dieux

Dieux is the plural of dieu in French and refers to deities or gods within various religious traditions. The term designates powerful beings who are the subject of worship, myth, and ritual, and who are often believed to influence natural and human affairs.

Etymology and usage: The French word dieu comes from Latin deus. The modern plural dieux is formed with the orthographic ending -x, a feature of Old French that remains in contemporary spelling, though the final x is not pronounced in most dialects (dieux = [djø]).

In polytheistic systems, dieux are typically numerous, each with distinct domains, personalities, and cults. Myths recount their origins, actions, and interactions with humans and with other dieux. Temples, festivals, and priesthoods commonly organize ritual life around these figures.

In monotheistic traditions, the focus is on one supreme dieu or God; references to other divine beings may appear as angels, spiritual entities, or as aspects of the divine in some theological frameworks. The word dieux may appear in discussions of other cultures' pantheons or in translations of sacred texts.

Across cultures, dieux can be anthropomorphic—human-shaped and with personality—or non-anthropomorphic, such as personifications of nature or abstract powers. They are often described as creators, sustayers, judges, or protectors, and their worship shapes ethics, law, and social structure.

In modern scholarship, dieux are studied within theology, comparative religion, history, and literature to understand how perceptions of the divine reflect and influence human societies.