04/10/2024
The new house gods
Throughout human history pagans and religious practitioners alike have kept house gods, icons, or idols. Pagans had totems or little carvings of various deities in their house to bring luck, blessings, and to ward off evil spirits. Southwest Native American tribes have Kachina dolls, which represent divine and ancestral spirit beings, although the majority of them are now carved to be sold at tourist stands.
Modern Hindu practitioners have their house shrine with murti — images of various gods — as focus for prayer and devotion. Likewise Christians with their crosses, and Catholic Christians with statues of Mother Mary and other saints.
Having been somewhat immersed in the world of action figure toy collecting the past few years, I have formed a theory that such collectible toys have come to fill that vacated space for many modern collectors. The idea parallels University of Minnesota Professor Dr. Jack Zipes’ thesis that modern superheroes have become a substitute for the mythology of our ancestors — shared cultural stories with one salient difference that, unlike say ancient Greeks with Zeus and Athena and Poseidon, Hercules and Perseus, we do not believe Superman or Spider-Man actually existed. (Although who can say with our great-great-great grandchildren, should our civilization be driven back into a more primitive state?)
Likewise most modern toy collectors don’t rationally believe that their MOTU or Sh**un Warriors will grant blessings or protection, but emotionally it can come close. There is a special feeling of achievement in acquiring certain figures, and they are put in fancy display cases or on almost shrine-like shelves, inhabiting the places once reserved for house gods. Their powers and personalities can impart inspiration. Like old myths and legends, their stories provide shared cultural values and lessons.
Of course these particular action figure artifacts began as toys meant to be played with — modern mass-produced versions of the dolls and stick figures and carved animals and beasties people have long fashioned for their young ones in idle moments. But for the collectors they have entered a new more hallowed niche: prized pieces are not meant to be played with but displayed. To be looked at and admired, but handled with the respect one gives a holy object. This purpose has also shifted with modern toy companies like McFarlane and NECA and even certain lines from traditionally kid-aimed companies like Hasbro, with figures made exclusively for adult collectors (and boxes often marked “For 18 years and Up” or “Not intended as a toy”).
This link to carved house gods can be seen visually in the works of some artists, perhaps unconsciously. Texas based Chance Priest (his real name) carved and sold figures called ZAPIs before launching his own independent action figure and comic book line Warriors of the Universe. They look like some kind of tribal house gods, with a helping of superhero and sci-fi influence.
A collector of Priest’s work, Spartacus McFeely (not his real name), recently visited a wood carver in Kenya named Vincent Sammy and asked him to carve some American pop-culture characters in his traditional style. The results transcend the characters’ origins in cartoons like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, elevating them as unique works of art that resemble idols in the old sense of the word.
At least visually — it is doubtful that McFeely or anyone else will actually worship them. But perhaps the toy or art collector will feel a sense of reverence toward them as much as can be felt in a modern secular age.
