Norse Mythology Vs. Greek Mythology

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 there are three basic non-human creatures: the gods, the titans, and the nymphs. In Norse mythology there are 5 main non-human creatures: the Aesir and Vanir (gods), the Jotnar (giants), the Ð"Ѓlfar (Ð"Ѓlfar), SvartÐ"ÐŽlfar (dark Ð"Ѓlfar), and the Valkyries. The Aesir and the Vanir are your basic extraordinary immortals, though in Norse mythology the gods were thought to be mortal, only kept immortal by eating the apples of Idun. However, they could be slain even if they ate the apples. The Jotnar were giants or the Norse equivalent to the Greek titans, but the Jotnar did not fight with the gods in a war like the titans did with the Greek gods. The Ð"Ѓlfar are lesser "gods" that control nature. Ð"Ѓlfar are viewed as "gods" of fertility due to their connection to nature (agriculture specifically); they're not actual gods in the sense it is used but more so magically inclined creatures. Finally are the SvartÐ"ÐŽlfar or commonly referred to as dwarves, trolls, dark Ð"Ѓlfar, or black Ð"Ѓlfar. The SvartÐ"ÐŽlfar aren't anything like the Ð"Ѓlfar; they are regarded as being small, disfigured people who dwell in mountains and mounds and hate the light. The SvartÐ"ÐŽlfar were master craftsman and made many things for the gods such as Thor's hammer (Mjollnir) a wall around Asgard (land of the gods) and countless rings. In Norse mythology they seem to have to "clans" or groups of gods, the Vanir and the Aesir. They don't appear to have any noticeable

differences. The Vanir are referred to as "lesser"