Polytheism refers to a religion that worships multiple gods simultaneously. Modern Japanese Shintoism, Haitian Vodou, and the emerging Wicca religion in England and America are all considered polytheistic.

Polytheism is a religion that believes in and worships multiple deities. Believing in the existence of numerous deities, but their status, divine powers, and powers are not the same, and their worship is also not equal. Believers can freely choose specific deities to worship according to their own needs. After entering the class society, a hierarchy system also emerged in polytheism, usually with a supreme deity at the top of the hierarchy system as the head of the gods. The deities worshipped in polytheism are some personifications of natural bodies and forces, such as Re (the sun god in Egyptian religion) and Uranus (the sky god in Greek religion); Or anthropomorphic animals and plants, such as the Oriental god Kukulekan in Maya religion, who is a feathered snake; Or personify social phenomena and forces, such as Mars (Roman god of war), Aphrodite (Greek god of love), and Ahura Mazda (Zoroastrian god of light). Polytheism generally has some deities with specific functions, such as industry gods, guardians of ethnic or regional groups, etc. Sometimes rulers are deified as objects of worship, such as Egyptian pharaohs and Roman emperors.

Islam is a typical monotheistic religion. Polytheism refers to a religion that believes in and worships many gods simultaneously. Compared to monotheism, religions based on mythology such as ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Northern Europe, Maya, Inca, Aztec, as well as modern Japanese Shintoism, Haitian Vodou, and emerging Wicca religions in England and America are all considered polytheistic. Some people believe that although Hinduism and Buddhism recognize the existence of many gods, the general believers only worship one of them, or worship a specific deity at a specific time or in a specific region, so they do not belong to polytheism. Some people believe that Christianity, which believes in the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, should also belong to polytheism, but this is strongly opposed by Christians. Some Western philosophers believe that the development direction of religion is similar to the development process of Christianity, from primitive polytheism to binary theology like Zoroastrianism, and then to monotheism, which is the most modern and successful religion. But in reality, the evolution of Eastern religions, like Eastern painting and music, is different from the development direction of Western culture. Although they still believe in the existence of many gods, the order of immortals is arranged like the Eastern court, with a hierarchy of seniority and inferiority. The development direction of religion is still becoming increasingly strict and logical, so it is not possible to distinguish which religion is more advanced and modern based on one god or multiple gods.

The main polytheistic religions include Egyptian religion, Greek religion, Roman religion, Nordic religion, Maya religion, Inca religion, Aztec religion, Shintoism, Taoism, etc.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some scholars believed that polytheism was a stage in the evolution of religion, transitioning from primitive animism, totem worship, and ancestor worship to higher-level monotheistic and monotheistic religions. But some scholars disagree with this theory of evolution. The research results on primitive religions indicate that there were forms of animism, polytheism, and polytheism, as well as monotheistic worship or a combination of them. Polynesians believe in polytheism, but they also believe in the supernatural power of the Mana. Brahmanism and Hinduism, on the one hand, believe in the existence of the Supreme God, and on the other hand, worship numerous deities who are incarnations of the Supreme God. Some scholars also believe that polytheism has degenerated from primitive monotheism, but further evidence is needed.

origin
Rod is the ancestor of life in Slavic Russian mythology, and also the protector of ancestral spirits, families, and homes. The goddess of home is also a protector of clans, families, and homes. The oldest known deity is the otaku god Domovoi, who is the protector of every household. He is diligent and observant, providing protection for the good and punishment for the bad. He is prone to getting angry, and if he gets angry, it will cause harm to his master. His appearance is not fixed, sometimes he is an old man with disheveled fur, and sometimes he transforms into livestock. He mostly lives behind or under the stove, sometimes under the floor or in the attic. He attaches great importance to horses, taking extra care of those he likes and harming those he doesn't. People are afraid of him, but the sacrifice is very meager. They only give him bread, salt and Congee. They probably think he is part of the family. When moving, people put a clay pot in the stove pit and said to him, "Kitchen God, please get on the sled and come with us
With the development of agriculture, animal husbandry, and handicrafts, the protectors of agriculture, animal husbandry, and handicrafts have emerged. Kupala, Lily, and Costnoma are all agricultural gods. The gods of the ancient Rus were almost all male, and the only goddess was Mokosh, who was in charge of plant growth and spinning; She inspects every household during the fasting period to check the textile situation. An old woman in a rural area of northern Russia saw sheep shedding hair and said it was done by Mokosh. Her temple can still be seen. But strictly speaking, the polytheism of the Eastern Slavs is not a religion, but a collection of various rituals and many objects of worship.

