Polythestic Swearing

VydorScope · 06-25-2013, 09:23 PM

So, in a monotheistic culture we may say "for god's sake don't touch that!" but that assumes a single god. If we were in a polytheistic society, what would the equivalent expression be?

BeccaPrice · 06-25-2013, 09:48 PM

By Zeus, Don't touch that!
By all the gods, get away from there!
stuff like that.

VydorScope · 06-25-2013, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

By Zeus, Don't touch that!
By all the gods, get away from there!
stuff like that.

Zeus/name will not work... I do not think at least... that would imply the speaker has a specific god in mind. Most of the time expressions like "omg" and the like do not really have a specific being in mind. They are just expressions.

BeccaPrice · 06-25-2013, 09:55 PM

In the Chalion books by Lois McMaster Bujold, there are 5 gods, and one curse is Bastard's Hell (the Bastard is one of the gods).

crich70 · 06-25-2013, 10:19 PM

Zounds! I've heard of that one being used before.

VydorScope · 06-25-2013, 10:31 PM

I guess I should give more detail...

In this case, the speaker is warning someone about being attacked by a bad thing. So the conversation is something like (I am still crafting it, so this is really rough)

"Remember they're weakest against fire, and <for god's sake> don't let them touch you!"

It's that phrase I am trying to fit with a character whose background is a world with many active gods.

Stitchawl · 06-25-2013, 10:42 PM

I hear a many Thai folks who spend a lot of time with us foreigners use the expression, "Oh, my Buddha!" in English. But it is NOT used in Passa Thai (the Thai language.) I hear the young folks in many Asian countries where Buddhism is most prevalent, but with large Hindi and Moslem believers, use "Oh my God!" spoken in English as an interjection even when speaking their own languages, regardless of their own religions.

Stitchawl

Pulpmeister · 06-25-2013, 10:45 PM

"for your gods' sake..."

cghipp · 06-26-2013, 12:17 AM

In "Battlestar Galactica" the humans said "godsda--" and "gods da--it."

I have heard friends reference "the deities" and I have referred to "the deity of your choice," but not necessarily when cursing.

dreams · 06-26-2013, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VydorScope

I guess I should give more detail...

In this case, the speaker is warning someone about being attacked by a bad thing. So the conversation is something like (I am still crafting it, so this is really rough)

"Remember they're weakest against fire, and <for god's sake> don't let them touch you!"

It's that phrase I am trying to fit with a character whose background is a world with many active gods.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I second Becca's "By all the gods". I have read this in quite a few books and it was used with the word "by" and not the word "for".

bjones6416 · 06-26-2013, 06:14 AM

I'm too lazy to check right now, but it seems to me that there is a lot of swearing on the gods in the Game of Thrones books. "By the seven!" maybe? Although I think sometimes they choose one of the seven to represent.

VydorScope · 06-26-2013, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreams

I second Becca's "By all the gods". I have read this in quite a few books and it was used with the word "by" and not the word "for".

I wonder why "by" versus "for" ?

bjones6416 · 06-26-2013, 06:34 AM

I just dipped into Storm of Swords. They would say things like, "The Others take him!" or "What in seven hells is he doing?"

Melpomene · 06-26-2013, 06:44 AM

Of the polytheists I know in real life (they do exist outside of fiction), phrases such as "by the gods" and "what in the name of [other afterlife that isn't hell]?", "Oh gods!", and instead of the "Jesus Christ!" cuss, phrases particular to their culture such as "Odin's beard!" or "Poseidon's rage!" are used.

crich70 · 06-26-2013, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melpomene

Of the polytheists I know in real life (they do exist outside of fiction), phrases such as "by the gods" and "what in the name of [other afterlife that isn't hell]?", "Oh gods!", and instead of the "Jesus Christ!" cuss, phrases particular to their culture such as "Odin's beard!" or "Poseidon's rage!" are used.

By Jove! is another one. It refers to Jupiter or Zeus as the Greeks knew him.

06-25-2013, 09:23 PM	#1
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Polythestic Swearing So, in a monotheistic culture we may say "for god's sake don't touch that!" but that assumes a single god. If we were in a polytheistic society, what would the equivalent expression be?

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06-25-2013, 09:48 PM	#2
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	By Zeus, Don't touch that! By all the gods, get away from there! stuff like that.

06-25-2013, 09:55 PM	#4
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	In the Chalion books by Lois McMaster Bujold, there are 5 gods, and one curse is Bastard's Hell (the Bastard is one of the gods).

06-25-2013, 10:19 PM	#5
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Zounds! I've heard of that one being used before.

06-25-2013, 10:31 PM	#6
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	I guess I should give more detail... In this case, the speaker is warning someone about being attacked by a bad thing. So the conversation is something like (I am still crafting it, so this is really rough) "Remember they're weakest against fire, and <for god's sake> don't let them touch you!" It's that phrase I am trying to fit with a character whose background is a world with many active gods.

06-25-2013, 10:42 PM	#7
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	I hear a many Thai folks who spend a lot of time with us foreigners use the expression, "Oh, my Buddha!" in English. But it is NOT used in Passa Thai (the Thai language.) I hear the young folks in many Asian countries where Buddhism is most prevalent, but with large Hindi and Moslem believers, use "Oh my God!" spoken in English as an interjection even when speaking their own languages, regardless of their own religions. Stitchawl

06-25-2013, 10:45 PM	#8
Pulpmeister Wizard Posts: 2,502 Karma: 28893796 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Device: kindle	"for your gods' sake..."

06-26-2013, 12:17 AM	#9
cghipp Zealot Posts: 146 Karma: 2479520 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: South Cackalacky Device: Sony PRS-T1, Kobo Glo	In "Battlestar Galactica" the humans said "godsda--" and "gods da--it." I have heard friends reference "the deities" and I have referred to "the deity of your choice," but not necessarily when cursing.

06-26-2013, 06:14 AM	#11
bjones6416 ↓↓ Skirt!! Earrings!! Posts: 3,394 Karma: 17432172 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Acer netbook, JetBook Lite, Sony PRS-300, Kindle 2, Kindle Fire	I'm too lazy to check right now, but it seems to me that there is a lot of swearing on the gods in the Game of Thrones books. "By the seven!" maybe? Although I think sometimes they choose one of the seven to represent.

06-26-2013, 06:34 AM	#13
bjones6416 ↓↓ Skirt!! Earrings!! Posts: 3,394 Karma: 17432172 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Acer netbook, JetBook Lite, Sony PRS-300, Kindle 2, Kindle Fire	I just dipped into Storm of Swords. They would say things like, "The Others take him!" or "What in seven hells is he doing?"

06-26-2013, 06:44 AM	#14
Melpomene Nameless Being	Of the polytheists I know in real life (they do exist outside of fiction), phrases such as "by the gods" and "what in the name of [other afterlife that isn't hell]?", "Oh gods!", and instead of the "Jesus Christ!" cuss, phrases particular to their culture such as "Odin's beard!" or "Poseidon's rage!" are used.

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