The trouble is that we need a god that fits all of the criteria. I still think it's Hades, and he is looking for Persephone. Yes, it's the wrong season, but do we think that Demeter is strong enough to actually affect the seasons anymore? I think he's lost Persophone because his power was weakened enough he could no longer hold her. The seasons continue... well, for any number of reasons, most likely that Demeter lacks the power to stop what she once started.

quote:

Originally posted by The Finn:
Ok, this is kind of out there, but just hear me out. What if this guy is Luck? Just like the internet kid, and the media woman, they aren't actual gods per se, just ideas that tons of people subscribe to.

What is a god besides an idea that tons of people subscribe to?

Anyway, I think there was some mention of him having a large hammer, wasn't there? If I'm not mistaken about that, I think it strongly hints at the Norse pantheon, though I can't think of a god that was always being forgotten.

Cool question to raise though, I never thought about that character for some reason.

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If he were Luck he wouldn't be allied with the old gods. He's be with the internet and the rest trying to fight and kill the old.

But Luck is one of the old gods. Luck's been around forever. Just not really named as an entity. Also, Luck would take no sides in particular--he/she/it is with everyone always--just in different forms. So it would be worth it to get Luck's good graces so the god would give you its better side.

Given all the points made for this God it is most likely he is Irish or Celtic of some kind.

I won't rehash everything said here but rather offer something new.

Wasn't it spoken that he was looking for a "She?" Well, couldn't that be a misunderstanding on Shadow's part.

Also add in that many of the gods have been "forgotten" in the sense that the large Majority of the Irish population is Protestant or Catholic now, and the forgetting of the name might have much to do with the foreignness of it.

After all Sidhe, is pronounced She. Also the whiskey and the fondness for bogs seem to point towards it.

I always thought it was the Judeo-Christian god, "Yahweh" or "God" or whoever.

I have been re-reading American Gods, as well as doing a bit of research on Scientology, and I think the un-named forgotton god could be the Eighth Dynamic
"Scientology believes that only through total spiritual enlightenment can one then truly discover and understand the Supreme Being."
Quote from http://www.scientology.cc/en_US/about/scientology/faq/index.html

I have mulled over JHVH and Satan, as they too would be very well off in modern America. But why would they be so easily forgotten?

As for the Vedic Gods, the Celtic gods, The Greco-Roman gods, none would really exhibit the wealth, that was exhibited by the forgotten one, but since Shadow has not achieved total spiritual enlightenment, it would stand to reason that he would not remember or fully comprehend the eighth dynamic.

Just another whack-a-doo theory compliments of me...

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Wow, you actually managed to elicit a physical gag-reflex with that post. Congrats!

I still think the unnamed god is 'Hades'; everything fits.

I dunno... Even if we may hate the idea the 8th dynamic does sound likely.

Here is a little more food for thought on my case for the 8th Dynamic...

"In 1981 the complete Church of Scientology in every nation on the planet had been bought by the biggest whiskey producer on Earth"
Quote from http://members.iimetro.com.au/~hubbca/scientology.htm


"Neil Gaiman is the son of a prominent leader of the Church of Scientology. Neil Gaiman was active in the denomination for a long time, but may no longer be."

Quote from http://www.adherents.com/people/pg/Neil_Gaiman.html

Also as a fancier of fine spirits, I know that Laphroaig is a single malt scotch from the Islay region, which are known for their strong smoky or peaty overtones...tastes like a bog, or burnt rope. I have had it. I have to say I am kind of a wuss for the Islay's, Especially on a clean palette. I prefer the Highlands, An Aberlour A'Bunadh, or McCallen for me is pure heaven. But any Islay less than 16 yrs old really does taste like a body in a bog.

So even a midwest/gateway to the south hayseed like me can have an appreciation for the finer things.

And I am aware of the difference between Whisky (Scotch) & Whiskey (everything else) so that pretty much makes the first quote a non sequitur.

It appears that the female figure He is looking for in Vegas could be either Diana (Dianetics) or Hathor

"Publicly, Hubbard was taken with the Roman name of the goddess,
Diana, giving it to one of his daughters"

"When The Blood Ritual was mentioned during the Armstrong trial
in 1984, Scientology's lawyer asserted that it was an invocation
of an Egyptian goddess of love (41). Hathor is indeed popularly
seen as a winged and spotted cow which feeds humanity."

Quotes from http://www.sweenytod.com/cos/huboccult2.html

I am inclined to think it is Hathor, being that Mr. Ibis (Thoth) mentions that there were more of his kind (Egyptian gods) that have fell by the wayside, mentioning Horus & Set... and others who have disappeared completely

Is there a more American God than the 8th Dynamic?

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Erm Shadow isnt a god he is Wodens son born of mortal woman in the 20th Century.

Wodens son by wotsername was Baldur. He was the god of light.

Makes perfect sense to me to have a later son named shadow.

I believed it to be Ganesha. Barrel chested man. Sausage like fingers. He's singing in this drone and I couldn't help thinking of the om. Just a theory. Wasn't Shiva in the front of the car as well?

