If you missed my article on Morgan Le Fay, you can find it here.
Shiva is known as the Destroyer. He has eighteen aspects at least so I am going to forgo spelling them all out this time. He is also part of the Hindu trinity of gods. They are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. He is probably the most powerful god in Hindu beliefs.
Lord Shiva is often depicted as a blue man with two to four arms, two legs, and blue skin. The blue skin is inaccurate. He actually has white skin with a dark blue neck and he is covered in ashes. His neck is blue from the poison he keeps there. Vishnu is the blue one of the trinity. In art, Shiva is also shown as a phallic symbol or a linga. The linga represents the energy needed for life. In his humanoid form, he has three eyes. Shiva’s third eye is between his brows and is used to destroy demons but also to destroy that which is negative in ourselves. He has long matted hair with a crescent moon securing it. He wears a necklace of snakes and sometimes his necklace is made of skulls.
Shiva’s parents are varied depending on which aspect we are talking about. His wife is Parvathi. To win him, Parvathi was subjected to a slew of tests. He views her as his equal and his literal other half (she sometimes shares Shiva’s body). He loves and cherishes her. Shiva is known as the Cosmic Male or Purusha, and Parvathi is the Primal Nature or Prakriti. Together they had three sons, Kartikeya, Lord Ganesha, and Ayyappan.
Even though Shiva is called the Destroyer, he does not destroy without purpose. As humans, we often see destruction as a bad thing. Destruction invites renewal. This is part of Shiva’s purpose. He can certainly be angry and destructive, but on the other hand, he can be benevolent and full of grace. It is in his nature to be simplistic. He has few personal items and avoids indulgence and pleasure. That being said, he most certainly has a darker side. Shiva is very much like humans in that way.
What do you think of Shiva? With a title that includes the word Destroyer, he seems like a good fit for a game like Smite. I like that even though he is a god of destruction, it means renewal at the same time. I also like that not only does he destroy things in the world but also that he helps humans out with our natures. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
