Norse Mythology vs. Greek Mythology
There are many mythologies in the world, and all of these have things in common as well as differences. A very popular mythology would be Greek mythology, Which many people know about it or at least know of it. Another not as popular mythology is Norse mythology; Norse mythology is the religion of the Norse people. The Norse people are the ancient people of northern Europe (Scandinavia, Iceland, Denmark, Northern Germany etc.) (World Book 259).
A major difference between Norse mythology and Greek mythology are both cultures views of the after life and what happens there. In Greek mythology there is one allotted place for people to go after death and once they are there they stay there for all eternity. In Norse mythology there are four different places for the dead: Folkvang, Valhalla, Helheim, and Ran’s hall or the halls of Ran. Folkvang is the allotted area for your everyday warrior who fought and died and did nothing more. Valhalla is Odin’s hall where 800 of the bravest warriors go and train for the coming of Ragnarok (literally the ending of the gods or the end of the world) (Wikipedia online). Helheim is literally the house or home of Hel; Hel is the goddess of the “underworlds” Niflheim (land of fire and heat) and Helheim. Helheim is the place where one who didn’t die “gloriously”(Wikipedia online) or in battle goes, those who died from diseases, accidents, old age, etc. Ran is the goddess of the sea and the drowned. She is said to sink ships and collect the drowned in a net and take them to her hall where they dwell there. In Greek mythology they go to the underworld (or Hades) and they are then separated and either got to Tartarus (hell) or the Elysian fields (heaven) (World Book 257). Folkvang, Valhalla, Helheim, and The Halls of Ran are four separate areas in the world of Norse mythology where as Hades is one and Tartarus and the Elysian fields are two places within Hades. Also each place in Norse mythology is based on four different types of deaths, not by how you act (with the exception of Valhalla) but by how you died. Where as in Greek mythology there is a subconscious good and bad categorizing of your deeds and actions during your life rather than how you died.
Another difference is the creatures. In Greek mythology ...
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...lly, Ragnarok, or the end of the world, is the biggest difference between Norse mythology and most all mythologies including Greek. Ragnarok is the essential “end of the world” although no actual destruction of the world comes to pass during it. Ragnarok is a very detailed battle where all the warriors from Valhalla fight with Odin and the rest of the Aesir against the Jotnar and Loki (the god of trickery). This cannot be compared to anything in Greek mythology Because Greek Mythology doesn’t have an equeivalent to Ragnarok or anything close.
In conclusion Norse mythology and often forgotten mythology is very different from many mythologies. Proof being in large difference between Norse and Greek Mythology. Death isn’t judged by your actions but by how you died. There are many more magically inclined creatures. Also the end of the world which no other mythology that I am aware of has.
Works Cited
Keenan, Sheila. Gods, Goddesses, and Monsters: An Encyclopedia of World Mythology. New York: Scholastic, 2000.
Norse Mythology. (Online) Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_mythology
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"Teutonic Mythology." World Book. 2001 ed.
According to the Romans, people are sent to the River of Forgetfulness so they can reincarnate into another life. However, those who have acted badly in their lives do not have the option of reincarnation reincarnation, and, instead, must stay in perdition forever. The Blackfeet Indians believed in a ghost camp afterlife where all the dead went In the reading it did never say if good or bad people live there or if all dead people go there or only some; in this story there isn’t much information discussing the afterlife so I don’t really understand everything about what they thought would happen to you after death. The third myth is about what the Mantu think about the afterlife. In neither of the stories it really discusses much about it, the first myth the Man who would shoot Iruwa just talks about how the sun gods guard the underworld nothing more. In the second myth the girl who Wanted New Teeth all it talks about regarding the afterlife is that the chief, Imana brought back the woman’s children. One of the most interesting things in it was the egyptian mythology. It says once before entering the
This theme of death giving meaning to life is prevalent throughout the Odyssey. Hell is death, heaven is now, in life, in the field of time and action.
Harris, Stephen L., and Gloria Platzner. Classical Mythology: Images and Insights. 2nd ed. Mountain View: Mayfield, 1995
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Campbell, Joseph. A. A. The Mask of God: A Creative Mythology. New York: Viking Press, Inc., 1968.
Rosenburg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Third Edition. Chicago: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999. Text.
...s character, makes him one of the most interesting god in Norse mythology because he is comical, entertaining, and relatable, in a sense that he is neither all good nor all bad.
http://www.wsu.edu/delahoyd/classical.monsters.html>. Rosenberg, Donna. The Creation of the Titans and the Gods. World Mythology. 3rd ed.
The most common mythological theme across different cultures is the creation of humankind because everyone has always questioned how the earth was created and so forth. Creation myths are “usually applied to a mytho-religious story which explains the beginning of humanity, life, the earth and the universe as being the result of a deliberate act of supreme beings or being” ("Creation myths," 2007). Individuals from different cultures believe in a higher power known as God and they believe that the higher power is the creator of earth, animals and humankind, however each culture believe in different Gods but they all believe that God is the creator and that is the universal theme across different cultures.
"Norse Mythology: The Valkyries: The Chooser of the Slain." Norse Mythology. Accessed May 29, 2014. http://www.viking-mythology.com/valkyries.php.
Every ancient society and civilization has creation myths that were passed down and keep alive throughout the passing of time by word of mouth. These myths are the world’s oldest stories and are vital to these cultures because they explain their beginnings and give purpose to their existence. By analyzing and interpreting different creation myths it becomes easier to understand different cultures and their connections and relationships with heir beliefs and god(s).
The Vikings have garnered attention over the years not only for their raiding and trading, but also for the Paganist gods and religion. Similar to many other ancient civilizations, the Vikings leave behind many myths containing tales of their gods and their beliefs. Marvel’s 2011 film Thor serves as an introduction to Norse gods and mythology, but it does fall flat in term of accuracy and detail in certain areas. Despite various large and small-scale changes to its overall plot and characters, Thor has been well-adapted to portray Norse myths as best as possible within an existing Marvel franchise.
Essentially, there are three typical characteristics of mythology. Classic myths often include gods or supernatural heroes, are “closely linked to religion,” and “generally take place in a primordial age, when the world had not yet achieved its current form” (“Mythology” Wikipedia). Furthermore, myths provide an explanation for the existence of life and how the world came to be.
Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Illinois: Passport Books, 1988.
Both Norse and Chinese mythology have similarities when it comes to the creation of the universe and the titles of some of their gods. This is amazing since these two cultures were so far apart. Another thing that makes this incredible is the fact that the people of ancient China were very private people and are shrouded in secrecy.
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.