Greek and Norse mythology are two mythological systems that share the theme of gods interfering with human affairs. Norse mythology has its focus on Norse gods that descend to Earth, while Greek mythology places emphasis on humans coming into contact with immortals in a more direct fashion. This article will discuss a comparison of Norse and Greek mythology with regard to their interactions between humans and divinities. To begin, Norse myth will be explained in brief to provide a foundation for comparison with Greek mythology.
Norse Mythology
Norse mythology is the mythology of Norsemen prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia. Norse mythology exists in Norse poems and tales that were written by Norse people during the Medieval period of European history, which lasted from around the 5th century AD until about 1350 AD. Norsemen refers to any person who lived in Scandinavia or spoke one of the Old Norse languages, so Norse mythology involves stories from both Sweden and Norway among other areas settled by Norsemen since they were written down several centuries after being created orally.
At its most basic level Norse mythology tells stories of Norse gods and their interactions with Norse people, Norse monsters, Norse giants, Norse dwarves and other Norse creatures. Norse mythology also tells stories of Norse heroes that achieved great deeds through strength or intelligence.
Greek Mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths originally held in ancient Greece concerning its gods and heroes , the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of its religious practices . Greek mythology continued to be a popular subject for many generations after Christianity replaced the old Greek religion. During this period some parts were added to Greek mythology while others were modified or abandoned. New stories were invented to explain some beliefs and rituals which had become uncommon due to a decline in belief in all but Christian doctrine . A few new characters were also added to Greek mythology, however Greek mythology remains mostly unchanged from its ancient version.
Greek myth first appeared in Homer’s poems, which date back to the early 8th century BC. The earliest Greek poems are the Iliad and the Odyssey . They were written by Homer , who is believed to have been an Ionian Greek. These poems are our primary sources of information for Greek mythology as they were created at a time when very little was recorded about the events that occurred before their creation (before 700 BC) . Pre-Socratic philosophers like Pythagoras modified many aspects of Greek mythology during Ancient Greece; their ideas formed much of later classical philosophical tradition, including Platonic thought . The of these early philosophers influenced almost all subsequent western philosophy and scientific inquiry.
Comparison of Norse and Greek Mythology
Both Norse and Greek deities descended to Earth, however Norse deities usually did so in order to carry out a specific mission while Greek gods frequently did so for recreational reasons. The Norse preferred the use of human women (e. g: seducing them or impregnating mortal women) to produce children while the Greeks were more likely to resort to rape. Norse divinities frequently used deception in order to ensure their aims were met while Greek divinities often relied on power or trickery to get what they wanted from humans.
Greek and Norse mythology are two stories from different parts of the world with a number of similarities. These include but are not limited to:
– Norse mythology is believed to have been influenced by Greek mythology, so it may have been passed down orally from another culture.
– Zeus and Odin, Norse god of sky and war, respectively, share similarities. They both hold a high standing in their cultures’ religions – Odin has his royalty status while Zeus is king of Olympus – and have many symbols associated with them that later became symbols for the Roman empire including the lightning bolt and spear (although this could also be because they were based off the same Indo-European sky god). – Norse gods Odin and Freyr both control weather like Poseidon does in Greek mythology. – Norse gods Odin and Frey are known for gifting people with regalia, most notably the ring Draupnir which Odin gives to his son Thor and the ship Skidbladnir that Freyr gives to his servant Höðr.
– Both Norse and Greek mythology involve a great flood caused by wrathful deities. The Norse myth involves the Vanir god Heimdall who is reborn as a mortal after warning two humans of the flood whereas in Greek mythology it is Prometheus who warns Deucalion and Pyrrha of the flood caused by Zeus’ anger at their society’s sinfulness. – Norse gods Loki and Poseidon both cause problems for their respective groups of deities, such as when Loki tricks Zeus into not taking part in a contest and when Poseidon tries to overthrow Zeus. – Norse mythology is utilized heavily in Norse religion and Norse society whereas Greek mythology isn’t used for much more than tales of the past, so Norse influence may have made them similar.
– Norse gods Thor and Dionysus both wake up after drinking too much alcohol, with Thor vomiting out maggots and Dionysus spilling wine on an old woman’s clothes.
Greek myths tell us of the Olympian gods, their missions and personalities. Norse mythology is the collection of Norse legends about various mythological Norse deities, beings, and heroes.
Both Norse mythology and Greek mythologies contain stories about gods with both good and evil attributes.
Many heroes in Norse culture are common with those found in Greek culture; for example, Heracles (of Greek) better known as Hercules (Norse). But there are some qualities that set Norse apart from Greek…
One difference between Norse and Greek traditions is how each god interacts with mortals. The Norse gods are more hands on than the hands off nature of many of the Greek deities. While they have no problem making their presence known to humans, Norse deities will often disguise themselves and enter into battle with their foes in much closer proximity than the Greek gods.
Another important distinction between Norse and Greek mythologies is how Norse prized bravery in battle while Greeks favored intelligence. Norse men were expected to be honorable but that didn’t mean they were above falling prey to avarice, which was displayed through boisterous greed and aggressive behavior in combat. However, Norse culture didn’t reward wasteful gestures in war so if a fighter wanted great acclaim, he needed to show self-control when dispatching his enemies.
