Gûntera was the king of the deities, according to dwarven legend, and husband to Kílf, goddess of water.[1]
According to legend, Gûntera was born fully grown from a she-wolf and then proceeded to battle with the primordial giants in the Supernatural War so that the deities could have a place in the universe.[2] The dwarves gave sacrifices to him in order to ensure his favor.
Gûntera was against the creation of people to inhabit Alagaësia: later on, though, Helzvog created the dwarves. Outraged by Helzvog's defiance, Gûntera created the Elves to claim Alagaësia for himself.
In Brisingr, at Orik's coronation, this is the god Eragon glimpses and when Eragon sees Gûntera and tries to touch his mind, Eragon is almost overwhelmed by it. In this coronation, for a the new elected king to actually take the throne Gûntera must appear and show his blessing and places the crown on the new king's head. There are instances in Dwarven history where he has not shown but the kings took the throne anyway. These kings were dubbed "Heretic Kings" and every time one took the throne, the reign was terrible and short lived.
The dwarves often ignore the hardships they have endured when speaking to Gûntera, as they do not wish to anger him, as when Gannel said "your kingdom flourishes" in Brisingr to Gûntera.
Despite Gûntera actually making an appearance at the coronation of the Dwarf king, Elves do not believe in deities. However this could be due to the strained relationship between the two races, leading to the possibility that an Elf had never actually witnessed a coronation. It was said in Brisingr that Gûntera may be a decayed, yet still-living, spirit instead of a deity.
Real-life connections
Gûntera's origins exhibit a blending of elements of Greco-Roman mythologies in three ways: Firstly, the fact that Gûntera was born fully grown is reminiscent of the birth of the Greek goddess, Athena, who sprang fully grown from the head of Zeus. Secondly, the fact that Gûntera was born of she-wolf is an homage to the birth of Romulus and Remus, both of whom were abandoned by their mother in a forest and were raised by a she-wolf. Thirdly, the battle with primordial giants is a homage to the Titanomachy, the war between the Titans and the Olympians at the beginning of Greek Mythology.