These mythic figures are manifestations of my mental landscapes, personified and anthropomorphized to give face to the emotional states we deal with (or strive for) in our every day lives. The deities embody internal concepts, while the demons symbolize the external, often man-made challenges with which we contend.
To follow along as I discover these gods, visit @godsofsmallmoments on Instagram.
Gods of Small Moments
The Pantheon
A Menagerie, Ever expanding
Tenebrosus; Demon of Daylight Savings
Ephemera; Goddess of Short Term Memory
Hs’H; God of Prudence
Issimo; God of Overcommitment
Issimo
The God of Overcommitment
There’s a very good chance that you and Issimo are already intimately acquainted - probably much more so than you would prefer. With his six arms, quick reflexes, and circus-like skills, you would think he’d be perfect at managing every event or task that gets thrown at him. But, even he has his limits - though he’ll do his damndest to never let it show. He is ever the people pleaser, ever the time optimist, ever the juggler of far too many things. Try as he may, he will always drop at least one ball, if not six, and will likely pick up two more for each he’s let slip out of his hands. He’s hard to get angry with, because there is something sort of lovely in his naive determination to do it all. But when the last ball tumbles, one wonders if he really remembers anything he was juggling, or just the stress of keeping it all in the air.
Ephemera
The Goddess of Short Term Memory
You’ve likely encountered Ephemera before, though of course you wouldn’t remember it. You needn’t feel bad, she doesn’t remember you either. Ephemera is the embodiment of short term memory, of fleeting passions and temporary pains. She exists wholly in the present, taking in the fullness of life through winged eyes, but her body is hollow, unable to hold onto any sensation for more than a few moments. It is a gift, at times, to live like her. To not be burdened by anything that has come before, or anything that will come after. But it can be a curse, too, to forget so quickly something that might have been important. She is a constant, with all of us, and can be a blessing when there is something worth forgetting, but she is a fickle god to devote too much of yourself to. Some things, after all, are worth remembering.
Tenebrosus
The Demon of Daylight Savings
With deep displeasure, may I introduce you to Tenebrosus, the Demon of Daylight Savings.
If you’re being generous, you could say they’re only borrowing the sun. If you’re feeling spiteful, you could accuse them of theft. Either way, the Demon of Daylight Savings arrives with pedantic punctuality each fall and revokes an hour of sunlight from every evening, to be returned only when the trees are once more ready to blossom. They are a fabricated being, a concept given life by Man as he tries to bend Time to suit his schedule. They are a boon to the early risers, to be sure, but even that is short-lived as this demon thrives in the dark, guided only by the moon as it gleams through the iron spindles of Tenebrosus’ lantern. Look for their return, and do not think of them too harshly— after all, they are simply fulfilling the task we created them to do.*
*Alternatively, hang this effigy upon your wall and throw darts at it. Seasonal depression sucks and Tenebrosus definitely makes it worse, whether that was their intent or not.
Hs’h
The God of Prudence
Or: The Patron Saint of Keeping Your Mouth Shut
Hs’h
It’s right there in their name. Go on, say it. Let it linger. Do you feel the command on your tongue, the instruction of their name as it slips through your teeth?
Listen to it.
And then hush.
Known colloquially as The Patron Saint of Keeping your Mouth Shut, Hs’h is the God of Prudence, of knowing when (and more importantly, when NOT) to speak. Their first set of hands clasp firmly over carved lips, their second are bound together in a, occasionally desperate, prayer for tranquility and self control. Don’t be mistaken; Hs’h does not demand your silence. There is a time to speak, and a time to bite your tongue— H’sh simply specializes in knowing the difference. A collector of unspoken thoughts, you need only offer Hs’h a penny and they will tuck away any ill-timed quip or inopportune barb, sparing you whatever social damage you might have wrought upon yourself. Adorned with ginkgo leaves for their enduring patience in the face of fools and chamomile to soothe the simmering rage, Hs’h beckons you to think before you speak— and then maybe say nothing at all. Do be careful, though. Hs’h will accept your token for any thought you please, but remember that not all silence is golden. Be prudent with your tongue, but mindful of what truths you leave unspoken.
Inspired by the carefully expressionless Noh Masks of Japanese theatre and the Gat headwear of Korean grim reapers, rest assured that Hs’h will take even your messiest unspoken thoughts to the grave.