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There is not only one of anything. Not only one sun in the sky, but an infinity of suns in the sky. Not only one Earth, but an infinity of Earths wandering lost in the night. There is certainly not only one God, but many beings of power, if you but know their names.
— Countess Von Marburg about Gods.

Deities or Gods are immortal beings worshiped by humans. Contrary to popular belief, the Abrahamic God is not the only god, but merely one of many higher beings of power.

Description

You have a good soul and the Lord I believe in does not care what you do on this Earth. What Lord would create bodies capable of such pleasures, then punish us for knowing it?
— Mary Sibley

Deities are the oldest and most powerful entities in existence. While the origins of divinity remain unknown, it is commonly believed that deities are a primordial race who have existed long before the universe was created and will continue to exist long after the universe is destroyed. While gods are depicted in a variety of forms, they are frequently portrayed as having a humanoid shape. However, some faiths and traditions consider it blasphemous to imagine a god as having any concrete form. Nevertheless, almost all deities are believed to be everlasting and are thought to have the ultimate knowledge, power, and understanding of the universe and all things within it. Deities are also believed to have desires, emotions, and intelligence that is comparable, but usually superior, to those of humans. Despite having a fundamental role in human religion and possessing a number of disciples, some gods, such as the Devil, have been known to betray their followers as a result of their malevolent nature and underlying personality; whereas other gods, such as the Great Spirit, have been known to guide, heal and support their followers through the aid of shamans and spiritual healers.

Divine Entities

Neither the world, the flesh, nor the devil himself is like a Puritan suit in only black and white. All is grey. And the devil they fear is not the devil I know.
— Mary Sibley

Abrahamic God

The Abrahamic God is an almighty being of power, the original creator of the Universe and of all its creatures, proving to be one of the most powerful beings ever existed. Due to the fact that there are many denominations of various faiths and beliefs, there are many variations of the Abrahamic God. However, it appears that in all forms of Abrahamic faiths, "God" is conceived as being an all-knowing and all-powerful deity who is both the creator and sustainer of the universe. While the name of this God remains unknown, in some faiths it is customary to refer to him with epithets. Many proponents of Abrahamic faiths also believe that God is transcendent, meaning that He exists outside of space and time and he is therefore not subject to anything within his creation but at the same time a personal God who listens to prayer and reacts to the actions of Its creatures. Contrary to most Pagan faiths whose beliefs are commonly rooted in polytheism, the Abrahamic God is mainly found in monotheistic religions, as it is taught to be the one and only Supreme Being.

While his true nature is completely concealed to the eyes of humans, a consistent group of Angels rebelled against him by accusing God the Father of being a despotic tyrant. According to a very old and powerful witch, currently known as Countess Von Marburg, the Abrahamic God is a "blind and deaf, senile watchmaker who long ago forgot about the creatures of mud he formed with his bored breath". [1] This implies that while God was, in fact, the creator of the Universe, he does not affiliate himself with the world, but rather permits his creation to administer itself through natural law. He is seen as a being of infinite goodness and love from the disciples of the various religions raised to worship his name but also strict and fair, a severe father who punishes those who commit sin without repentance. It was this severity that sparked the rebellion in the hearts of some Angels who, for this reason, were cast into the newly created Hell, their eternal prison. The proof of his distance from the world is also given by the lack of response to the prayers of either Cotton Mather during his religious crisis [2] and Mary Sibley during one of her most horrible moments of despair, although the latter said that "A prayer doesn't have to be heard to be answered. Sometimes all that matters is the asking."[1]

Angels

Main article: Fallen Angel

Angels also referred to as "Architects of the Universe," are powerful divine beings. They contributed, together with God, to shaping the geometries of the universe and are able to create entire dimensions even in a grain of sand, according to the words of The Sentinel, one of the named angels. These engines of the wrath of God have also heavily contributed to the history of humanity during the aeons, being charged with imparting divine punishment on God's behalf, unleashing plagues and destruction but also helping human being throughout the passing of time. According to Mrs Stoughton, a witch, following the rebellion against God, some of the Angels descended on Earth and are responsible for having taught humankind crafts and arts such as how to tend a flame to heat themselves or cook, or various activities like hunting, as well as weaving to clothe themselves — de facto creating civilisation. [3] This could imply that most if not all other deities, besides the Abrahamic God, are just fallen angels who have been viewed and worshipped by humans as gods since most of their teaching overlaps almost completely the role assumed by several gods in other religions. The Sentinel, a fallen angel once named Beelzebub, is linked to Baal, a Canaanite god.

The Great Spirit

The Great Spirit is a being of power who is commonly found and revered in Native American faiths. Contrary to Abrahamic religions, Shamanism does not teach the Great Spirit as being separate from nature, but rather the "spirit" of nature that is intertwined within the fabric of the universe itself and is personally engaged with the web of all living things. According to John Alden, most Indian tribes have an intimate relationship with nature and believe that all natural objects are inhabited by intelligent spirits. While some spirits are benevolent and are known to heal and protect those who beckon them, other spirits are malevolent and are liable to wreck havoc on others. This was proven after a wise shaman warned John Alden about the uprising of a malevolent spirit — Satan — that the witches were trying to awaken.

