Languages of the Gods

[Jameta]

I think a greater issue would be the deities attempting to communicate to us in one language, be it an actual tongue or other form of communicate, and us not understanding (for various reasons, such as only focusing on one type of communication instead of another or all of what is being presented).  

[Hitara the Brave]

I've never really had to use another language when talkin' to the Goddess' when I need something.

The only time I really have to speak another language is when Im talkin' with dead family members of mine.

1) Because they feel more comfortable talking in another language

2) It somehow has to do with our background

and 3) My grandfather wont listen to me otherwise.  

[Creepy Albino Fish]

Nihilistic Seraph

Creepy Albino Fish

I really don't think that the gods take a night college course on languages, or even learn teh separate ones.. So I think that your thoughts are enough for them to understand. They arn't humans, so I would think their communication skills are different from ours.

For a broad example, I think its kind of like how different species of animals can communicate to eachother through body language and universal sounds of danger and such. They all don't make the same sounds yet they can convey messages to eachother. Humans and gods may not make the same communication noises to eachother but they still understand.

Just an idea. It's (my post) not really well put together as I just thought of it while typing it out..

"Alright, now as this is the first clas of Modern Languages 101, I'm going to take attendance."

"Hera?"

"Here."

"Zeus?"

"Here."

"Bachus?"

"I should be drinking!"

"That's nice Bachus. Loki?"

...

"Loki? Damnit, he's playing hooky again."



I seem to be in a quite irreverent mood this morning biggrin

Ahahahaha.. that would be quite the sight.

 

[WebenBanu]

Interesting question. My experience has been that when the gods speak to me, it usually comes across as an impression in my mind which has, over time, developed its own "voice over"- more or less translating what They say to me. So far, it seems to be reasonably accurate. When gods speak through mediums (as in trance possession), there is sometimes a bit of awkwardness- They sometimes use words in novel ways, for example, or refer to objects descriptively in terms through which we might not normally perceive them. There are often many cultural references, as well, and sometimes mythological allusions or allegories. It's always pretty cool when you parse it out, and I've never encountered a deity Who was completely unable to overcome the language barrier (if They wanted to)- but I've also found that an understanding of Their native language is helpful for understanding what They make of mine. Especially in the case of the Egyptian gods, language is a sacred thing which was created by the gods as a means of magic and communication. It has a special status, and the ancient Egyptians referred to their language as "god's words." Cultural worldviews are embodied through language to a large extent, so it's more than a simple "substitute X word for Y language." Sometimes, to really "get" it, you've got to learn to speak Their lingo.

And by this I don't mean that people have to go out and become fluent in an ancient language in order to talk to God. Thoughts count for a lot, and you can get the message through. But there is something of a language barrier- and for those who are willing, it has been my experience that learning a little about where They're coming from can add a whole new dimension to your communication with Them. Of course, that goes beyond language- but I've a healthy influence from Djhwty, and am therefore not completely unbiased here. cool  

[Azana Brown]

Creepy Albino Fish

Nihilistic Seraph

Creepy Albino Fish

I really don't think that the gods take a night college course on languages, or even learn teh separate ones.. So I think that your thoughts are enough for them to understand. They arn't humans, so I would think their communication skills are different from ours.

For a broad example, I think its kind of like how different species of animals can communicate to eachother through body language and universal sounds of danger and such. They all don't make the same sounds yet they can convey messages to eachother. Humans and gods may not make the same communication noises to eachother but they still understand.

Just an idea. It's (my post) not really well put together as I just thought of it while typing it out..

"Alright, now as this is the first clas of Modern Languages 101, I'm going to take attendance."

"Hera?"

"Here."

"Zeus?"

"Here."

"Bachus?"

"I should be drinking!"

"That's nice Bachus. Loki?"

...

"Loki? Damnit, he's playing hooky again."



I seem to be in a quite irreverent mood this morning biggrin

Ahahahaha.. that would be quite the sight.

Who would teach the class?  

[DR490N]

Caerwiden

Has anyone else ever wondered if the gods can understand English? For example, surely the greek gods like Athena and Demeter would only be able to understand Ancient Greek. Would that mean that if as a pagan who wants to exclusively worship gods from a particular region (like the greek gods or the celtic gods) you should use the gods' native language in prayers and rituals (sort of like the way Roman Catholics use Latin and Jews use Hebrew) or at least their closest modern counterpart (like speaking Welsh or Irish instead of the old British language)?

i'm going to keep this simple. gods can understand any language, just as spirits can. if a psychic from america goes to germany and speaks with a german speaking ghost in english, that ghost will understand him, and he will understand it. in the spiritual realm, there is no set language.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Azana Brown

Creepy Albino Fish

Nihilistic Seraph

Creepy Albino Fish

I really don't think that the gods take a night college course on languages, or even learn teh separate ones.. So I think that your thoughts are enough for them to understand. They arn't humans, so I would think their communication skills are different from ours.

