Supernatural Beings
God—an individual supernatural being, with a distinctive name, personality, and control or influence of a major aspect of nature (like rain or fertility), that encompasses the life of an entire community or a major segment of the community
Spirit—a supernatural being that is less powerful than a god and is usually more localized; often one of a collection of nonindividualized supernatural beings that are not given specific names and identities
Spirits include nonindividualized spirits like the leprechauns of Ireland or the jinn of the Middle East
There are also spirits that are individually recognized, such as a guardian spirit, an ancestral spirit, and a shaman’s spirit helper
In contrast with gods, spirits are less powerful and more focused on a particular individual, family, or group of specialists
Whereas gods may live in remote locations, like Mount Olympus (home of the Greek Gods), spirits live in the human world, interacting with humans and concerned with what humans are up to
Spirits often exhibit complex personalities—they may be friendly or harmful—they provide protection, success, and luck, but are also blamed for minor mishaps
One can ask for their assistance, since they’re closely connected to people and are involved in everyday human affairs
Offerings, entertainment, and attention will promote the development of a beneficial relationship between people and the spirit world
But ignoring the presence of, or worse yet, doing something to harm or offend them can have negative consequences, like the loss of a crop, infertility, illness, or the death of a child
Because spirits live in the human world, they often reside in various physical objects—some natural, others manmade
Places of special beauty or unusual characteristics, like a sacred grove or waterfall, are said to be inhabited by spirits
Such places may also be considered dangerous
They may be venerated, and people will often travel to such places to seek solutions to problems
Spirit—a supernatural being that is less powerful than a god and is usually more localized; often one of a collection of nonindividualized supernatural beings that are not given specific names and identities
Spirits include nonindividualized spirits like the leprechauns of Ireland or the jinn of the Middle East
There are also spirits that are individually recognized, such as a guardian spirit, an ancestral spirit, and a shaman’s spirit helper
In contrast with gods, spirits are less powerful and more focused on a particular individual, family, or group of specialists
Whereas gods may live in remote locations, like Mount Olympus (home of the Greek Gods), spirits live in the human world, interacting with humans and concerned with what humans are up to
Spirits often exhibit complex personalities—they may be friendly or harmful—they provide protection, success, and luck, but are also blamed for minor mishaps
One can ask for their assistance, since they’re closely connected to people and are involved in everyday human affairs
Offerings, entertainment, and attention will promote the development of a beneficial relationship between people and the spirit world
But ignoring the presence of, or worse yet, doing something to harm or offend them can have negative consequences, like the loss of a crop, infertility, illness, or the death of a child
Because spirits live in the human world, they often reside in various physical objects—some natural, others manmade
Places of special beauty or unusual characteristics, like a sacred grove or waterfall, are said to be inhabited by spirits
Such places may also be considered dangerous
They may be venerated, and people will often travel to such places to seek solutions to problems