The Fallen One

Main article: The Devil

The Devil is one of the most powerful Angels created by God, as well as the leader of the rebellious angel's row. Known during the Biblical Times as Samael, the Angel of Death, he was the most ruthless of the angels. Following the Fall of the Angels and their imprisonment in Hell, he became a trickster and began recruiting followers among humans. It was due to this plan that he remade himself as "The Horned God," an ancient chaotic being of power who is found in various cultures, nations, and religions all around the world. When manifesting his presence to witches on Earth, he was seen as having curving, conical horns like a goat or ram, cloven hoof, claws and a tail. While many European followers of Judeo-Christianity know him by such names as "Devil," "Lucifer," and "Satan", other cultures, such as those in South America, know him by such names as "Diablo" and "Kanaima". However, during a conversation with Cotton Mather, the spirit referred to himself as "Legion," implying that he has countless names. According to Mary Sibley, the Devil is the Lord of Death, Life and the Underworld, as well as the primary patron of Witchcraft (or Maleficium, the practice of black magic). While the basis of the Devil remains unknown to most humans, almost every religion from Christianity to Shamanism describes the Devil as being a malevolent spirit of mass chaos and destruction. However, many followers of Witchcraft believed him to be a Pagan god who represented the primal nature and wildness of man. To them, he was an illustration of humankind unencumbered by civilization and lived by his instincts in a natural state of being. While the witches have always known for the God to have dark characteristics, they also believed him to have a bright nature and viewed him as both a benevolent and malevolent deity. This has proven to be a lie when the Devil became incarnate in human flesh and revealed his true nature as The Fallen One. Witches were brought to believe him a Pagan God because of their previous beliefs, related to natural cycles and the veneration of the Earth.

Deified Humans

These deities are powerful human beings that have been worshipped as gods, but they are not otherworldly entities like Angels and Demons. Most of them are magic practitioners who have achieved great power through practice and training. For this reason, they have been falsely considered deities or they have called themselves gods, requiring veneration by third parties, as happened with Countess Von Marburg. One of the main purposes of the Dark Lord is to elevate himself to be a god, and to make Mary Sibley, mother of his human host, as well as the future bride, a goddess.

Hecate

Main article: Countess Von Marburg

In one of her previous incarnations during ancient times, Countess Von Marburg was known as Hecate and worshipped as a goddess. She was also known as Medea, a mythical figure associated with Hecate herself. According to Reverend Increase Mather, as told to Mary Sibley by Cotton Mather, she was also worshipped as a "Pagan Siren" by a coven of German witches in the first half of the 17th century, who probably acknowledged her boundless powers and pride. However, she is in fact just a powerful ancient human witch who is blindly faithful to Lucifer.

Powers and Abilities

As divine creatures, these beings are endowed with boundless power and are responsible for the creation of the universe and its maintenance. While these roles vary depending on religious beliefs, it was proved that these beings are far more powerful than the most powerful witches and authors of authentic wonders. Since the magical power used by humans generally originates in affiliation with one of these deities, it is fair to say that the gods have all the powers granted to their followers and many more. One of the hallmarks of these deities is to bestow magical power on their followers, through rituals and contracts that change for each deity. While the Great Spirit is able to bestow enhanced strength and some defensive powers in chosen champions, the Devil confers control over the four elements, and the ability to shape reality with malicious means. To do this, witches give him their souls after having been violently abused in an initiation ritual known as "Pact with the Devil". Given their affinity with the power of creation, deities are able to take on all the form they desire, creating illusions and incarnating at will into animals, monsters or humans. They are also able to shape pocket dimensions and altered states of consciousness, and even teleport from one place to the other with the sheer force of will within moments. Their human vessels are considerably more durable the average human being, and wounds inflicted by human weapons seem to cause little or no damage.

