Three Divine Ranks

The previous post proposed two ranks of divinities:

Aryan gods in the Eddas and Vedas;

Vedic gods acknowledging the Spirit Supreme in Kena Upanishad.

Thor's response to the advent of a universal deity was not to welcome a higher truth but, reportedly, to challenge Christ to single combat. See here.

But there is also a pre-Aryan rank of gods, represented by Poul And Karen Anderson's Ysan sea god, Lir, and by SM Stirling's Arucuttag, mere personifications of hostile elements, indistinguishable in practice from angry demons. Indra releases life-bringing rain. The Aesir protect society. The earlier gods merely threaten to destroy society and life.