Why are Celestia and Luna considered "Gods"?

[sweetolebob18 728]

Check out Bullfinch's Mythology.  I read that as a kid, 50+ years ago.  It is full of info on Greek mythology (IIRC, also some Norse).  The gods were very fallible.  Zeus was the Bill Clinton of gods (Heracles & a number of other heroes were his illegitimate kids), Hermes 1st act was stealing a herd of cattle (while less than 1 day old).  They were all very fallible.

 

Norse gods, even more so.  Baldur was murdered, Tyr had his hand bit off, Loki tricked them all on many occasions.  Plus, they would grow old without special food & were almost all fated to die in Ragnarok.

 

Luna & Celestia raise the sun & moon.  I'd  say that, based on sheer power, they qualify at least as demigods.

Edited April 24, 2015 by sweetolebob18

[Steel Accord 6,660]

 

 

Zeus was the Bill Clinton of gods

 

Oh God, that's hilarious! It's so funny because it's so true! 

[midnightlegacy 172]

As previously stated, I think that this is in fact just a head cannon thing.  I've never considered them gods, while others may have.  The way I see it, they are just very powerful, ageless, royal beings.  I am not sure if you have seen "Adventure Time", though I would guess that you have, or are at least a bit familiar with it.  I like to compare Celestia, and Luna's state of being, with the character Princess Bubblegum.  Though PB is nowhere near as powerful as Celestia or Luna, she has been alive for thousands of years if I remember correctly, and she has been ruling the kingdom for many, many centuries.  

 

Though Celestia and Luna don't compare to PB exactly 100%, I like to see them as very powerful beings, that aren't immortal, but are impervious to age.(Another comparative that comes to mind are the Elves of Middle-Earth)

[They call me Loyalty 1,948]

Gods, commandments, worship? That feels pretty primitive and manipulative. There is no authoritarian commandment, nor worship, nor godly figure. They honor on serve the pony races in behalf of everypony's harmony. You seem to be quite fearful of some "superior being"

God is an equal and is within each one of us. God is made by each one of us.

Honor yourself and others.

[ASGARDIANBRONY 128]

Quite frankly, it makes me uncomfortable, as I don't feel it right seeing them as such, personally. I feel it falls under the whole Christian commandment of not worshiping false gods/ idols.

 

But that aside, I also believe that they just ARE NOT gods, nor do they deserve to be called such. While I am aware that on 2 occasion, in MLP, 2 ponies use Celestia's name as replacement for "God" (which also rubbed me the wrong way), in the context of "As Celestia as my witness _" yadda yadda yadda. Which was, in fact, a quote parodied from "Little House on the Prairie", so I can give that some leeway, since parodies/ lines from other media is something G4 has done from the start.

 

Outside of that, though, there doesn't seem to be enough evidence to claim Celestia and Luna as Gods. Yes, they may be long lived, but they haven't been around from the very beginning. The journal of the Two Sisters confirms that. Many episodes show that they also aren't infallible, and can fall and fail to villains. (Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon) Nor are they immortal, and no form of pony media we've been given confirms their immortality. In fact, the Journal of the Two Sisters, Celestia states that Alicorns simply age at a different rate than other ponies. The ONLY time the subject of immortality is EVER brought up in MLP, is in the "Daring Do and the Eternal Flower" book, by G.M. Berrow, which gives detail about a rare to find flower that- when consumed- bestows immortality to the one who ate it.

I think they are gods, not GODS. gods with a little g does not mean the creators of the universe, it doesn't even mean your a true immortal. asgardians are a good example of this as they are not all powerful or immortal, just semi immortasl mystic beings.

[Reading Heart 167]

I don't see them this way, in actuality, in general my impression is more on the level of angels, or more accurately, archangels.  Why? Because they both have clear beginnings, even if they are very powerful, from everything we know the other ponies can do everything they can.. shoot, it's clear in the series that there was a time when unicorns alone raised the sun and the moon, without the royal sisters doing it, and it's implied that it could be possible for them today, if there were enough of them working at it.  So even the raising the sun and the moon aren't something exclusive to the sisters.

