monijumalaisia

Monijumalaisia is a Finnish term used to refer to people who believe in or worship multiple deities, i.e., polytheists. Grammatically, monijumalainen is an adjective meaning polytheistic, and the noun form for people is monijumalaisia (partitive plural) or monijumalaiset (nominative plural). In scholarly Finnish, the related noun monijumalaisuus denotes polytheism, the belief in many gods, as a religious system distinct from monoteismi (monotheism). The concept covers a wide range of belief systems across time and cultures.

Historically, many ancient civilizations practiced polytheism, with pantheons such as the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Norse, and Celtic traditions. Hinduism is often described as polytheistic or henotheistic in parts, reflecting diverse practices and interpretations. In other contexts, monijumalaisia communities exist in modern neopagan movements, including neo-Hellenism, Norse heathenry, and various reconstructionist or eclectic polytheist currents, which may emphasize reverence to multiple deities within a single tradition or across several traditions.

In Finnish usage, the term is descriptive rather than normative, and it can appear in academic writing, religious surveys, or broad discussions of belief in multiple gods. It contrasts with monoteistiset or monoteistinen, referring to belief in a single god. The concept of monijumalaisuus is often analyzed in relation to social structures, ritual practices, and cosmology within a given tradition.