Memorable Quotes

John Alden: "Judge not lest ye be judged."
George Sibley: "Who said that?"
John Alden: "Jesus. You might have heard of him."
The Vow
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Tituba (to Mary Sibley): "Was it he who left you to the wolves? No, child. It was he who saved you from the wolves and raised you up to all of this. You have a grand vision. Don't lose sight of it. Tomorrow, the moon is with us. Tomorrow, it begins. Leave your anger and your pain for the Kanaima to feed on. Has he not been true to his vow? Are not your enemies now your slaves? Do you not have everything that you desire... wealth, power?"
The Vow
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Increase Mather: "The wine is from God. The drunkard is from the Devil."
Departures
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Tituba: "He has come to save me, save all of us. He draws to him all who hurt, all who hate, all who thirst for justice, gather us into the Circle and promises us a leader, a savior, one who will crush our enemies with a mighty fist. And He keeps his promises."
The House of Pain
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Magistrate Hathorne: "I am quite certain what God is most displeased with. For what is a surer sign of a world turned upside down than a world with a woman on top?"
Cry Havoc
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The Shaman (to John Alden): "The Earth and all the things that live on it share a single invisible from within. Like the bones within a man. But this is not bone, it is alive. Like a great, invisible Snake coiled, sleeping inside the Earth. They seek to wake Him. They think they can control it but it will destroy them, and when they are through, this will not be the place we knew. It will be Hell."
Cry Havoc
___________________________
Sebastian Von Marburg: "Most men fear two things: the demon-haunted night and the woods filled with Indians and far worse beasts. And yet, here you are, and you're not the slightest bit afraid."
Samuel Wainwright: "My mind is not shackled by the petty superstitions and fairy tales of religion."
Sebastian Von Marburg: "Well, let us just say there are accurate superstitions and true fairy tales. As you will soon learn, all true knowledge once came from the one they call the devil. He attempted, aeons ago, to bestow this knowledge on a man and woman."
Samuel Wainwright: "Adam and Eve?"
Sebastian Von Marburg: "As I said, some fairy tales are real."
Wages of Sin
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Isaac Walton: "You're all fornicators; screwing each other every day of the week, including Sabbath. I swear, if Jesus Christ walked the streets of Salem, he wouldn't find a man worth saving."
Magistrate Hathorne: "This is vile blasphemy and you will hang for it."
Isaac Walton: "Go on then, hang me! Hang me! Done died on those stocks years ago. You all so busy looking for where the evil came from, you brought it with you!"
Midnight Never Come
_____________________________
Countess Von Marburg: "Their Lord may forgive, but I don't."
Midnight Never Come
______________________________
Countess Von Marburg: "Why are you praying to God? He is blind and deaf. A senile watchmaker who long ago forgot about the creatures of mud he formed with his bored breath!"
Mary Sibley: "A prayer doesn't have to be heard to be answered. Sometimes all that matters is the asking."
The Witching Hour
________________________________
Sebastian Von Marburg: "What is the Devil? The Devil is the light that reveals the path through the dark woods of desire."
After the Fall
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Sebastian Von Marburg: "We have so long been orphans of the great gone gods, but no longer. Our father has come home. Their God is dead or lost in senile slumber, but not ours. Our god, their Devil, is alive, awake, and now, finally he's here."
After the Fall
______________________________
Cotton Mather: "There was a moment when I knew the devil had won, and I had fallen out of God's world and into his. And then I saw you. The face, the love, the light shining from it. And then I knew in that instant that even if I was in the dark and Godless universe, there was still love. There was still you."
The Reckoning
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The Sentinel (to Mary about God): "I once stood as close to God as I stand to you now. I knew him well. He loves nothing more than to forgive those willing to beg him. Could I but step back in time and beg, I would. I cannot, but you can."
Night's Black Agents
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Cotton Mather (to Mrs Stoughton): "Please, stop. Think of what you're about to do. It's not too late. It's never too late to repent. God is most forgiving. [...] You risk an eternity of suffering in Hell when, with one act of grace to me, you could gain an eternity in Heaven!"
Night's Black Agents
_______________________________

Appearances


Trivia

  • In Salem Universe, the word "deity" can be used to refers to any kind of being worshipped into a religion or spiritual belief or even a cult if there will be one, not in the strict sense of "God" in the Christian Bible. Several powerful beings may fit the definition of divine under the right circumstances, such as the Devil and the Countess Von Marburg.
  • While all deities are arguably genderless, a deity of feminine character is commonly considered a "Goddess", while a deity of masculine character is commonly considered a "God".
  • Epithets and sacred names of God are YHVH (Yahweh/Jehovah), Allah, Brahman, Mazda, Providence, and The Great Spirit among others. However, most denominations of Judeo-Christianity do not acknowledge the name of God Itself and consider it blasphemous to provide Him and/or Her with a name. Nevertheless, It is commonly referred to as the "Abrahamic God" due to the fact that in all Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions, It revealed Itself to a patriarch named Abraham. According to Christianity, God manifested Itself in Jesus Christ.
  • In real-life myths, Hecate is an Anatolian deity associated with Underworld and sorcery. Hecate was the mistress of darkness and sorcery and ruled on the three kingdoms: earth, heaven and sea and for that reason, she was represented with three heads and honored at crossroads. Hecate was a Titaness who helped Zeus in the conquest of Olympus and also the nurse of Persephone, the queen of the Underworld.
  • The Essex Hive was originally a pagan cult that worshiped nature and trees before they made a deal with the Devil in exchange for greater power to fight the Christians. They worshiped vague representation of a pagan goddess of the earth that resembles Mother Nature, as they constantly referred the Earth as "her" or "she"[4]. Possibly, the Great Spirit and this Pagan Goddess are just merely the same entity in different interpretations.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Season 2, Episode 13: The Witching Hour
  2. Season 1, Episode 10: The House of Pain
  3. Season 3, Episode 4: Night's Black Agents
  4. The Man Who Was Thursday

See Also

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