Names of gods

Why do gods change their names? In one place, they are known by one name, in another place by a different name. And over time, names are forgotten and new ones invented. Why?

I think gods are more fragile than we think—or, perhaps not the gods themselves, but our connection to them. If we begin to think that we understand them, it is proof of non-understanding. So, to stay nimble, they must remain basically anonymous; whenever a name is discovered, the god disappears and reappears somewhere else under a newly assumed identity. Thus it is always safely nearby, without being seen for too long at a time.

See also