Non-Binary Equivalent of Divine Titles?

Game Development Writing and Content
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Hey everyone.

I’m writing a game based on Greek deities, and I’m having a little difficulty coming up with the non-binary equivalents of a few titles.

Currently, I’m considering using “Divine” as an alternative to “God” and “Goddess” eg. The God Zeus / The Goddess Hera / The Divine $!{McName}.

I’m confused as to what the nb equivalent of Lord/Lady is. I think at some point the deities will be referred to as “Lord Hades” or “Lady Aphrodite”. The nb equivalents I have found till now are “Lairde” and “Layde”.

Note: I will provide readers with the options to choose their own titles or insert their own preferred titles, but I’d also like there to be a substantial number of choices.

What are your opinions?

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I would use “Diety” as the NB equivalent here

Then you can use: “Divine” for this …

I’m sure others will come up with additional choices for you.

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You can also use figures of speech such as “Higher Being,” or “The One,” or “The Darkness/Light.”

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Oh yeah. That’s a really logical path I failed to see. I think I’ll stick with your suggestion unless I find a better alternative. Thanks!

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Thank you for these suggestions. They do help add more variety without making everything unnecessarily gendered.

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The word God technically isn’t a gendered word though
The biblical god while sometimes referred to as a human male doesn’t have a real gender and is more of an omnipresent spirit without a physical body

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That’s true. But in a pantheon of gods with defined genders, I guess distinctions between ‘god’ and ‘goddess’ are more apt. Personally, it sounds a bit weird when I say ‘the god Athena’ rather than ‘the goddess Athena’. Then again, gendered terms do involve a lot of exclusivity. I’d like to incorporate terms that reflect the gender, or lack thereof, of the MC. Readers who want more inclusive titles without gender connotations and readers who want titles that reflect the gender of their mc should both have a comfortable number of choices.

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“Divine” or “Deity” sound like good options for non-binary characters. “Dynast” or “Autarch” would also work, and have the advantage of a Greek linguistic root (which seems fitting if you’re referring to the gods of Olympus.) You could also go for something more generic (e.g. “the noble Hades” would have a similar feel).

You might be aware of this already, but “Laird” is a Scottish word for a male landowner, so readers may find it confusing if you use it to refer to non-binary characters.

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Sovereign might be a good choice, I used it in my game for nb nobles and didn’t hear any complaints. Autarch is a very good choice as well as it’s a little less commonly known or used, so props to @Protagonist for the suggestion.

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@Protagonist and @Moreau, thanks so much. I’ve got a lot more options now, and thankfully feel less lost.
I was not aware of the meaning behind Laird. I included it because it was recommended on quite a few nb blogposts. Thanks for clarifying the meaning.

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Creator, Maker, Master(?)
Our righteous Creator, praise the creator

Our holy maker, praise the maker

Praise the master of the mountains and the sky, may the light of the great master shine down on us.(admittedly master in many places still has gender leaning)

And that’s all I could think of as potentially universal for a greater being in a single use word that hasn’t already been commented on.