 

Besides, they aren't actually responsible for the existence of the sun and the moon, they didn't create anything in equestria, they came into the story after equestria existed.  Generally, divinity is expressed by the ability to create, not the ability to direct.  And clearly, Celestia and Luna aren't creating the sun and the moon, they are directing them.  In fact, I see them as more stewards of the powers of the sun and the moon then the actual one's responsible for the existence of their world.  Shoot, I can even point to this being implied when the alicorns gave their power all to twilight, and I'm sure that the rest of you don't really see princess twilight as a goddess.. not even when she fought Lord Tirek.  

 

I see the words of some of the ponies in the show saying things like 'sweet celestia' as simply responding to the world that they know, after all, there was such a thing as swearing by the king or the emperor in another time period.

 

Actually, the only being that I can see in the series that 'might' indicate some degree of divine power is the elements and tree of harmony, which also seems to be responsible for the rainbow power that has so often defeated a number of threats to equestria.  And even that is suspect, or uncertain, it seems the writers would prefer that this would remain mysterious or uncertain, and there are a lot of things that are mysterious about the tree of harmony and it's elements.  

[Swifty 249]

Wait wait, they are not????

 

XD

 

 

I blame the anime fans.

[ASGARDIANBRONY 128]

I don't see them this way, in actuality, in general my impression is more on the level of angels, or more accurately, archangels.  Why? Because they both have clear beginnings, even if they are very powerful, from everything we know the other ponies can do everything they can.. shoot, it's clear in the series that there was a time when unicorns alone raised the sun and the moon, without the royal sisters doing it, and it's implied that it could be possible for them today, if there were enough of them working at it.  So even the raising the sun and the moon aren't something exclusive to the sisters.

 

Besides, they aren't actually responsible for the existence of the sun and the moon, they didn't create anything in equestria, they came into the story after equestria existed.  Generally, divinity is expressed by the ability to create, not the ability to direct.  And clearly, Celestia and Luna aren't creating the sun and the moon, they are directing them.  In fact, I see them as more stewards of the powers of the sun and the moon then the actual one's responsible for the existence of their world.  Shoot, I can even point to this being implied when the alicorns gave their power all to twilight, and I'm sure that the rest of you don't really see princess twilight as a goddess.. not even when she fought Lord Tirek.  

 

I see the words of some of the ponies in the show saying things like 'sweet celestia' as simply responding to the world that they know, after all, there was such a thing as swearing by the king or the emperor in another time period.

 

Actually, the only being that I can see in the series that 'might' indicate some degree of divine power is the elements and tree of harmony, which also seems to be responsible for the rainbow power that has so often defeated a number of threats to equestria.  And even that is suspect, or uncertain, it seems the writers would prefer that this would remain mysterious or uncertain, and there are a lot of things that are mysterious about the tree of harmony and it's elements.  

i think your example is very good and i agree with it. i was simply coming more from a mythology perspective while you were coming from a more Christian perspective. also gods in mythology many times are not responsible for the creation; as we see in greek mythology, zeus did not create earth but ruled it.

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,987]

I consider them more like demi-goddesses. As far as I'm aware, Luna and Celestia are only ponies that lived for millenniums but at same time their powers aren't overwhelming compared to other great powers (Chrysalis, Tirek, Sombra, etc).

Edited December 4, 2015 by Tsaritsa Luna

[cmarston1 5,959]

Because of them having the powerful magic to move the sun and the moon and the fact that they live extremely long lives.  Not immortal but close.

[DANUTERCISD 204]

so someone who can make the sun rise, or the moon rise, they are not gods, wtf? bullshit

[ManaMinori 4,145]

so someone who can make the sun rise, or the moon rise, they are not gods, wtf? bullshit

the unicorns did it before L& C ever came into the picture, according to the Journal of the two Sisters

So the unicorns must be gods, then?

[DANUTERCISD 204]

nope, not true, because the unicorns would still be alive.

[cider float 2,538]

so someone who can make the sun rise, or the moon rise, they are not gods, wtf? bullshit

So would pegasi and unicorns be gods too? Since they can change weather and unicorns in particular can make the sun and moon rise.

[Swifty 249]

Face it. The ponies are a divine race, who should be worshipped by griffins, minotaurs, diamond dogs, etc.

Changelings commit severe blasphemy and Chrysalis is the devil.

 

XD

[ASGARDIANBRONY 128]

to be a god in mythology you don't need to be all powerfull , all knowing or even a true immortal. you just need to be the powerful mystic leader of a mystic race and have been worshippe at some time. im also pretty positive that celestia was worshipped at some time, considering how ponies swear by her name.