No, it wasn't Akhenaten who's name was erased from all the temples. It was Hatsheput, and it was because she was female that they erased her from all the temples and monuments.

I don't see what that has to do with wealth though.

quote:

Originally posted by Metalheart:
Your observations are very good.
But I think the book is about forgotten gods and the Christian God is not forgotten.

Are you referring to "God" or Jesus?

Heh, I'd like to see Neil tell us about this, all this speculation only makes things more uncertain.

Funny thing, in the preferred text Shadow meets jesus when he's on the tree, you know...Spanish style building, chisel marks on the hand, making wine "ok wine I can do, but great wine?"

I always wondered about the vegas god, I doubt its greek simply because there is no other greek gods in the book, as has been said the gods are represented by pantheon

Curious thing that. I think Neil was treading very lightly with this book. Note the lack of mention of Allah or Jehovah.

Question to Neil:

If you had the chance and free reign to write about whatever you wanted with regards to religion or faith, would you go as far as writing about let's say , Islam or Judaism in full force?

Just to be clear, are you referring to the god we first encounter in the casino?

If so, I think I've seen it mentioned here, but there is a pretty good theory which God Gaiman intended him to represent.

I think it's a good bet that he is supposed to be Hades or Pluto, the brother of Zeus and God of the Underworld where the dead dwelt.

First, neither Hades or Pluto are his actual name. His real name is never revealed in the myths. "Hades" translates to hidden or invisible because of a magic helmet he possessed that made him impossible to see. I think Gaiman's description of the god was an attempt to think of a better way to present mystical invisibility.

Second, he is not the god of death or of the dead, he is the god of the Underworld where the dead happen to go. Thanatos is the death god. Pluto, which simply means "wealthy," is a better description of his role. Since the "wealth" of the earth, such as gold and gems, came from beneath the surface, Pluto was the diety of riches. Therefore, since the counting room in vegas was the one place where wealth was ritualistically valued more than anything else, it is no wonder that he resided there to drain away some of the worship to sustain his existence.

Also, there is mention of his preference for a whiskey with a "body-in-the-bog" flavor. Hades' realm was a bog at the end of the river Styx.

Sorry if this had been mentioned alrady or if you were trying to make another more metaphorical point, but I think Hades certainly fits with the narrative of the novel.

Also, when describing how hard it is for the gods to survive on American soil, I think one of the Egyptian undertaker dieties mentions that "the Lamb" is the only god to thrive. I took that to be the sole reference to Christianity in the whole book.