History Main / DivineDelegation

** At least until he got woken up again by a bunch of ten-year-olds with an Azure Flute.
*** [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu And then put in a Master Ball.]]
*** [[OlympusMons And forced to carry out said ten year old's biddings.]]

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* Diane Duane's ''YoungWizards'' novels have the Powers, angelic/deific beings, creating the universe(s). Although the tone of the series is vaguely Christian, references to any being superior to the Powers are hard to find.

* In ''HisDarkMaterials'' - in fact, it's arguable that some force (probably [[spoiler: Dust]], maybe something else), ''is'' the true Creator of the Universe, never mind all those [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels that take the credit and then argue about it]] .

* Piers Anthony's ''IncarnationsOfImmortality'' series features five lesser "gods" (the major incarnations of Death, Fate, Nature, Time, War) and a host of minor associated incarnations (War, for example, has Famine, Pestilence, Conquest and Slaughter ... and [[FourHorsemenOfTheApocalypse yes, they ride horses]]). God exists, but seems to be a Divine Delegator of the hands-off variety until book six of what was originally conceived as a five-book series, when it turns out that Satan (who has been an active antagonist throughout the series) [[spoiler: is an incarnation as well]]. Book 7 implies that there may be a Divine Delegator somewhere, but it's [[spoiler: some unknowable cosmic principle and not "God" since He's a delegate Himself]].

The Creator deity usually leaves it in the hands of CelestialParagonsAndArchangels to finish the job.

* Piers Anthony's ''IncarnationsOfImmortality'' series features five lesser "gods" (the major incarnations of Death, Fate, Nature, Time, War) and a host of minor associated incarnations (War, for example, has Famine, Pestilence, Conquest and Slaughter ... and [[FourHorsemenOfTheApocalypse yes, they ride horses]]). God exists, but seems to be a Divine Delegator of the hands-off variety until book six of what was originally conceived as a five-book series, when it turns out that Satan (who has been an active antagonist throughout the series) [[spoiler: turns out to be an incarnation as well]]. Book 7 implies that there may be a Divine Delegator somewhere, but it's [[spoiler: some unknowable cosmic principle and not "God" since He's a delegate Himself]].

** A possible candidate would be the goddess Yambe-Akka, mentioned in the first book by the witches, though like her mythological name sake she is only mentioned as a {{psychopomp}}.

## Once the Valar and Maiar more or less finished shaping Arda despite Melkor's actions, one of the Valar (Aulë) creates the Dwarves; Ilúvatar chastises him (mildly) for this, then prevents him from destoying the Dwarves and gives them free will. However, he doesn't intend to let his own creations (the Elves and Men) get upstaged, so he puts them to sleep, takes them away, and hides them until later. Some time thereafter, Ilúvatar awakens the Elves, then later (at the first rising of the Sun), he awakens Men. Exactly when the Dwarves woke up again isn't specified, but probably between the two.
## Ents have a similar origin; Ilúvatar seems to have given them sentience (without actually saying anything about it) because Yavanna was worried about what the Dwarves were going to do to the plants, who had no way to protect themselves. Apparently the eagles may have been created in a similar way with Manwe, the ruling Valar.

In the basic version of this scenario, [[TopGod the Creator]] first makes lesser gods - or archangels, or what have you - then makes at least some parts of the universe, then tells His divine children to finish the job themselves. Mortals may be the Creator's handiwork or that of the lessers; once they show up, they might worship the Creator, the lesser beings, or both.

* The universe of ''{{Comicbook/Lucifer}}'' was created by YHWH. Pretty much everything ''in'' it, however, was created by the Angels under his loose supervision. This didn't work terribly well (an entire existence designed by committee?), but he had his reasons- as the Angels discovered. [[MagnificentBastard When everything started going to shit a few billion years later]].

** VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword has the goddess Hylia, implicitly the highest ranked of the delegate divinities, who [[spoiler: incarnates as the mortal Zelda, leaving her power and soul within that bloodline]]. Below her, the surface is protected by a trio of dragons: Faron the Water Dragon that guards the Woods, Lanayru the Thunder Dragon who oversees the Desert and Eldin the Fire Dragon who watches over the Volcano, while the skies are protected by the whale-like deity Levias.
** VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess has the light spirits Ordona, Faron, Lanaryu, and Eldin, each tasked with keeping one province of Hyrule protected from magical darkness and the like.

## Once the Valar and Ainur more or less finished shaping Arda despite Melkor's actions, one of the Valar (Aulë) creates the Dwarves; Ilúvatar chastises him (mildly) for this, then prevents him from destoying the Dwarves and gives them free will. However, he doesn't intend to let his own creations (the Elves and Men) get upstaged, so he puts them to sleep, takes them away, and hides them until later. Some time thereafter, Ilúvatar awakens the Elves, then later (at the first rising of the Sun), he awakens Men. Exactly when the Dwarves woke up again isn't specified, but probably between the two.

*** Worth noting that ''TheSilmarillion'' specifically gives the name of one of the Maiar as Olórin, and that Gandalf, listing the names under which he's known to different cultures, mentions that "in his youth in the West that is forgotten" he was known as ... Olórin. The Balrogs are also presumably (fallen) Maiar.

