Hyborian Newsflash: So wait, the Gods of Khitai do exist?

[Nyarlathotep]

The ontological status of the various Gods in the Hyborian age is something that is left rather vague (aside from the Great Old Ones).

But the recent Khitai sourcebook had a spell called "Heaven's Stairway" that essentially thrusted the sorcerer into the realm of the Jade Emperor.

Does that mean, we can say for certain that the Gods of Khitai (at least the major ones) do in fact exist?

 

[Hervé]

For me the majority of Hyborian "gods" do exist in that world, although most of them aren't gods at all. In Conan, every giant slug lurking in a ruined city is considered a god. Set's influence seems clearly visible, for instance. I also tend to think that the same god can be revered under different names by different people. For example, Astoreth, Beltiya, Dekerta, Dekerto, Nebelhet are all for me but manifestations of Ishtar, whose cult is adapted to the cultural habits of the people that worship her.

 

[kintire]

In "Shadows in the Moonlight" a god makes a pretty unmistakeable appeareance, as does Atali in Gods of the North of course.

For me the majority of Hyborian "gods" do exist in that world, although most of them aren't gods at all.

What is a god? If its a powerful entity that grants benefits if worshipped, surely its a god! I think a lot of these discussions about whether the Hyborian gods exist or not hang up on people having a specific idea of what a "god" is and declaring that gods don't exist if they don't fit it. Howard seems to have had a conception of gods that varies between Homer and Lovecraft, with hints that Mitra may be something different.