Legendaries = Pantheon?

[ArtemiSerebii]

Bear with me a minute here. On another forum I had seen someone speculating as to the origin of the Legendaries. I posted my thoughts on the matter but as my post landed at the end of the thread so far it hasn't gotten any response and I'd genuinely like to know what fellow Pokefans think.

I think the Legendaries are supposed to represent a sort of "Pantheon,"
with particular emphasis on the Greek Immortals.
Observe the below, if you will.

Elder-Generation Olympians

Arceus (Hellenized to "Arkheos"), possibly derived from "Are-Zeus" = Creator-figure and Supreme Ruler of All
Mew = Hera: Great Mother of All
Kyogre = Poseidon: Great Ruler of the Seas
Giratina = Hades: Ruler of the Non-World
Cresslia = Hestia: The Peacemaker, She Who Maintains Harmony
Shaymin = Demeter: She of the Green and Growing
Mesprit = Aphrodite: She Who Permits Feeling

Second-Generation Olympians, the Children of Zeus:

Celebi = Artemis: Protectress of Forests & Wild Beasts ("Potnia Theron")
Heatran = Hephaistos: Ruler of Volcanoes & Worker of Metals (See Also: Entei)
Mewtwo = Ares: Created by Anger; The Warlike One; The Resentful One
Suicune = Hermes: The Swift One; The Messenger
Uxie = Athena: Guardian of Wisdom; Keeper of Knowledge
Azelf = Apollo: Guardian of Willpower & Moderation, The Noble One

I do not have a precise enough equivalent to hand for Dionysus (God of Revelry and Excess, Wine & Ecstasy)
so if anyone could help me out I'd be greatly obliged.

Furthermore, the legend of Arceus being born from an Egg in the Void of Chaos is remarkably similar to certain
Hellenic (Ancient Greek) legends of Eros being born from the Void in an Egg and hatching to begin Creation;
To whit Wikipedia:

Throughout Greek thought, there appear to be two sides to the conception of Eros.
In the first, he is a primeval deity who embodies not only the force of erotic love but also the creative urge
of ever-flowing nature, the firstborn Light for the coming into being and ordering of all things in the cosmos.
In Hesiod's Theogony, the most famous Greek creation myth, Eros sprang forth from the primordial Chaos...
he burgeons forth from an egg laid by Nyx (Night) conceived with Erebus (Darkness).
In the Eleusinian Mysteries, he was worshiped as Protogonus, the first-born.

There are also similar myths of Creators "self-hatching" to create their respective worlds in many ancient belief systems
from all around the world.

 

[HeshieokFasla]

Interesting idea, I must say.

Also, Dionysus = Ditto durrr

 

[Shinx3000]

Also, Dionysus = Ditto durrr

How so? Its not similar to Excess, Wine & Ecstasy. I am not 100% sure on rivalry, but could be.

Maybe Cresselia is Selene? Selene was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia in Greek myths. In Roman mythology, the moon goddess is called Luna, Latin for "moon". (remids of Lunar Wing?)

Wikipedia quote

In post-Renaissance art, Selene is generally depicted as a beautiful woman with a pale face, riding a silver chariot pulled by either a yoke of oxen, a pair of horses, or a pair of serpentine dragons. Often, she has been shown riding a horse or bull, wearing robes and a half-moon on her head and carrying a torch. Essentially, Selene is the moon goddess but is literally defined as 'the moon'.

Also Darkrai, Hypnos the god of sleep possibly? In greek myths his palace was a dark cave where the sun never shines and he was the personification of sleep. Also the image of Hypnos was always put near that of death.

Interesting topic

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

Darkrai could possibly be Morpheus, the god of dreams. I do think that Cresselia is more like Selene then Hestia, but who would Hestia then be? Since she's the goddess of the hearth and the home... Hmm, I dunno.

 

[Volkner582]

What about Groudon, Dialga, Palkia, and Regigigas?

 

[Shinx3000]

Darkrai could possibly be Morpheus

I thought that at first, but fits Hypno more than Morpheus

 

[Takoto]

Interesting idea, I like it!

 

[Our Wasted Years]

Why does this matter? I don't see how this is at all relevant to anything at all except some pieces of fiction resemble other pieces of fiction.

 

[Ghost]

That is an interesting concept. It makes sense, too!

 

[PlatinumDude]

Sounds interesting.

 

[Falconwing]

I agree to the similarities, and it is a good observation, but Arceus is not pronounced that way.

 

[VeggiePopper]

Well, while Arceus is pronounced "Ar-keus", going by the original Japanese pronunciation, it should be "Ar-seus", which does fit with Zeuss' name. It's not the first time that even official sources misspronounce the name.

Anyway, the similarities are interesting, though it's nothing besides that: similarities and coincidences, since each Legendary set has its own different inspiration (Hoenn: Judaism; Sinnoh: Shintoism and so on). But even then, now that we've got so much legendaries, they are indeed a pantheon on their own account.

 

[Venusaur]

At the rate Creatures is going, soon it'll start looking like the Hindu pantheon!

But interesting thread nevertheless.

 

[Drakon]

Wow! I never saw it that way.

Also just some ideas (Other Greek deities):

Chronos = Dialga

Ouranos = Rayquaza (both are could be seen as the Primordial God of the Sky)

 

[DracoMan]

The writers definitely weren't thinking this far ahead. That's giving them way too much credit.

 

[VeggiePopper]

Yes, that's why we're thinking of this as interesting coincidences, not as a real objective the writers were aware of.

 

[Geechisu]

Kyogre = Poseidon: Great Ruler of the Seas

Poseidon was also the 'Earth Shaker,' having a short temper that caused earthquakes. Therefore, Kyogre + earthquake = Poseidon.
Groudon may or may not be Gaea, Goddess of the Earth and mother to the 'first-generation' gods.

I'll shrink back into the shadows now.

 

[ArtemiSerebii]

Didn't see that anyone had replied to this thread until now--thanks, peeps! And yes, ForeverandNevermore, you make some good points.

 

[Werewolf Hero]

I thoght about this but don't think we can call a none Figthing type Ares.

 

[Giaru]

The writers definitely weren't thinking this far ahead. That's giving them way too much credit.

Actually,they were thinking this far.
Just not strictly Greek.
The second and fourth generation legendaries were based on Japanese myth,while in the third gen Hebrew myth was used.
Of course,there is some exceptions,but that's how the base format is.
Your theory is interesting,too,because it shows how the different mythologies can be linked. And I read somewhere that there are connections between Greek and Japanese mythology.