I’ve been wondering why we don’t have gods specifically representing kindness, love, or hope in the Warhammer 40K universe. It seems like the focus is primarily on the chaos gods. Is it really just the chaos gods that encapsulate these concepts, or could there be more to it?
5 Answers
Some folks even argue that cultures vary widely in what they consider ‘good.’ That might make it difficult for a universally accepted god of kindness to exist. For example, one culture might see an act of kindness that’s viewed positively in one light, but negatively in another. It’s a complicated topic!
And let’s not forget, the emotions that these chaos gods represent aren’t limited to just one feeling. They’re exaggerated versions of human traits. Love can lead to obsession (Slaanesh), and hope can take you to dark places (Tzeentch). So, while we might think they represent those feelings initially, they transform them into something toxic.
You could argue that kindness isn’t really an emotion that drives people to act in extreme or chaotic ways. It’s more about building and reinforcing connections rather than tearing things apart. Chaos thrives on more aggressive, negative emotions that lead to conflict and upheaval. If the warp needs chaos to propagate, then it makes sense we’d see less representation of kindness and love.
The chaos gods kind of cover these emotions, but in twisted forms. For instance, Slaanesh represents love, but it’s love taken to excessive extremes. Tzeentch can embody hope, but again, it’s corrupted and overly intense. The issue here is that in the warp, positive emotions tend to get distorted and turned into something unhealthy and extreme, which is not really conducive to the idea of a traditional ‘good’ god.
Exactly! It’s almost like the chaos gods exist just to highlight how warped even our best traits can become. It makes you wonder if there are any stronger, stable entities that embody these ‘good’ emotions, but they just haven’t been explored in depth.
Honestly, it all boils down to the narrative of 40K being incredibly grim. The world is dark and violent, and the absence of positive deities mirrors that. Yes, there are gods like Isha from the Eldar pantheon that could embody kindness, but they’re often overshadowed by the chaos gods, who thrive on the extremes. In this setting, a straightforward ‘god of kindness’ simply wouldn’t fit the overall tone.
Exactly! And while there are entities that could resonate with these concepts, like Nurgle and his approach to life, they’re wrapped up in decay and rot, which isn’t quite the same. Positive feelings might just not thrive in such a grimdark universe.