Ross believes in
Before the 10th century, the Rus believed in polytheism. They believe that gods are omnipresent, and various natural phenomena are worshipped and revered as gods.
The main gods worshipped by the Rus people include: the sun god Darjeborg, the god of heavenly fire Swarog, the god of earthly fire Swarogchi, and Lei
God Belen, Wind God Strieberg, Animal God Veles, Harvest Goddess Mokosh, Founder of Life Rod, Family Protector Goddess Rosa Nietzsche, Spring God Arilo, Kind God Beregini, Evil God Upeli, Winged Dog Simargu. In addition, there are forest gods and bird gods in the forest, water monsters and mermaids in the water, and household gods in the house. The Rus built temples for various gods for prayer and worship.

The Rus also have ancestor worship similar to that of China, believing in the existence of the soul. The Rus believe that the ancestor of the clan can bless their descendants. Whenever they encounter difficulties, they pray for the blessings of their ancestors. On the day of ancestor worship, they offer sacrifices such as pancakes, meat, honey, and kvass (a homemade beverage) in front of their ancestors' tombs.
As a remnant of primitive totem worship, the Rus also worshipped some animals. For example, an old horse is seen as a symbol of exceptional ability, while a male goat is believed to drive away evil spirits and help with grain growth. During the harvest season, people tie the last harvested rice ears onto a goat's beard and offer freshly baked bread in front of it as a token of gratitude. In some rural areas of Russia, young people wear goat skins and lead male goats as auspicious gods to roam the fields, singing along the way: "When goats pass by, a hundred grains grow together
Vladimir I, the Grand Duke of Kiev (reign: 978-1015), attempted to reform polytheism by selecting six gods from among the many, including Per ó n, Darzberg, Horos, Strelberg, Simarg, and Mokosh. He built a temple and statue for them on a hill near the palace, and established rituals for prayer and worship, hoping to unify the thoughts of the Russian people and strengthen the unity of Russia and Kiev's position throughout the country. However, the reform did not bring the expected results, and Vladimir ultimately abandoned polytheism and chose Christianity as the state religion in 988.

East Slavic
The ancient Eastern Slavs believed in polytheism. Due to the sparse population in the area where the East Slavs lived, mainly consisting of forests, swamps, and grasslands, loneliness accompanied these Slavs. In order to overcome the fear of terrifying natural phenomena caused by loneliness, some residents or tribes in certain areas combined based on common symbols, which gave rise to the earliest religion.
Some gods are worshipped by various Slavic tribes, such as the war god Sventovit and the thunder god Pelen. Sventowit is the highest god in the hearts of Slavic people along the Baltic coast - the god of gods. He is depicted as having four heads or four faces, riding a white horse, holding a sword and spear, with 300 soldiers and horses behind him; Ancient Slavic soldiers would offer sacrifices to this god for protection before engaging in battle. He is also a God who blesses wealth. Thunder God and Warrior Protection God Pei Lun drove in the sky and shot demons with fiery arrows, which is why there was thunder and lightning. He later became the Grand God of Ross. Additionally, some gods are only worshipped by Eastern Slavic tribes. The god of heaven and fire is named Swarog, and he has two sons, one is the god of earth fire, Swarog, and the other is the god of sun and fire, Dareburg. The other sun god is Hors. The Wind God Stelibog not only creates gentle breezes, but also terrifying storms. Veles was originally a war god, but gradually became a god who protected animal husbandry and agriculture, and later also served as a protector god for singers. Arilo is the god of male reproductive ability and also the god of spring.

Historical development
In the era of fishing and hunting, people believed that the elves in Rivers and Lakes and forests had a great impact on their fishing and hunting harvest, so they worshipped piously. There are tree spirits in the forest, some say they look like wild beasts, some say they are giants like big trees, and others say they look like ordinary farmers, but without belts, their tops and hemlines are different, and they always lack something, such as their right ear. They always make noise when they are active in the forest, afraid of people, and once they find someone, they get lost and lead them to the depths of the forest or swamps. Before hunting, people place a piece of bread on the village mound to worship him. The mermaid is also an important image in ancient mythology of the East Slavic people, especially Ukrainians and southern Russians. She embodies the characteristics of water elves (river mermaids), harvest elves (field mermaids), and water ghosts. She is a naked woman with a fish tail, green eyes, and a disheveled friend who seduces men with her beauty. She lurks in the river in autumn, comes ashore on Holy Wednesday (the 7th week after Easter), walks in the fields and forests during the day, and tickles men until she laughs to death when she sees them; Shaking tree branches in the forest at night, spying on pedestrians, and sometimes luring them into drowning. The people of ancient Rus would spend a week before the Holy Trinity Day to worship the "Lucheli Witch" week, during which the mermaid was played by a young girl. There is also a field elf, called "Polurdnica" in Russian, who appears in plain clothes as a woman. Whenever it is scorching hot at noon, she appears in the fields. At this time, field workers must hurry home to rest, otherwise their lives will be in danger. This elf is actually a fantasy caused by the emergency of heatstroke in people's minds. People thought that ferns would grow in places where female demons gathered, and there were treasures underground in the fern cup. The golden berry flowers and bell flowers around the ferns could cure diseases and ward off evil.