Polytheism

Polytheism emerged due to unexplainable natural phenomenas that affected people's lives. It was an easy way to answer questions such as "why and how does rain come down?". Polytheism developed arts and culture in many societies. Most, if not all, societies' architecture or other art designs are based on gods and people practicing ceremonies.
 * Polytheism:** The belief in more than one god. All the first religions were polytheistic, monotheism didn't appear until later. The earliest Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon religions also appeared to be polytheistic. Most polytheistic religions have different gods for different aspects of the lives of the worshipers. Polytheistic religions can have as few as two gods and as many as millions. The word polytheism comes from the Greek word //poly theoi//, meaning many gods.In many polytheistic religions, the gods are portrayed with more human like characteristics and interact with one another as humans would.

The Egyptians were one of the many societites at the time that were polytheistic. They believed in many gods and prayed for rain because of the desert-like environment as well as praying for the flooding of the Nile to help with bringing silt to the surface because of silts use for fertilizing the land. Some of the Egyptian gods were Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amun, and many others. (Zack Schwatka)

The polytheistic religions that existed in the foundations period, consisted of many gods and goddesses specific to each area. The gods of Greece were different then those of Egypt or various noamdic tribes. The types of gods were realted to the culture of each area. An area specializing in agriculture may have important gods relating to rain, sun, and fertility. Many areas also had myths that realted to their gods and goddesses. Creation myths about how a group of people came to be were very common, as well as myths that explain everyday occureces that those people faced. (Alison Gale)


 * Groups of people that were polytheistic:** Sumerians, Egytians, Indus River Valley people, Meso-Americans, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans.

(the Greek pantheon) Egyptian gods (Zack S.)