In
polytheistic systems there is a tendency for one divinity, usually male, to achieve pre-eminence as
King of the Gods. This tendency is paralleled with the growth of
hierarchical systems of
political power, in which a
monarch eventually comes to assume ultimate
authority for human affairs. Other gods come to serve in a
Divine Council or
pantheon, usually linked by family ties from union of a single husband or wife, or else from an
androgynous divinity who is responsible for the creation.