Cursing without gods

[AceOfFools]

This setting has gods that are physical creatures that you can walk up and punch in the face, powerful creatures with very alien mindsets. There is no afterlife, or at least so most people believe.

I have a character from a culture that has hated gods since the nation's founding centuries ago. Finding and killing either a god or cultists worshiping a god is something of a right of passage for martially inclined individuals. (Given the nature of the local gods, worshiping one implicitly includes being a terrorist, something not true of other parts of the setting).

How does this character swear?

I cannot use damnation or similar, as their culture has no conception of hell.

I cannot use constructs like "By the gods, no."

I can use words that mean "excrement," but I find that they get repetitive quickly, and don't sound right for positive exclamations, e.g. "Hells yeah!"

It is extremely wrong for the character to reference sex acts or genitalia in this fasion, although I imagine some other characters from the same culture might.

So what other options do I have?

[LudicSavant]

This setting has gods that are physical creatures that you can walk up and punch in the face, powerful creatures with very alien mindsets. There is no afterlife, or at least so most people believe.

I have a character from a culture that has hated gods since the nation's founding centuries ago. Finding and killing either a god or cultists worshiping a god is something of a right of passage for martially inclined individuals. (Given the nature of the local gods, worshiping one implicitly includes being a terrorist, something not true of other parts of the setting).

How does this character swear?

I cannot use damnation or similar, as their culture has no conception of hell.

I cannot use constructs like "By the gods, no."

I can use words that mean "excrement," but I find that they get repetitive quickly, and don't sound right for positive exclamations, e.g. "Hells yeah!"

It is extremely wrong for the character to reference sex acts or genitalia in this fasion, although I imagine some other characters from the same culture might.

So what other options do I have?

Cursing is all about referencing cultural taboos or getting a visceral reaction. So, for instance, referencing taboo occupations or cringeworthy physical punishments.

All of the curses you mentioned are examples of this. Excrement, sex, and blasphemy are all western European cultural taboos. Just make up curses consistent with your own world's taboos. For example, in Eberron's city of Sharn one of the curses was "tower spit!" because you weren't supposed to spit off the edge of balconies in the City of Towers... for obvious reasons.

Just think of behaviors (or lineages, or anything really) that would be shamed in that society... or things that would cause members of that society to instinctively wince just hearing it. Done well, this can actually add a lot of character to your world and help inform and immerse your audience in the culture of your world.

[MrZJunior]

Perhaps you should reference some great hero from the past who defeated a particularly powerful god.

[Orm-Embar]

"Curse it!" and "Drown it!" and similar expressions having to do with death and other unpleasant things, essentially ill-wishing the subject.

If the gods of this setting are that taboo, "Bless your heart!" could sound rather aggressive.

More elaborately, "May your [flesh] be [eaten] by [wild dogs]," with appropriate substitutions, although not sure that's what you're looking for as an impromptu exclamation.

And there's always Terry Pratchett's advice: 'It takes a very special and strong-minded kind of atheist to jump up and down with their hand clasped under their other armpit and shout, "Oh, random-fluctuations-in-the-space-time-continuum!" or "Aaargh, primitive-and-outmoded-concept on a crutch!”' -- Men at Arms

[Corneel]

I really don't see the problem. Curses a-plenty in English and otherwise check other languages or cultures.

The 3 non-godly curses most used in French (often in combination: "p... de b... de m...!") reference respectively prostitute/woman of ill repute, house of ill repute, and excrement, and they never get old. Other mean/reference things like filth or dirty woman or intercourse with your mum or well you get the picture*.
In Dutch the equivalent of the c-word is often used, just as a stand alone curse, and sometimes it's "c-word with pears!", but also in a variety of composite words.
More creatively, in Malinké a common curseword is "hyena's arse". You might have a similar animal that is associated with filth.

For positive curses "(by) Fate", "(by my) Wyrd" could be used, or the f-word (as in "F-word, yeah!"). The f-word is almost as versatile as the s-word**.


*"[cursing in French is] like wiping your arse with silk" (The Merovingian, The Matrix trilogy)
** "smurf" of course

[snowblizz]

I can use words that mean "excrement," but I find that they get repetitive quickly, and don't sound right for positive exclamations, e.g. "Hells yeah!"

Just as a note one of the most common expressions of positive in Swedish is to refer to something as [excrement] (using the s-word) good/nice/beautiful and so on. For a particularly hilarious one, describing your meal as tasting [excrement] good!