Mama Ji was sitting in the front seat, who was described as Kali. The humming man was not the god Shadow couldn't remember, it was Alvis a dwarf from Northern European mythology, Alvis was supposed to marry Thor's daughter(Alvíssmál)... he is also mentioned by Czernobog as "The tallest dwarf in America"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: othinsdottir,

B Rumson, Odin had two sons with Frigga, Baldur( the shining one), and Hoder(the blind). Loki, though some conniving & crossdressing discovered that Frigga had did not get an oath from the mistletoe plant, an oath she got from every other lving thing, not to harm her son Baldur. According to the lore, the gods would play a game of throwing stuff at Baldur to try & harm him. Loki offered a sprig of mistletoe to Hoder the blind brother,and it flew straight & true & killed Baldur...

If you read Monarch of the Glen (Most recently published in Fragile Things) it should clear things up for you on the topic of Shadow & Baldur

Don't rule out Lucifer, could be him as well.

Also, the concept of something bigger, greater than oneself. Alot of people are "spiritual" believing that there is something out there that may or may not control their destiny but it is not "named" because no one can be sure...

Might as well throw in my 2 cents worth along with everyone else...

The bit about the nameless god in Vegas that really sticks in my mind is the section where he talks to the waitress. I haven't got the book with me, but it's the section where he filters through possibilities from a node and tells her to head over to a club to meet someone.

Doubtful that Hades would take such an interest in someone and also unlikely that he would be running a casino in Vegas. Luck almost fits but not quite...

Perhaps our mystery friend is Fortune - this would explain his abilties of tracking and following different futures and also his more modern interest in amassing wealth. His name slips from Shadow's mind because people that often seek their fortunes rarely find them. I'm sure there is a more classical name, and also Fortune is (allegedly) female so the theory's not entirely watertight....

But hey, everyone's guessing here.

Greetings all. I have been a long time lurker, however could never join the discussions because I did not have internet access at home. Now I do. Huzah.

I have pondered this for quite some time, and reached a possible conclusion--however, I am very impressed by the Scientology theory. Has anyone considered that this "forgotten god" is Od, from the Norse pantheon? He left his wife, Freya for a life in a warmer climate. It could be that this warmer climate is Vegas and Od is perhaps a bit regretfull that he left and is maybe hoping she will track him down. There is also alot of debate as to whether or not Od even existed, that perhaps it was yet another corruption of the name Odin, or simply just another name for the All-Father altogether, lost in translation and in time. This could be why he is "forgotten," people just hear his name and think of Odin, rather than acknowledge his existence as a seperate entity entirely.

I'm still going to stay with Pluto- nameless god of the Underworld(Pluto isn't his actual name, it's one of those deals where something bad happens if you say it.) "Pluto" means something like "The Wealthy One." Since he rules the underworld, metals and jewels are his domain. So in addition to being lord of the dead, he's the keeper of the treasures of the earth.

... ok, looks like this particular hypothesis has been hashed to death earlier in the thread... mostly I didn't want to go OT but I think it doesn't make me any less rude by mentioning this. Neil's not a Scientologist any more. The Church has declared him a Supressive Person. There was a bad falling-out and Neil doesn't like to talk about it, which is why I feel uncomfortable mentioning it, but anyway, I don't think he'd be using specifically Scientology-related concepts... not least because I'm pretty sure the Scientologists themselves would get pissed off having their theological concepts compared to gods of other religions.

It's kind of a taboo subject over here, for reasons mentioned above, also it was at the root of a few bad flamewars outside the "Flamewars" section, but I'm bothered when the facts are muddled.

I meant no disrespect, and it was not intended as a "flame.” I was aware that Mr. Gaiman was no longer involved with Scientology. I am also aware that he does not comment on his prior involvement with that particular group. It just seemed peculiar to me that Mr. G does not comment about his past with Scientology & also he does not comment or reveal the name of the forgettable god in American Gods. It also seemed convenient to me that a “fan” asked him not to reveal the identity of the forgettable god, and being the affable fellow that he is was all too happy to oblige.

I mean no offense to you or to him. It was just an idea that popped into my head as I was thinking about the most American god & who the wealthiest of those gods would be. I figured as a fan of his work for many years, I would go to the biggest network of his fans to bounce my theory around. I still think about it, what if the forgettable god is not the 8th dynamic…I mean it could be J.R. "Bob" Dobbs from the Church of the Subgenius. (Another American god rolling in the dough)

The Pluto theory doesn't work for me, although it is a popular one...I think if it were Pluto, there would be other Greco-Roman gods alluded to in the text, and if it was Pluto why keep it hush?

As I perused the thread, I also noticed that it was a theory that had not been purported before me. Knowing that Mr. Gaiman does not read these posts, I felt that I had no risk of insulting him, or of opening old wounds etc. I thought that I was contributing to the community by throwing a new idea out there. As the forgettable god in the desert is one of those great mysteries that I think about as I drift off to sleep. I figured it might also be that way with other fans.

I didn't know that my simple theory or opinion could be considered flaming. Maybe there should be a sticky on the front page of the board of "Taboo Subjects” so that people like me know what topics are not allowed.

It's probably OK, it's not really an official taboo & a lot of the tension in that post was mostly in my head. I was fighting with myself as to whether to mention it, and I probably unfairly blamed board taboos to account for my reluctance, but like I said, flamewars have been had, and I didn't want to start another. Also I didn't want to offend you, either (Mostly I thought I was being rude, not you.) Scientology's been a kind of sensitive subject the entire net over recently, too. Ceiling Cat has decided to disembowel L. Ron, or some such. It's incredibly random. When the Gods get in fights, things get set on fire, you know? :\

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