Oddworld Gods
 

Here's an interesting topic that no-one seems to talk about- Oddworld gods and creation myths, stuff like that. All we know about is Mudokons worshipping Shrykull. Anyone got any info?

Well, the Mudokons are obviously spiritual. I've always thought of their religion sort of as a combination of Native American beliefs, Hinduism, and Buddhism. I don't think that the industrial races have any religion per se, but are more like the Nazis in that they practice certain rituals, rites of passage, and idolize their leader. It would interesting if it were a Ferengi-like scenario. Culture aside, "higher powers" indeed exist on Oddworld such as the Weirdos or the Skrykull.

Like many Earth cultures, the Mudokons believe that wild animals are connected to this spirit world, but that in evolving the way they have, they have lost their own connection. They revere animals and nature, and take psychotropic substances like Spooce, to try and connect with the spirit world. This is animism, which doesn’t preclude a religion based on deities, but doesn’t by itself. While official texts refer to Shrykull as a god, it seems to me to be more of a spirit representation. Or perhaps Mudokons get by just fine with both spirits and gods.

I think most of the Industrial races on Oddworld's only religion is to make more Moohla. I know the Glukons were originally supposed to have some sort of religous structure in the early stages of AO, I think that each race idealizes what it represents most. For Gluks I think its moohla and power, for Vykkers I think its more of whats trendy and staying young (or something along thoughs lines).

Wasn't it to quote that the spirit of Shrykull itself is summoned or whatever into the Mudokon to create the Shrykull form? It would seem shrykull is a god, however, it still has a spirit/soul of a sort, which is what Abe uses when he becomes the Shrykull. Animals are obviously important to Mudokons in being linked to the spirit world, made obvious by the actual appearance of Shrykull itself on Oddworld, and the fact it is itself a culmination of two of the Mudokons' revered animals.

I think it can be safely said that the Shrykull is not to be the only god of Oddworld. Being that it is the god of love and peace and, more importantly, vengeance and destruction, if I recall correctly, not the single ruler. In reference to gods alone, Oddworldian ones may be roughly comparable to Egyptian ones, being their gods were almost all animal in origin or part, and each one had a specific job, rtaher than Christianity with just the one single god.