PBP #7: Dungeons and Dragons (plus some heavy philosophy).

My blog has a few major themes to it, excluding Pagan Blog Project for a moment, since my blog really isn't about my religion.  These major themes include: Me Musing About Shit, My Adventures With Destiny, Gaming, Doctor Who, and the biggest theme, Dungeons and Dragons.  Yes, I fit one of Faux News' stereotypes about Pagans, I love playing D&D.  So much so, I play video games based on D&D, I have two editions of the game, Pathfinder, the board game Talisman, and have recently installed Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn on my laptop, a game i havent played since 2009, or maybe 2010, I forget exactly when the last time I played it was.  Either way, I love D&D so much, I'm sure I will name my hamster Boo if I ever get one, and tell everyone he is a miniature giant space hamster!

Okay, all facetiousness aside, there is a reason I am talking about D&D and letting worlds collide this PBP post.  That is, when deities from our own pantheons appear in a game.  How exactly do we react?  Is it odd for us to play a character that worships Zeus in game, to then turn around and give thanks to Zeus for a blessing in real life?  Or maybe you play a cleric of Thor, whom later that month you toast at a symbel in real life, or maybe you are a Gothi of Thor?  Maybe the campaign has you exploring Mulhorand within the Forgotten Realms, and its a well known fact that the Mulhorandi Pantheon and the Kemetic Pantheon are one and the same, and you just happen to be a Tameran Wiccan or a Kemetic Polytheist.

I know my personal thoughts on the matter lead to an interesting point on theology.  Actually, before we begin with that, let us first repeat the MST3k Mantra.  "It's just a show, I should breathe and just relax."  Repeat that a few times with me, maybe pull out a mala and repeat it 108 times.  "It's just a show, I should breathe and just relax."

An image of Zeus/Jupiter from the Third Edition Deities and Demigods

Now that we reminded ourselves that this is just a fun game and not a lesson at a seminary, let us go into the philosophical aspect of this.  Much like the Welsh/Druidic Awen, the Greek had an idea of divine inspiration known as theia mania, or "divine madness."  The poets would be struck with theia mania and would write about the Deities, about their exploits and the like.  It was also believed that the best interpretations of such writings were from the philosophers, who understood the nature of the Gods.  Many cultures have ideas about Divine Beings coming down, and talking to men, walking amongst them, even possessing them.  Vishnu came down in various forms like Rama and Krishna, and in Voudou, the Lwa possess initiates and priests.

Now I'm not claiming that a Deity is gonna up and hijack your game to deliver a message, we must remember the difference between fantasy and reality, and discern revelation from just your DM's plot in the campaign.  After all, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.  The more important thing, is how such things inspire us.  Inspiration is a powerful thing, a divine thing, something that I think is not revered enough.  If inspiration were more revered in our culture, I'm sure we would be more scientifically and spiritually advanced, and I'm sure there would be more equality and a lot less violence and a lot more art and recreation of all sorts.  Yes, inspiration is what is important.  Our DM's are most likely not Pagan, in the US, they a more probably Christian or Atheist or Agnostic than anything else.  However, they look at the mythos of our ancestors, and then the mythos of these fictional worlds, and become inspired to write.  They write about the dark and evil things, so that the heroes can rise up and stand against and bring light back to the world.  The DM is the author, the poet, and the PC is the philosopher, making sense of the chaos (and sometimes causing the chaos, Kenders especially).

Is that not what we all do everyday, make sense of the chaos?  We are born into a 14 billion year old world, into a world, to quote Thales, full of Gods.  Everyday we encounter things that puzzle us and confuse us and disgust us, we encounter things that bring us joy and happiness and pleasure.  Everyday we are bombarded with inspiration, whether you believe its from one God or many Gods or no Gods at all.  We are inspired by stories and games.  Is the Amaterasu of Okami the same as the Sun Goddess of Japan?  Who knows?  Maybe she inspired the game's creation?  What's important is that the retelling of the myths surrounding her and other Kami are retold to inspire future generations.

And I'm sure the Gods do not mind being in these stories.  After all, to quote the Doctor Who character River Song, aren't we all?

I leave you with that thought to ponder.  You (the reader), me, musings (or handcuffs), must it always end like this?