Question: what is it like when the rulers of the pantheons (Hutzilopochtli, Amaterasu, Zeus, Odin, whichever Loa is acting as king at the moment) get together?
Nervous for everyone else, mostly. Here, I'll use a metaphor:
Imagine that you are going to a U.N. meeting. Once you get there, you discover that nobody will agree on anything, including what to disagree over, that everyone seems to have an insanely magnetic personality that makes it impossible to ignore or argue with them, that the walls are covered in gigantic charts of every gesture, phrase or idea that is secretly offensive but that nobody is paying attention to avoiding any of them, and that there is no moderator. Also, there are huge fleets of cars full of armored troops in the parking lot, all fanning themselves and waiting to hear about the results of the meeting. Also, all the representatives are pointing nuclear rocket launchers at one another.
Meetings of pantheon leaders are a lot like that. There's an insane amount of divine power and force in one room, and they seldom have any interest in anyone's ideas but their own. They want what they want, they want it now, they're used to being on top of the world, and they don't like taking no for an answer.
But, luckily, most of them have Ultimate Charisma, so when they're actually together in person it's very difficult for relations to be anything but cordial; they're all so impressive, likeable or awesome that it takes genuine insults or acts of war to make them throw diplomacy to the winds and actually act against one another. It's a lucky break for the world (though not so much for any hapless person who happens to wander in; that much Epic Charisma in one place is sort of mind-blowing).
So, in general, when they get together they have a great time shooting the shit and telling each other how great they are, and usually agree to help each other if they need it. It's when they're at home, away from one anothers' influence, that they pull the real shenanigans.
So does Amaterasu deal with the other (male) leaders cheavanism and would they rather deal with Izanagi over her.
ReplyDeleteActually, Amaterasu really doesn't go to meetings with the other head gods. If they want to talk to her, they have to go to her court, where her word is law. Since they usually only do that when they really need her, they tend to be at least grudgingly polite.
DeleteBasically, she heads them off with her own political power-move before any of them can try to belittle her. It's not just the boys who can powergame their way to the top.
Izanagi, incidentally, doesn't have any power, so while they can deal with him all they want, he won't make deals for the pantheon (it's not his job) and if he did, they wouldn't stick if she vetoed them. So there's really nothing to be gained there. He may be her father, but that doesn't mean he's the boss; she's the empress of the gods, and he's well-respected but not in charge of political affairs (though his word does of course have quite a bit of weight if he chooses to take a side).
I'd love to someday see someone insult Amaterasu or try to take her on. She's a scary lady when she's pissed off.