Erastil and Cernunnos

[Yasmir Isilvar]

Hi.

After reading Inner Sea Gods and Bestiary 4, I must say:

Erastil and Cernunnos have many aspects in common.

Both have the stag as their sacred animal, brown and green as their sacred colours, and the longbow as favoured weapon (Cernunnos according to the bestiary 4 AND Inner Sea Gods has now the longbow instead of the club)

They even have similar domains.

And both are very old beings.

The only thing is: Erastil is the old grumpy family guy, and Cernunnos the young hothead and wild guy.

Has anyone wondered if or how they could be connected?

Maybe even brothers?

[Jeven]

They seem to be two sides of the same coin.

Erastil is the god of domesticated animals and farmed lands, and hunting (among other things).
While Cernunnos is the god of wild beasts and the wilderness.

Before farming they were perhaps like the iconic Shepherd/Huntsman and Wolf of fable. Neither friends nor enemies, but certainly natural rivals.

[Ross Byers]

Could be brothers. Or if Erastil is the old and stodgy version while Cernunnos is the young 'sowing his wild oats' version, Cernunnos could be Erastil's son.

Or they both could be aspects of a more primal NG Stag-headed god (the animal-shaped Good outsiders are all NG, for instance).

[Yasmir Isilvar]

What if...
Cernunnos is actually the son of Erastil and Calistria?

Would fit. Mabe a little adventure of Calistria with Erastil (something he would not speak of, of course)

Calistria, as we know, is not really the motherly type, but Erastil would teach his children all he know.

This would explain why Cernunnos has similar aspects to him, but is more the wild guy.

And this would also explain why he looks like an amalgam of Erastil and an elf.

[zagnabbit]

The same God.
Yet somehow cursed to exist at different poInts in time. Or perhaps as an attempt to undermine Asmodeus he deliberately unfixed himself from the timestream.

[Mikaze]

I like to view Cernunnos and Erastil as equally old(in years at least) and wise, but being very different in their approach to life. Both equally good and protective, but one wild and untamed where the other is settled and restrained.

That and...

Erastil: Wait until marriage.

Cernunnos:, Nah, go right ahead. And bring friends!

[Suma3da]

Tsukiyo and Tsukuyomi also bring a similar dichotomy to Pathfinder. Both of them are styled as "Prince of the Moon" while Tsukiyo is a LG core god of the Dragon Empires and Tsukuyomi is a CG Azata Empyreal Lord. Both of them are based on the same entity in Japanese mythology. Though to be fair, outside of Bestiary #1, I don't think Tsukuyomi was ever mentioned in any Golarion setting specific texts. He's definitely absent from Chronicles of the Righteous and Inner Sea Gods.

[Mikaze]

Suma3da wrote:

Tsukiyo and Tsukuyomi also bring a similar dichotomy to Pathfinder. Both of them are styled as "Prince of the Moon" while Tsukiyo is a LG core god of the Dragon Empires and Tsukuyomi is a CG Azata Empyreal Lord. Both of them are based on the same entity in Japanese mythology. Though to be fair, outside of Bestiary #1, I don't think Tsukuyomi was ever mentioned in any Golarion setting specific texts. He's definitely absent from Chronicles of the Righteous and Inner Sea Gods.

I can't help but imagine them as being two aspects of the same being, with Tsukiyo's Madness aspect coming into play. :)