Old gods in fiction / Need for belief [edited title]

[Jragon]

@Lamia

I can’t claim to understand Shinto very well, but I seem to remember reading that the kami (gods and spirits of Shinto) gain power from being revered by mortals. They definitely notice being revered by mortals and get annoyed if they aren’t, but IIRC they eventually become weak from lack of attention. Minor *kami *can also become more powerful if they manage to attract more reverence. I couldn’t tell you where I read this, but I remember thinking that it sounded similar to how Pratchett described small gods gaining and losing power in Small Gods.

Kami can also come into existence, it’s possible for normal humans to become kami if they’re enshrined and revered. There are thousands of incredibly minor kami basically nobody but the people of a small village, neighborhood, or even family have ever heard of. A number of families might even have ancestors that they pay tribute to as kami.