* Orr from ''Literature/TheWarGods'' series created the universe and then a whole pantheon of lesser gods and goddesses to help run it, though there exceptions. The realm of demons and devils where Shigu, the wife of Phorbros after he rebelled, came from seems to be separate from but connected to Orr's creation and ''no one'' knows where Hirahim Lightfoot, the resident trickster deity, came from even if he does acknowledge Orr's authority.

** Lucifer himself makes his own Creation during the comic's run, and a third one is created later, as well. It's also implied that Yahweh wasn't the first one in the God-business, and there may have been others creating worlds before Him; the few survivors from those worlds would like nothing more than to burn His to cinder to get out.

* In Voltaire's short story ''[[http://wondersmith.com/scifi/plato.htm Plato's Dream]]'', the chief creator Demiurgos makes a number of lesser superbeings and then assigns each of them to create one of the planets in the solar system.
* Orr from David Weber's {{Bahzell}} series created the universe and then a whole pantheon of lesser gods and goddesses to help run it, though there exceptions. The realm of demons and devils where Shigu, the wife of Phorbros after he rebelled, came from seems to be separate from but connected to Orr's creation and ''no one'' knows where Hirahim Lightfoot, the resident trickster deity, came from even if he does acknowledge Orr's authority.

* ''KeysToTheKingdom'' falls into this indirectly. "The Architect" created the universe, [[HaveYouSeenMyGod then went off somewhere--nobody knows where]]. Her instructions were to appoint a mortal as her heir, but the seven greatest ([[SevenDeadlySins and most corrupt]]) members of the CelestialBureaucracy took power for themselves and have been having one ''hell'' of a time.

* In ''{{Exalted}}'', the Primordials created the universe, then created the gods to keep everything running while they wrecked shit and played games and then expected the gods to clean it all up. The gods were not pleased by this arrangement. So the gods created the Exalted, who could slip the bonds of the pact between the gods and the Primordials and actually kill them. And after the great war... the Exalted were charged with keeping everything running, while the gods engaged in the Games of Divinity. Yeah.

## He then showed the Ainur what the Great Music had wrought: Arda, the whole world. At the time it was a flat and lifeless rock. He sends the Ainur down to shape it as they will. The most powerful Ainur become the Valar; the rest become the weaker (but still powerful) Maiar.

## Once the Valar and Ainur more or less finished shaping Arda, one of the Valar (Aulë) creates the Dwarves; Ilúvatar chastises him (mildly) for this, then prevents him from destoying the Dwarves and gives them free will. However, he doesn't intend to let his own creations (the Elves and Men) get upstaged, so he puts them to sleep, takes them away, and hides them until later. Some time thereafter, Ilúvatar awakens the Elves, then later (at the first rising of the Sun), he awakens Men. Exactly when the Dwarves woke up again isn't specified, but probably between the two.
## Ents have a similar origin; Ilúvatar seems to have given them sentience (without actually saying anything about it) because Yavanna was worried about what the Dwarves were going to do to the plants, who had no way to protect themselves.

* In ''TheBelgariad'', UL created the universe and then seven other gods, his sons, to make the actual world they would inhabit, while he basically sat around and grumbled at how poor a job they were doing.

-->-- ''Main/{{Redthorn}}''

->''And on the Third Day, God said: Yea, I Am taking the Rest of The Week Off. You Stay Here and Finish Up Without Me.''
->--''Main/{{Redthorn}}''

*** Worth noting that ''TheSilmarillion'' specifically gives the name of one of the Maiar as Olorin, and that Gandalf, listing the names under which he's known to different cultures, mentions that "in his youth in the West that is forgotten" he was known as ... Olorin. The Balrogs are also presumably (fallen) Maiar.
## Once the Valar and Ainur more or less finished shaping Arda, one of the Valar (Aule) creates the Dwarves; Ilúvatar chastises him (mildly) for this, then prevents him from destoying the Dwarves and gives them free will. However, he doesn't intend to let his own creations (the Elves and Men) get upstaged, so he puts them to sleep, takes them away, and hides them until later. Some time thereafter, Ilúvatar awakens the Elves, then later (at the first rising of the Sun), he awakens Men. Exactly when the Dwarves woke up again isn't specified, but probably between the two.

* Orr from David Weber's {{Bahzell}} series created the universe and then a whole pantheon of lesser gods and goddesses to help run it, though there exceptions. The realm of demons and devils where Shigu, the wife of Phorbros after he rebelled, came from seems to be separate from but connected to Orr's creation and ''no one'' knows where Hirahim Lightfoot, the resident trickster deity, came from even if his does acknowledge Orr's authority.

*** It might be useful to think of the Valar as a sort of cross between gods, archangels, and major saints and the Maiar as lesser gods/angels/saints. They are worshipped, but they themselves worship Ilúvatar.
## Once the Valar and Ainur more or less finished shaping Arda, the Valar create the Elves and Dwarves; sometime thereafter, Ilúvatar awakens Men.

## Eru Iluvatar, "The One" Creator, is God. He [[MagicMusic sang into existence]] the Ainur, a lesser form of divine/spiritual being.

*** It might be useful to think of the Valar as a sort of cross between gods, archangels, and major saints and the Maiar as lesser gods/angels/saints. They are worshipped, but they themselves worship Iluvatar.
## Once the Valar and Ainur more or less finished shaping Arda, the Valar create the Elves and Dwarves; sometime thereafter, Iluvatar awakens Men.