To the mythical essence of Holmes himself, perhaps. I can imagine quite easily that well-loved characters might take on a life of their own, filling the gap left by the old minor gods and goddesses.

And by worse gods, I mean gods of commerce and industry, gods of politics and economics, that chew up people's lives on a daily basis. Given the choice between the two, I would certainly rather honour Holmes than Homebase, Athos than Asda.