For a broad example, I think its kind of like how different species of animals can communicate to eachother through body language and universal sounds of danger and such. They all don't make the same sounds yet they can convey messages to eachother. Humans and gods may not make the same communication noises to eachother but they still understand.

Just an idea. It's (my post) not really well put together as I just thought of it while typing it out..

"Alright, now as this is the first clas of Modern Languages 101, I'm going to take attendance."

"Hera?"

"Here."

"Zeus?"

"Here."

"Bachus?"

"I should be drinking!"

"That's nice Bachus. Loki?"

...

"Loki? Damnit, he's playing hooky again."



I seem to be in a quite irreverent mood this morning biggrin

Ahahahaha.. that would be quite the sight.

Who would teach the class?

...Ma'at?

Maybe Hermes. Isn't communication one of His things?  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

DR490N

Caerwiden

Has anyone else ever wondered if the gods can understand English? For example, surely the greek gods like Athena and Demeter would only be able to understand Ancient Greek. Would that mean that if as a pagan who wants to exclusively worship gods from a particular region (like the greek gods or the celtic gods) you should use the gods' native language in prayers and rituals (sort of like the way Roman Catholics use Latin and Jews use Hebrew) or at least their closest modern counterpart (like speaking Welsh or Irish instead of the old British language)?

i'm going to keep this simple. gods can understand any language, just as spirits can. if a psychic from america goes to germany and speaks with a german speaking ghost in english, that ghost will understand him, and he will understand it. in the spiritual realm, there is no set language.

Why?  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

And of course, for more humourous purposes...

Banu will remember this one.

 

[WebenBanu]

Ha! I love that strip.^_^  

[The Bookwyrm]

I have that strip posted on my bedroom door. Company loves it!  

[Anabis]

Many interesting points of veiws here... thought the thread seems old, mind if I dust it off a bit? *dusts*

I've found that, even thought the deities in question might be from a different time all together (especially true for Ancient Egyptian Deities. Heiroglyphs o.o), they understand english better then I do o.o

I mean, if you think about it this way: Their Gods, They've been around a loooooong time, I don't think they'd just ignore their 'children' cause there's a drop of communication for a few years while changes are taking place on the mortal plane. At the same time, their own language, the one they know better then us (Example again, Heiroglyphs... note to self, learn to read those..), is importiant to them and a part of them, but as that comic up there shows, it'd be a taaad difficult for them to get their points across to their children of other languages if they couldn't speak a few (hundred) others.

I keep a small black journal with letters I write to Anubis, and since I can't write in any other language (yet), I have to use english, and he seems to understand perfectly, sometimes though his only reply is a sort of vibe that lets me know he's there if I need him.

*hugs her journal*  

[Quadadiddle]

Well here's the thing some people argue with me about.

I'm not a verbal person, with anything. I prefer thinking to speaking. And not in a "think before you speak" way, I think instead of speaking. I often catch myself thinking a reply to someone instead of saying it, wondering why they're staring at me like I'm retarded or something.

But anyway, even in prayer and ritual I communicate in thought. Very rarely do I speak unless I get so caught up in my thoughts that my mouth moves to shape the words I'm thinking and eventually speaks them. But I believe that the Goddesses and gods can still hear me and communicate me. It's got a bit of Christian background to it. I was raised Christian and my priest told me "Only God can hear what you're thinking. If you need to say something you don't want the devil to hear, just think it and God will hear you". So I also think that it's sort of a way of connecting with the deities, without attracting so much negative attention. Kinda like "I'm doing a ritual, but you have no clue whether I'm banishing you demons or not!" just not so blunt or cocky.

But I believe that the God and Goddess can hear my thoughts. And a little faith is all I need to keep myself assured of that.

 

[Anabis]

I tend to do that sometimes o.o

Thoughts are great like that, specially if your stuck in public. Correct me if I'm wrong, bu when you 'think' to Deities, you use your native tongue, right? That's the impression I'm getting but please do say so if I got this wrong; anyways - I guess the same thing can be appied to one's thoughts, if you think in your home language and work with deities who's home language is something different, there's probably a good chance they know what your saying/thinking.

I guess it (not understanding another language) just strikes me as odd becuse their deities, I can't image any of them going "Ooh, Butterfly" and wandering off when their homeland's language changes or when one of their children from somewhere else requests their presence, ya know?  

[iolitefire]

oooh! This is a really neat discussion! Can't say I ever thought about it before. (I love this guild for that reason).

I think I'm going to echo what several people have said. The gods are all powerful and long lived enough that they'd probably have no problem being able to understand someone due to language barriers.

I argue that spirits can do the same thing. Some spirits come from very specific areas and don't wield the power a god might. Therefore if you go to Germany and want to speak with an German spirit of some type, I think there's a safe bet that the spirit will be wanting to communicate in German.

Also, while many gods can most likely understand English, they could be picky and not be very responsive if you don't communicate in their native tongue. I've heard that some Asatru deities can be like this but I don't know for sure.

Then again, language isn't that big of a problem if you communicate via symbols which is what tends to happen to me when I talk to spirits.