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Reworking the "Yankee" Pantheon

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MisterShifter Posted: 7 Jul 2009 5:14 PM
Me again...

So I've decided to rework the American Pantheon.. because I'm not a fan of the "Tall Tale" Gods.. My Idea was to make the American Gods a bit more.. fluid.. in their representations. Making them a tad more esoteric and having their apperance change as the culture changes around them.. so the "Tall Tale" guys might be replaced by Comic book or movie characters now..

So far I have Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty as the "Leaders" of the Pantheon.. any suggestions for American "Gods"?
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superman as the war god?
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High Quabalist:
superman as the war god?


I don't know if I could get behind that one. Supes has always been a leader and peacekeeper, not war god material. I could see him as an exemplar of the American virtues.

If you want to stick to fictional stuff, comics and film are great sources. I could easily see Wonder Woman as the next version of Rosie, Steel for John Henry, and Malcolm Reynolds as Pecos Bill.

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rawn53:
I don't know if I could get behind that one. Supes has always been a leader and peacekeeper, not war god material. I could see him as an exemplar of the American virtues.


Indeed, it could go with the policy america has to involve itself in foreign conflicts to maintain peace and oppose those goverments in considers an enemy to it's virtues...

Captain america could work better thought, he is a soldier after all...
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DC and Marvel heroes are inspired by Scions who, for whatever reason, ended up going their own way instead of joining their parents. Decades of publications have put them all under absurdly heavy Fatebinding, so they all do their best to stay out of the way of mortals and focus on fighting the Titans. If nothing else, it'd give you an excuse to stat the Joker as a God.

I'd also recommend Indiana Jones and James Bond, if you want to rework the British pantheon. Possibly Samuel L. Jackson as well.
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It's not that I'm looking to just turn the American Pantheon into Comic Book characters.. I'm just looking to make them a bit more relevant then the Tall Tale versions..
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George Lass as the Death god.  (yes I know she's tv a char) since the pantheon lacks one

Also Duke would make a better War god.
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Why does there have to be a "war god" or a "death god".  If its a new(er) pantheon then maybe one of its defining characteristics can be a breaking of traditional god roles.  Much like most characters, when they become gods, don't take up traditional mantles (War, Death, Love etc.) or when they do they put a different, more personal spin on it.

I can definitely see The Duke as a God in a yankee pantheon but maybe a God of Pioneering Spirit or Stoicism.  God of Never Say Die maybe.
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Well.. death is certainly something we Americans are fixated on.. death and sex.. sometimes both together..

I'm hopefully going to have something worked up by the end of the weekend.. spend some time going over then Pantheon a bit more carefully.. see what I can tweek..

I know I'd like to keep at least ONE Wild West themed God.. as a big part of the World still sees Americans as "Cowboys".. and the previous President didn't do much to help that image..
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Billy the Kid and Calamity Jane?
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Here's a bit what I'm thinking..

Uncle Sam: He remains pretty unchanged.. I like the write up and it's what  I
wanted..
Columbia: Again.. pretty much what I wanted.. so unchanged..
Betsy Ross: Ehh.. The core idea is ok.. not wild about the persona..
Pecos Bill: There are more well known "cowboys" such as Wyatt Earp.. or John Wayne..
Rosie the Riveter: Again.. the core idea is ok.. but the Persona is a little off to me..
Bre'er Rabbit: Just having him go back to being Coyote from the Native Americans..
Paul Bunyan: I'm gonna switch him back to a Native "earth God" persona..
John Henry: The persona is a bit to tied to a specific incident.. so it needs some updating..

Might even add a few as well..
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MisterShifter:
Pecos Bill: There are more well known "cowboys" such as Wyatt Earp.. or John Wayne..


I think the main difference is that Pecos Bill is much more a mythical figure whereas Wyatt Earp and John Wayne are real people.

For the best of both worlds though, how's about Davey Crockett?  A real life, larger than life embodiment of the sort of American "go to" spirit associated with the west and also someone who does have some mythical qualities associated with him.
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Perhaps.. but Davey Crockette was more "Frontiersman" then "Cowboy"..

The "Wild west" was a pretty savage and brutal time where the "law" was enforced by whoever was the better shot or had the most friends.. which is why I liked the "Wyatt Earp" image.. I was looking to make him less "tall Tale" coybow roping tornadoes and the like.. and more like a john Wayne or Clint Eastwood character..
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I also favor Bre'er Rabbit reurning to the Native Americans, as a diplomatic gesture. Basically, I see the Yankees as a melting pot, a Pantheon made up of Scions from other Pantheons. Also, in accordance with U.S. Imigration laws, the Yankees allow for dual citizenship, in the hopes of avoiding unessesary conflicts with other Pantheons over foreign gods essentialy drafting U.S. citizens right under their noses.
With that, I would like to offer a few ideas for gods based on both real Americans, and on American literary figures, since historical evidence says that Robin Hood and King Arthur are fictional, but both should be in the British Pantheon.

Tom Sawyer; possible Scion of Bre'er Rabbit, Kalfu, or Agwe: Epic Wits, Epic Manipulation, Epic Dexterity, Chaos, Illusion, Water.

Amelia Earhart; possible Scion of Frigg, Freya, or Thor: Epic Intellegence, Epic Wits, Epic Perception, Epic Charisma, Industry, Psychopomp,(earned after her mortal exploits ceased to be recorded) Sky.

That's all I've got right now, and  I would add Daniel Boon to the list of "Cowboy gods".

And while I think John Henry's Legend could be expanded on a bit, he is by far my favorite of the Yankees.
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How about Supply and Demand A sister and brother who sometimes work together or strive against each other, God and goddess of commerce and conflict
The underside- God of disease and misfortune but also protective of those he considers his people
Pursuit of happiness- the goddess of joy and pathways
Blind justice- Goddess of equality and implacable law
Any of these work?
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