Given that it is based on the work of Neil Gaiman, it makes sense that the TV series American Gods would prove to be as thought-provoking as it is enjoyable to watch. With its tale of gods struggling for supremacy in a world that is rapidly changing around them, it explores the nature of religious faith and of divinity itself.
Though the newer generation of gods spring from various contemporary phenomena, several of the older generation of gods have deep roots in human myth and religion, so it is worth seeing just how they compare to their mythological origins.
Bilquis – The Queen Of Sheba
In the series, Bilquis is one of the old gods who wants nothing more than to be given the adoration she once received in the past. For her, this makes sense, given that she was the legendary Queen of Sheba, one of the most notable women in the Old Testament. In the traditional story, she visited the biblical King Solomon, bearing gifts.
However, her story would later go on to become further embellished and, like the figure that appears in American Gods, the Queen came to be associated with fertility and sexuality.
Mr. Wednesday – Odin
Ian McShane is known for providing a number of notable performances in various series, particularly on HBO. In this series, he plays the character of Mr. Wednesday. As his name suggests, he is in fact the Norse god Odin. In the ancient sources, Odin emerges as one of the most powerful gods of the Norse pantheon. In addition to being associated with wisdom and royalty, he was also known for his cunning, and this is certainly the case with Mr. Wednesday, who is one of the cleverest characters in the series.
Mr. Ibis – Thoth
Many movies and TV series have drawn on ancient Egyptian mythology, and American Gods is no exception. There is a clever play at work in the name of Mr. Ibis, as the Egyptian god Thoth was often depicted as a man with the head of this bird. In traditional mythology, Thoth is associated with the written word, and he was believed to have brought writing to the ancient Egyptians. In addition, he was associated with the dead, since he kept an of every human life. In the series, of course, he is also often shown with Mr. Jacquel (the human disguise of the god Anubis).
Mr. Jacquel – Anubis
As with Mr. Ibis, Mr. Jacquel has his roots in Egyptian mythology and, once again, there is a clever play on words. For the ancient Egyptians, Anubis was a very important god, and he was often depicted as a god with the head of a dog (or a jackal). He was a key part of the soul’s journey to the afterlife, in that he weighed the hearts of the dead to see whether or not they would be devoured by the god Ammit.
Like many of the other gods, Mr. Jacquel has managed to find a way to use his ancient powers in a modern setting.
Mr. Nancy – Anansi
Mr. Nancy is one of the most intelligent characters in the series, and he knows how to bend the truth to meet his own ends. Unreliable though he can sometimes be, there is no denying that he is still a formidable personality. He also has a great deal in common with his mythological counterpart, the spider god Anansi. Though this figure originated in Ghana, his worship soon spread to many other places, including and especially the Caribbean. Mr. Nancy, like his counterpart, is a trickster.
Czernobog - Czernobog
Czernobog quickly showed that he was one of the more formidable and dangerous gods on the series, capable of acts of great brutality. He is also incredibly skeptical of Mr. Wednesday and his motivations. In large part, his sinister persona is a function of his mythological origin, who bears the same name. In Slavic mythology, Czernabog was a god of darkness and chaos, who was also associated with the dead.
This latter is in keeping with his series’ counterpart, who is responsible for slaughtering animals.
The Zoryas - The Zoryas
Cloris Leachman was, before her death, one of the most beloved and prolific actresses in television and movies. She also made a notable appearance in American Gods as one of the three figures known as the Zoryas. Though she, like her two sisters, have been largely forgotten, she still runs a boarding house for the other gods and continues to watch the stars. She and her sisters are based on the Slavic goddesses of the stars, particularly the dawn.
Demeter - Demeter
Like the other gods, Demeter has a complicated history with the character of Mr. Wednesday. What’s more, she also has suffered more than her fair share of troubles, as she is currently in a psychological hospital. As her name suggests, she is based on the Greek figure of the same name, who was worshiped as a goddess of fertility and the harvest. And, like her modern counterpart, she also endured many tribulations, including the kidnapping of her daughter by the god Hades.
Mad Sweeney - The Leprechaun
Mad Sweeney’s name says a great deal about his personality. He is always willing to engage in bar-room brawls and violence. In large part, this stems from his mythological origins, as he is clearly based on the figure of the leprechaun from Irish folklore. Though he has fallen on rather hard times in the present, it is still clear that he has a bit of his traditional luck and charm left, particularly in his ability to summon gold coins (one of the most notable attributes of the leprechaun is his pot of gold).
Easter - Eostre
As her name suggests, Easter is the personification of the holiday of the same name. However, while the holiday is usually associated with Christianity, this goddess is very firm about staying true to her pagan origins. In particular, she is the manifestation of the ancient Germanic goddess Eostre, who was associated with spring and rebirth. In the series, she is especially known for being accompanied by rabbits. This is no surprise, given the association of rabbits with fertility.