History Main / ModernizedGod

%%* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'': It's all but stated that Nurgle (the Chaos god of pestilence) was worshiped on Earth as the Mesopotamian god [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nergal Nergal]] (a god of plague and war) but as time went on he was strengthened by disease, finally awakening after the Black Death. Nowadays he's a god of disease only (and of ''love'' of all things, it's just that he loves vermin and bacteria as much as people), with the role of berserk slaughterer being taken up by Khorne.

* ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'': the Hound (a WarGod and [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40K Khorne]] {{expy}}) stops dressing in spiky black armor and instead wears a general's outfit, pointing out that modern warfare involves a lot less melee combat than it used to and therefore he's adapting to a world of drone strikes half a planet away.

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'': Yasaka Kanako is a weather goddess seeking to increase her influence ([[GodsNeedPrayerBadly due to waning belief in the outside world]]), notably by getting into technology. One of these plots saw her feed a three-legged crow (a symbol of the Sun in Japanese mythology) to a none-too-bright raven youkai so as to give Gensokyo a source of green energy. The result was Reiuji Utsuho, a raven girl with the power to control ''nuclear fusion''.

* ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'': Yasaka Kanako is a weather goddess seeking to increase her influence ([[GodsNeedPrayerBadly due to waning belief in the outside world]]), notably by getting into technology. One of these plots saw her feed a three-legged crow (a symbol of the Sun in Japanese mythology) to a none-too-bright raven youkai so as to give Gensokyo a source of green energy. The result was Reiuji Utsuho, a raven girl with the power to control ''nuclear fusion''.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency'': Downplayed. After awakening in the latr 1930s in Europe, [=Native American/Mexican/Aztec=] super-being [[TheLeader Kars]] finds a time-period-appropriate BadassLongCoat and NiceHat to wear unlike the other [[PhysicalGods Pillar men]]. Though he doesn't keep it for long.

** The central theme of ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}'' is "old gods do new jobs". The title character was originally the personification of midwinter sacrifices to bring the sun back, and is now [[SantaClaus a jolly toymaker]].

* In ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries'' this happens to some of the gods and monsters of Myth/ClassicalMythology since they have to adapt to modern North America. For example, Ares appears as a violent biker, Iris, Greek messenger goddess of rainbows, [[note]]said to 'travel on rainbows' to deliver messages[[/note]], has more or less abandoned the 'messenger' part of her job and now runs a small store, the Amazons run Amazon.com, and Mount Olympus is over the Empire State Building.

%%[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

* ''Series/AmericanGods'': The Roman god Vulcan, god of fire and blacksmithing, refashioned himself as a god of firearms to capitalize on the American obsession with guns as a source of worship and power.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': GodsNeedPrayerBadly, so some out-of-style deities will do whatever it takes to get by. The ancient volcano goddess Lela reinvented herself as Anoia, Goddess of Things That Get Stuck In Drawers, and has actually managed a minor renaissance in her new position.

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[/folder]]

* Subverted in ''Literature/TheSalvationWar'', where both Yahweh and Satan are extremely conservative (with the latter a regular BadBoss and the former outright mad as well). In fact, it is believed that God closed the gates of Heaven a thousand years ago due to finding it easier than keeping Heaven good enough for the increased standards of humanity. However, a lot of the plot is centered around individual angels and demons trying to survive the war with Humanity by keeping up with times. One archangel runs a night club with rock band members snatched out of Hell.

* ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'': Subverted when a woman is blessed by a god there to grant all her desires... who assures her that she is now fertile and [[HeirClubForMen assured to bear male children]], his idea of what women consider a blessing not having kept up with the times.

* ''Literature/GoodOmens'': Pestilence (as in the third Horseman of the Apocalypse) gets replaced by Pollution after the invention of penicillin means there are a lot less plagues than before. It's noted that Death is the only one who never had to change (Famine is now making fast-food that contains no nutrients whatsoever and War is now a journalist going around third-world countries igniting wars by her mere presence).

->''"I thought that since times have changed, I should move my remit to be the god of war, not merely the god of battle. The brave warrior risking his life in combat is ''passe''- nowadays the ''civilized'' warmonger prefers the clinical indifference of a ranged drone strike. [...] The point is, I need to rebrand my image. Otherwise I'd just end up being the god of drunken slapfights in pub car parks."''

