A demigod is a human being of such heroic or special nature that they are seen as partially divine. The word demigod and its synonyms have had different meanings throughout the centuries. In short, some lesser gods have also been called demigods, although there is often a separate word for them and they are actually a small step above these partially human gods, thanks to the fact that they have no humanity whatsoever.
Today, the meaning most people think of when they hear the word demigod is limited to those mythical figures who were literally the children of a human being and a god. When we talk about mythological heroes, this is the type of demigod we normally think of.
In Greek and Roman mythology, the demigod often has extraordinary powers. Heracles (Hercules) was known for his immense physical strength. Achilles was impervious to harm after being dipped in the River Styx by his mother, except for the heel with which she held him. That is why we refer to someone’s one weakness as their Achilles’ heel even today.
Their powers were generally limited to the person of the demigod. Unlike the major gods who had dominion over, for example, all war or all stormy weather, the demigod only possessed aspects of divinity. One of the most important attributes of demigods is the fact that they are mortal.
In other words, a demigod can die just like any human being, although the demigod is usually much stronger and can fight harder. It could even be said that the toughest of the demigods, Achilles, was ultimately defeated. At the very least, a demigod will grow old and die. In the afterlife, however, they have a higher status than mortals and lesser heroes.
Gods may be divine, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy spending time with mortal humans from time to time. In fact, it seems that some gods never tire of human company and end up having children who are half-god and half-mortal—in other words, demigods.
Other humans with a more common lineage achieve half-god status through heroic means, usually being elevated to demigods after their death. Regardless of how someone became a demigod, it means they are a person of extraordinary abilities.
Appearance
A demigod generally does not look particularly different from any other human being. He or she does not have non-human features, such as wings or fins. Some half-human creatures, such as fauns and satyrs, have also been referred to as demigods, but that is not the sense in which we are discussing the idea here.
When producing paintings or other works of art, artists have used various methods to show that a person is a demigod. For example, they may paint them with a faint glow or some other sign that they have been set apart from normal humans. Most of the time, however, we see no special signs that someone is a demigod in works of art.
Even if they don’t have obvious supernatural traits, they tend to be examples of physical perfection. They are often larger than other humans, more muscular, and almost always very beautiful. Their divinity shines through their appearance as nearly perfect human beings. The demigod is an example of the maximum potential that mortal humans can have.
History of demigods
The classical Greek poets Homer and Hermiod, along with the Roman poet Ovid, are best known for writing about these divine humans in their works. These stories are truly ancient. Homer, for example, is believed to have lived sometime between the 12th and 8th centuries BC. His surviving writings, such as the Odyssey and the Iliad, have had a huge impact on the Western world.
Later religions have had deities that are somewhat similar to the Greek and Roman demigods. For example, the central figure of Christianity, Jesus, is the result of the god Yahweh impregnating a human woman named Mary.
Origin
It is important to understand that the gods of the Greek pantheon were more like people, with passions, desires, and flaws, than modern conceptions of omniscient divinity. People like the Greeks lived very close to the gods. They were not in heaven, out of reach of mortals, but lived on top of a mountain.
They took a keen interest in what humans did, and spent a considerable amount of time physically walking among humans, often in disguise. Therefore, it makes sense that stories were told of gods visiting humans and having children with them.
Modern Influence
The works of poets such as Homer cannot be underestimated when it comes to the scale of their influence on the modern world. All stories written in the West are influenced in some way by Greek and Roman mythology.
Demigods were really the first superheroes, and today the tradition is kept alive by science fiction, fantasy, and comic book writers. Characters like Superman and Spiderman may not be the offspring of a god and a human, but their superpowers and heroism are clearly a modern extension of the demigod stories of ancient times.
Even those original stories of demigods remain popular today. The tales of Achilles, Hercules, and others like them have been told and retold time and time again. It seems unlikely that the world will ever give up its love for demigods in fiction.
