keya - The Turtle Spirit of health, safety, and healing rituals.
- Mato - Mischievous healer Bear Spirit of passionate emotions.
- Mica - The Trickster Coyote Spirit.
- Sungmanito - The Wolf Spirit of hunting and war.
- Sunka - The Dog Spirit of companionship and faithfulness.
- Tȟatȟáŋka (Great Beast), or Ta Tanka - The male Buffalo Spirit of plenty. Enemy of Mica.
- Tatankan Gnaskiyan (Crazy Buffalo) - The malevolent spirit who wreaks havoc causing feuds, murders, and suicides.
- Wambli - The Eagle Spirit of councils, hunting skills, and battle.
- Zuzeca - The Snake Spirit of hidden things, concealed knowledge, and outright lies.
Personified Concepts[edit] (Bonus civ)
- Etu - The personification of time.[1]
- Haŋ - The ancient spirit of darkness; banished to be under Maka.
- Unk (Contention) - Maka’s companion who causes quarrels and is banished to the depths of the waters for her actions. She is Iya’s and Gnaski’s mother, nonetheless she is the progenitor of all evil things. She is the enemy of Ksa.[1]
- Yuwipi - The healing ceremony.
Other beings[edit] (God Powers and tecnologies)
- Canotila - Forest-dwelling beings. (Walking Forest power)
- Gnaski - An evil spirit who manages to outwit and perfectly mimic Ksa to the point that he and Ksa were indistinguishable from each other, earning him the name “Ksapela”, or “little wisdom”. He is the child of Iya and Unk. (Call to Arms power)
- Hihankaga (Owl-Maker) - The aged Spirit who stands upon the entrance to the Milky Way, admitting the nagi who show her the proper tattoos. Those who fail her test will be liberated from existence, where their memory and spirit will fade without honor. (Valor power)
- Iktinike - The son of the Sun Spirit Wi, who was banished to Earth for telling lies. (Implode power)
- Iya - The destructive storm monster of the north and brother to Iktomi. Also known as Ibom, the cyclone,[1] and Waziya (Blower From Snow Pines) - A Giant who guarded the entrance to the place of the Aurora Borealis. He fights against the south winds with his cold, icy breath. He also brings famine and diseases.[3] (Pestilence power)
- Nagi - A Spirit that has never had a mortal tether to this world, it is connected to all that the Creator has gifted in life (Like the Elements, Animals and Humans.) Some Nagi “Feed” on the emotions of mankind and thus have the significant impact of either Benevolent or Malevolent natures based on the emotions that sustain them the easiest (Spirits that are “Evil” usually are attracted to humans with Anger, Wrath, Revenge, Sorrow or Sadness in their hearts and those that are “Good” attracted to Joy, Happiness, Love and Harmony.) Because they were not blessed by the Creator with a corporeal vessel, they have a difficult time showing themselves. This leads to some Spirits taking on the appearance of an anthropomorphic Animal, an Elemental figure, an incomplete Human or a monstrous Human figure. (Chaos power)
- Pte Oyate - The Buffalo people. They were created by Skan to conduct the will of Wakan Takan.[1]
- Unk Cekula - A Reptilian monster that wreaked havoc on the Plains and the Black Hills was slain by a warrior with medicine arrows. (Healing Barrage power)
- Unktehi - A race of spirits that resemble giant ruminants with long tails. Male unktehis live within water, while female unktehis live on land. They are often regarded as being dangerous or malevolent, as they contaminate water sources and cause floods. However, they can teach in the proper method of ceremonial body painting. (Great Flood power)
- Wakanpi - Spirits or divinities. (Ragnarok power)
- Wamaka Nagi - Souls of animals, especially of domesticated types such as dogs or horses. They accompany their owners as they go to the Milky Way in the afterlife. (Great Hunt power)
- Wanagi - Spirits of departed human beings. They ascend to the Milky Way to be judged by Hihankara, who tosses those without proper tattoos to be removed from existence. Living souls are known as Woniya. (Ancestors power)
- Wi Can - Star people.[1]
- Wo Nagi - Spiritual essence of food. Lakota’s have to give due reverence and gratitude to their provisions, to ensure that the Wakanpi will not be upset. (Plenty power)
Notable people[edit] (for a Lakota campaign and civ heroes)
- Fallen Star - A young warrior whose father was a star and whose mother was a human. He retrieved and returned the disembodied arm of a selfish chief (represented by the lower half of the constellation Orion), and was rewarded by marrying the chief’s daughter.[4]
- Heyoka - The contrarian who has visions of Waukheon.
- Ka - The first woman, who was banished to earth as a witch with her husband Wa for helping their daughter Anog Ite supplant Hanwi.
- Tokahe - The first man to emerge from the underworld.
- Wa - The first man, banished to earth as the wizard Wazi with his wife Ka for helping their daughter Anog Ite to supplant Hanwi. Like his wife, he helps whomever he chooses.
- White Buffalo Calf Woman - The prophetess who taught the Lakota to practice the Seven Sacred Rites.
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I will call this loosely accurate. It’s like how Percy Jackson portrays the Greek pantheon.
Well it is what it is…
Because I honestly don’t care to have the time to. Play the Divine Edition on Age of Mythology if you want to see more. They’re out.
Here, the Lakota trailer for the Divine Edition. You can see some creatures implemented and a few portraits of the spirits.
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Aye. I really appreciate it. Thanks!
Yes, I agree…they could appear in AoM Retold at some point…