-> I thought that since times have changed, I should move my remit to be the god of war, not merely the god of battle. The brave warrior risking his life in combat is ''passe''- nowadays the ''civilized'' warmonger prefers the clinical indifference of a ranged drone strike. [...] The point is, I need to rebrand my image. Otherwise I'd just end up being the god of drunken slapfights in pub car parks.
--> [[WarGod The Hound]] [[http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2013-10-26/comic/non-storyline/randoms/ch-ch-ch-changes/ explaining why]] he switched from ScaryImpracticalArmor to a general's uniform, ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow''

[[folder Real Life]]

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Fan Works ]]

[[folder: Film:Live-Action ]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

%%[[/folder]]

!! Examples:

[[AC:Anime And Manga]]
* Franchise/FateSeries: Throughought the ''Fate'' multiverse, many characters of mythology and old history are summoned into the modern world as "Servants". Some of them adapt to the new world just fine (such as [[Myth/KingArthur Arturia]] or [[Myth/MesopotamianMythology Gilgamesh]]), wearing modern clothing and indulging in present day food and entertainment; a few of them even use modern weapons in fights, such as Lancelot.

[[AC:Comic Books]]

[[AC:Fan Works]]
* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal, nobody in Ankh-Morpork really believes in Justice any more. But there are lots of women with alternative viewpoints who firmly believe a Goddess called Dike [[LesYay should not be wasted]]. The former Goddess of Law and Justice, whilst adamantly maintaining that Her name is pronounced with ''two'' syllables, considers this new lease of life is a hell of a lot more fun and beats stumbling around in a blindfold whilst carying a sword.

[[AC:Film:Live-Action]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]

%%[[AC:Tabletop Games]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

[[AC:Western Animation]]

[[AC:Real Life]]

* Iktomi, TheTrickster of the Lakota folklore, is a spider who is destined to spread his web all over the world. Today, some believe [[TheInternet he has]].

* Some PatronSaint's areas of influence extend to places that were not dreamed of in their lifetime, such as Saint Christopher being the patron saint of truck drivers (being the patron of travelers before cars existed), Saint Barbara the patron saint of artillerymen (she protected against lightning and fire, logically extended to explosions), and Saint Joseph of Cupertino the patron saint of aviators and astronauts (as he was seen to levitate during sermons).

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'': It's all but stated that Nurgle (the Chaos god of pestilence) was worshiped on Earth as the Mesopotamian god [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nergal Nergal]] (a god of plague and war) but as time went on he was strengthened by disease, finally awakening after the Black Death. Nowadays he's a god of disease only (and of ''love'' of all things, it's just that he loves vermin and bacteria as much as people), with the role of berserk slaughterer being taken up by Khorne.

* {{Franchise/Nasuverse}}: In various ''Fate'' series, many characters of mythology and old history are summoned into the modern world as "Servants". Some of them adapt to the new world just fine (such as [[Myth/KingArthur Arturia]] or [[Myth/MesopotamianMythology Gilgamesh]]), wearing modern clothing and indulging in present day food and entertainment; a few of them even use modern weapons in fights, such as Lancelot.

* ''Literature/GoodOmens'': Pestilence (as in the third Horseman of the Apocalypse) gets replaced by Pollution after the invention of penicillin means there are a lot less plagues than before. It's noted that Death is the only one who never had to change (Famine is now making fast-food that contains no nutrients whatsoever and War is now a journalist going around third-world countries igniting wars by her mere presence).
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Odin has a day job as CEO of a security firm, where his power is greatly reduced so he can avoid the AllPowerfulBystander effect and remain active in mortal affairs. He also holds the "mantles" of the [[TheFairFolk Winter Court Fae]] Kringle and [[spoiler:Santa Claus]], roles which he fills part-time. As he says, a says, a life as long as his is full of strange twists and turns.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': GodsNeedPrayerBadly, so some out-of-style deities will do whatever it takes to get by. The ancient volcano goddess Lela reinvented herself as Anoia, Goddess of Things That Get Stuck In Drawers, and has actually managed a minor renaissance in her new position.
* In ''Literature/TheCampHalfBloodSeries'' this happens to some of the gods and monsters of Myth/ClassicalMythology since they have to adapt to modern North America. For example, Ares appears as a violent biker, Iris, Greek messenger goddess of rainbows, [[note]]said to 'travel on rainbows' to deliver messages[[/note]], has more or less abandoned the 'messenger' part of her job and now runs a small store, the Amazons run Amazon.com, and Mount Olympus is over the Empire State Building.