[AceOfFools]

Other mean/reference things like filth or dirty woman or intercourse with your mum or well you get the picture*.
In Dutch the equivalent of the c-word is often used, just as a stand alone curse, and sometimes it's "c-word with pears!", but also in a variety of composite words.

OP does specifically say that sex and references to genitalia would be inappropriate for the character in question, although such may work well for the larger culture.

More creatively, in Malinké a common curseword is "hyena's arse". You might have a similar animal that is associated with filth.

This, however, is a wonderful suggestion. Thanks.

[sktarq]

Well in their culture calling something "divine" would be an insult. "God droppings" as reference to behaviors so wrong that they must have been caused by the pollution of a god.
Also derogatory statements about the target doing to/for the god in a slavish and/or sexual way may be popular.

Things like-"God led" for a fool. Or "God-eyed" for those who can not see what is obvious.

Also behaviors or symbols that are associated with the divinities or priesthoods could be used. Don't even have to be that common as long as the home culture perceives it stereotypically. If kneeling, or kissing the feet of a god is a sign of devotion then "toe breath" would be an insult. Do priest like to wear big headress/hats? "More hat than head" would be someone who takes his nearness to what he gives importance to to mean that he is important and thus a person who thinks too much of himself or his group. Do the worshipers kneel during prayer? A scab knee becomes one who is always asking for help because they can't or are afraid to do things themselves. Calling out any perceived hypocrisy in the divine, priestly, or devout would also make a good start.

Finally foul smelling fruit could be a nice stand in. Just imagine all the Durian flavored insults! A standoffish or rude person has the skin of Durian, Durian breath-etc

[the_david]

Another thing in the Dutch language is diseases as curse words. Typhus, tuberculosis, cholera and even cancer are used frequently. (Although not everybody uses them. If you're just a little bit more civilised you'd use words for excrement, genitals or sexual acts.)

I'd also like to point out that he might use blasphemy for shock value around other cultures. You should try it out on the party cleric...

[Edenbeast]

I have a character from a culture that has hated gods since the nation's founding centuries ago. Finding and killing either a god or cultists worshiping a god is something of a right of passage for martially inclined individuals.

I think there is your answer!
Using that which you hate as profanities.
To give an example: the quebecois use sacres or profanities related to the Catholic church. This originated from the time the people were dissatisfied with the influence of the Catholic church. There are quite a few sacres, and they are sometimes linked together in chains to make it more powerful.

Gruumsh!
Yondalla!
Wee Jas Boccob Nerull!!

[AceOfFools]

...

Brilliant on all fronts.

Thanks.

[Rift_Wolf]

Are we too highbrow for yo momma? We're probably too highbrow for yo momma.

But insulting ones parentage is an old and time honoured custom. Your father was a shrug! After all, when you asked your mother his name, that's what she did...

If yo momma is off limits, along with its variants, look up old victoriana swears like lackwit or cousinborn.

[Belac93]

I just used a fantasy online translator, and ran curse words and words like; hell, kill, death, and bad luck. Worked well.

[AceOfFools]

Are we too highbrow for yo momma? We're probably too highbrow for yo momma.

But insulting ones parentage is an old and time honoured custom. Your father was a shrug! After all, when you asked your mother his name, that's what she did...

If yo momma is off limits, along with its variants, look up old victoriana swears like lackwit or cousinborn.

I'm not looking for taunts or insults, there I have options.

I'm looking for exclamations along the lines of "Oh, son of a bitch!"

Thanks.

[Amazon]

"By the cosmos."

"May the universe have mercy on us."

"Thank the ancestors you did."

"Thunderbolts!"

"Super Novas!"

[jqavins]

I'm not looking for taunts or insults, there I have options.

I'm looking for exclamations along the lines of "Oh, son of a bitch!"

Oh, son of a god, that's easy! "Your father was a deity, and you mother smelled of Elder berries."

And what's wrong with "Son of a bitch?" Nothing deity based there, so it could be the same in your character's culture. As others have pointed out there are plenty of curses in our culture and others around our world that are not related to (G|g)od[s]. It would probably be most realish* if you use those a majority of the time, and curses based on how gods are reviled less.

And, strangely, there's one that works just as well for your character as for us real folks, but for the opposite reason: "Gods!"

"Gods take it!" "Godly b--ch!"

(For others in the culture, combining the genitalia or sex acts thing with gods offers many possibilities, but those are not for your character. Imagine being called a god's penis [in more crude language] or a god's whore.)

What about the appearance of the gods themselves? If there is something distinctive in their appearance then that would provide fodder. "Gold skinned SOB" for instance.

