A Comparison of Greek and Norse Mythology Essay - 1770 Words

Hundreds of years ago people did not have the technology to explain different forces of nature. They created gods, each with separate powers, to rule their domains. Some of the gods were merciful, some were wicked, and others were merely servants of more powerful gods. Looking at the gods, it is easy to tell what the civilization most valued. I am going to look at the Greek and the Norse gods to compare what was most important to their societies. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Both cultures had a king of the gods. In Greek mythology there is no god who is more powerful than Zeus. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, ruler of the Titans. Cronus was told that one of his children would overthrow him, taking control of his kingdom. To†¦show more content†¦Odin only has one eye; it blazes like the sun. He gave his other eye for a drink from the Well of Wisdom. Odin has a spear, Gungnir, that never misses its target. He owns an eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, two wolves, Geri and Freki, and two raven, Huginn and Muninn. Wednesday is named after him (pantheon/odin). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The main similarity between these two is that they are the king of the gods. Another is that they both value wisdom. Zeus is more focused on law, Odin’s focus is on war. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Hades is one of the brothers of Zeus. He is the unlucky one who got to rule the underworld. He is cruel and unforgiving. Only two have ever gone to Hades domain and returned, Hercules and Odysseus. Hades fell in love with Zeus’s daughter and devised a plan to abduct her. With Zeus’s help they succeeded in the capture of Persephone. Her mother Demeter was so enraged she cursed the Earth. She continued the curse even after she was released. It was only after her mother Rhea was allowed to see her that she let the Earth prosper (message). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In Norse mythology, Hel is know as the queen goddess of the underworld. She was raised on Asgard but later she was given the underworld to rule. She decides the fate of those who die, the ones who die in battle are allowed to go to Valhalla, and all others go to Hel’s domain. She was born with her skeleton on the outside of her body. She was said to be born half black and halfShow MoreRelatedNores vs. Greek Essay5576 Words   |  23 PagesNores vs. Greek Greek mythology and Roman mythology are almost identical. This is an accepted fact, as it is widely known that the Romans stole the Greek myths. However, it is very interesting to note that the mythology of the Vikings (Norse) has many similarities with the Greek myths. These myths are, by no means, identical to the Greek ones (like the Roman ones are), but there are very distinct commonalities between the two. I see two possible reasons for this besides pure coincidence. Read MoreComparing The Greek Mythology And The Cherokee1053 Words   |  5 Pagesthroughout the ages. But it is plain to see there is some overlap between ideas on how everything was made. Take the Greek Mythology, the most popular and well known type of mythos, has connections to other cultures like Nordic and Native American. But of course, each story has their own twist or other idea to it, as well. There are quite a few similarities between the Greeks stories of creation and the Cherokee. In both stories, before anything could be created, water had been everywhere, andRead MoreThe Creation of Gods667 Words   |  3 Pages The Creation of Gods To every mythology, there has to be a beginning. Mythology is stories that can bring that hero look to kids or even adults. The story of the gods, even the leader or the strongest god has a weakness, also every god has a father and a mother that created them. Nobody, knows how they were created, but that is why this essay, or story was created. Zeus was born by the titans Cronus and Rhea. Cronus was evilly known for being a very jealous and greedyRead MoreComparisons of Creation Myths Essay2092 Words   |  9 Pagesdescribe the tales of courageous and important men and women throughout history. Creation myths in particular define how the Earth itself was created, along with the universe, heavens, hell, people, and creatures that exist today. Genesis of Christian mythology, for instance, tells the story of how the single deity God spoke and formed everything from day and night to man and woman. Various African creation myths, such as with the Yoruba, explain the creation of the Earth through at least a couple godsRead More Mythology Essay887 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"To some extent, mythology is only the most ancient history and biography. So far from being false or fabulous in the common sense, it contains only enduring and essential truth, the I and you, the here and there, the now and then, being omitted . Either time or rare wisdom writes it.† -nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Henry David Thoreau (1849) Every culture has evolved its own mythology, defining its character and offering a way to understand the world. Myths of every culture reveal the powerRead MoreHistory of Ancient Celtic Society Essay819 Words   |  4 Pagesmaker, but rather law applier. Their religion and believes also differ from those of today. They had a polytheistic religion which included the existence of more than one divine-being just like Greek or Norse mythology. Women were prominent in the society, they had more rights than that time Roman and Greek women did. They lived on better conditions than most of the modern world women live today. They went to fight in the battle while other society’s women looked after their children, cleaned theirRead MoreDeath Of The Ancient World2949 Words   |  12 Pagescultures the dead were tended the same way. You would never notice these similarities, because the rites and meanings are so different, leading me to the conclusion it wasn’t all culture. Environment plays a small role but it was insignificant, in comparison to religion. Religion or the lack thereof was what made these death rites so different and distinctive. Religion affects the practices and different rituals surrounding how the dead are laid to rest in the ancient world as we see in Beowulf, theRead MoreObject And Purpose Of The Study2152 Words   |  9 Pagesunder the Criminal Laws of India to safeguard the Victims? 4. Does the constitution of India provide protection to the victims? 5. What is the current situation of victims of crime at each stage of the criminal justice process in India in comparison to international standards? 6. Are there laws to protect the victims of crime? 7. What is the role of judiciary in sensitization of the people in understanding the Victimology? 8. What are the necessary steps to provide assistance to crimeRead MoreEmersons Self Reliance5249 Words   |  21 Pagesyoung people, whose greatest fear is failure, he levels his complaint especially at urban, educated youths, unfavorably comparing them with a hypothetical farm lad, who engages himself in many occupations largely self-taught and entrepreneurial. The comparison between the city youths and the country fellow is to be expected given the quality of life Emerson traditionally assigns to each environment. Of no surprise is his favoring the bucolic life. Emerson now focuses on four social arenas in which self-reliantRead MoreDomestic Dogs3705 Words   |  15 PagesIntelligence and behavior * 6.1 Intelligence * 6.2 Behavior * 6.3 Dog growl * 7 Differences from wolves * 7.1 Physical characteristics * 7.2 Behavioral differences * 7.3 Trainability * 8 Mythology * 9 Gallery of dogs in art * 10 See also * 11 References * 12 Bibliography * 13 External links | Etymology and related terminology Dog is the common use term that refers to members of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris