Short answers, pulled from the story.
Philo of Alexandria, a Jewish writer from antiquity, coined the term polytheism to argue against Greek religious practices. Jean Bodin revived the term in French during 1580, and Samuel Purchas used it in English shortly after in 1614.
Soft polytheism treats different gods as psychological archetypes or personifications of natural forces that represent one essential god. Hard polytheism insists that gods are distinct separate real divine beings who reject the idea that all gods form one entity.
Historical records trace ancient pantheons through Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Mesopotamia with Sumerian gods forming one of the earliest known systems. Ancient Greek religion featured the Twelve Olympians including Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Ares, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Hestia.
The majority of folk religions exist in the Asia-Pacific region where animistic beliefs remain closely tied to most practices. Bulul statues serve as avatars of rice deities in the Anitist beliefs of the Ifugao people in the Philippines while Serer religion dates back to the Neolithic Era.
Protestant thinkers employed the term as an anti-papist condemnation of Saint veneration during the spread of Christianity throughout Europe. Non-Christians were historically called Gentiles or pagans when Christianity spread throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.