* Realistic? No. Just "realish."

[Corneel]

I'm not looking for taunts or insults, there I have options.

I'm looking for exclamations along the lines of "Oh, son of a bitch!"

Thanks.

"Oh, joy!" (Ironically) (similar ironic expression exists in French "Que du bonheur!" - "Nothing but joy/happiness")
Sometimes there's no evident reason for some words to be used in this way like "mince!" in French (it means meagre, thin, svelte), or "verrek!" in Dutch.
The curses might even be something of which the meaning is lost, or not known by most. Compare English "drat" from "God rot". You're culture might have gotten rid of the god thing, but kept the drat as the connection wasn't obvious to most people anymore.

[Bohandas]

I cannot use constructs like "By the gods, no."

I can use words that mean "excrement," but I find that they get repetitive quickly, and don't sound right for positive exclamations, e.g. "Hells yeah!"

What if they referenced the gods as if they were excrement.

(This suggestion was originally going to be peppered with French profanity but I'll just leave you with a link instead)

[Knaight]

There's always the option where you take something that forms compound words well, and compound it liberally. First though, a quick reference:

Excessive Use of Profanity
Most profanity is censored by our filter, though a few mild terms (generally those that appear in the comic) and words that have both a benign meaning and a profane or offensive one, are not. However, the excessive use of profanity, whether or not it is filtered, is not acceptable. Most words can be determined from context, and we wish to maintain a friendly and courteous environment on this forum. Please note that an occasional filtered word or use of a non-filtered word is not an offense; if, however, your ****** posts ******* regularly look like this ******* sentence, it is in violation of this rule. We do realize that the filter is both under-inclusive and over-inclusive; we are not going to change it by poster request. Also, circumventing the filter for even a single profanity is a more serious violation of the Forum Rules (see below under "Circumventing the Board Filter").

Excessive is a bit of a squishy term, but consider the term douchebag. "Douche" is probably inapplicable to the setting, but the thing that makes the word usable is that the -bag part can be substituted with all manner of things. You've got -canoe, -rocket, -nozzle, -fountain, and a whole host of other things. Which of these actually work in setting is going to vary, but there should be a decent library of applicable -noun. Then you just need to find something that works in front of it, and you've got variety. The obvious replacement cases are excrement related, but you could circumvent that with urine. "Pissfountain" in particular is a nicely colorful expression.

Damnation is a tricky one, but you might be able to substitute in other difficulties, and "pox" is a word with a wonderful feel to it and Shakespearean precedence here. "Plague" works in similar cases, and while the obvious precedent is "a pox on both your houses", I am seeing some potential taking disease related terms and -bag derivatives. Poxnozzle, plaguebag, puscanoe, leechwhistle, and the rest of their ilk at least give you a reasonably nice set of insults, and poxnozzle is a surprisingly fun word to say. These are going to be exceptionally useless on the positive side,

[GorinichSerpant]

"Zealot" could be a bad word in good-hating society, "theist" does as well. Monkcanoe, clericbag, or other such things. God could also work, "god damn you" works surprisingly well.

[Bohandas]

Pyx, sacrament, tabernacle....

[Knaight]

Monkcanoe, clericbag, or other such things.

While I can't see this working at all for a serious character, it is surprisingly hilarious.

[kraftcheese]

I guess you could look into hand gestures as an alternative/complement to offensive exclamations?

Obviously **** and piss etc are always good, but think about giving people the finger in Western culture, the "up yours" V, the Greek mountza/moutza, the "Spanish slap" (punching upwards with an arm while slapping the bicep on said arm with your other hand), some cultures find gesturing with feet to be offensive, etc.

I guess mostly things that are considered unclean, calling into question your parentage or sexual are usually considered as taboo; there's some interesting stuff in the Imperial Radch books about how gesturing, pointing, etc. in most ways in the Radchaii Empire with an ungloved hand (and some ways in gloves) is considered offensive as theres a cultural idea of hands being ritually unclean.

[kraftcheese]

Perhaps you should reference some great hero from the past who defeated a particularly powerful god.

Referencing a great hero, ancestor or cultural leader is always good:

In The Left Hand of Darkness everyone swears "by the Milk of Meshe" (Meshe a.k.a Yomeshta being a prophet and scholar with a lot of clout in the culture's history), but you could just as easily have your character shout "king's blood!" when they're surprised or doing a warding sign when something horrible happens or they're nervous; superstition and taboo are quite linked in many cultures (think The Evil Eye) and just because your culture has no gods doesn't mean there's no superstitions or cultural quirks right?