God of Laughter: A Deity That Can Be a Friend or a Foe
The god of laughter in Greek mythology is named Gelos. He is the divine personification of laughter. He might not be a famous god compared to other gods like Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades, but Gelos has a different and unique power that can be used either in good times or bad times. As one of the comrades of Dionysus, god of wine and pleasure, he complements the mood in a gathering, whether it be a party, festival, or even giving honor or paying tribute to the other gods.
Find out more about Gelos and the different gods and goddesses of merriment in different versions of mythology.
Greek God of Laughter
The Greek god of laughter Gelos, pronounced as “je-los,” has a divine power that is really evident in the event of happiness and merrymaking. Together with Comus (Komos), the god of drink and revelry, and Dionysus, he can no doubt make the room free of sadness. As a foe and if you are within his reach, he can make people laugh so hard even in the midst of chaos, and he can make people suffer due to excessive laughter.
Is Gelos Good or Bad?
In his roman writer and Platonist philosopher Apuleius depicted how the public in Thessaly celebrated a festival each year in honor of Gelos, who favorably and affectionately accompanied every person who prompted and enacted his laughter. He will place continual joy on their countenance and never allow them to grieve. That’s where Lucius, the main character of the novel, can be seen surrounded by people who were laughing.
Gelos in Popular Culture
On the other hand, Gelos the god of laughter in DC or the Detective Comic Series was despised because of his laugh that can be heard roaring in the midst of the pain of people dying in battle. In Justice League version two number 44, Wonder Woman narrated that her mother, Queen Hyppolyta, loathed Gelos not because she doesn’t believe in laughter but because, like a shadow, she can hear his cackling or laughter following her across the battlefields and jeering at the dying men and women. Amazons in DC believe in joy, happiness, and love, but Gelos does not. That’s why he finds more joy and laughter when people are dying or in pain.
God of Spartans
Spartans were powerful warriors. Sparta was known as brutal militarized society in ancient Greece. They worship Gelos as one of their gods, and he even have his own sanctuary temple with a statue of him at Sparta. One of the reasons behind this was to help maintain the morale of warrior culture that even in the face of danger, it is best to be calm and collected by using humor. Laughter in the midst of battle of war was one of the Spartans’ strategy to win, which is in contrast to their origin known as brutal and militarized Greek people.
The Happy Gods
The names of god and goddesses are present in different pantheons or versions of mythology. The Roman god of laughter is names Risus, which is equivalent to Gelos in Greek mythology. Euphrosyne is a Greek god of happiness, joy, and cheer. This is a female version of the original word euphrosynos, which means “merriment.” She is one of the three sister goddesses known as Three Charites or Three Graces. She is known as the smiling one, bubbling with laughter together with Thalia and Aglaea. She is a daughter of Zeus and Eurynome, created to fill the world with pleasant moments and good will.
The Gods and Goddesses of Humor
There was an unpopular story of Demeter when her daughter Persephone was taken by Hades to the underworld. Demeter was mourning day and night, and nothing can change her mood. It caused everyone to be alarmed because, as the goddess of agriculture, Demeter’s grief is causing all of the expected farm and vegetation harvests to die as she cannot attend to her duties.
Demeter met Baubo in the city and refused to be consoled. After failing with small talk, Baubo lifted her skirt and exposed her vagina to Demeter. This gesture finally caused Demeter to crack smile that later turned into laugh. Baubo is the goddess of laughter or mirth. She is known as fun, lewd, and more sexually liberated.
The Three Graces
Aside of Euphrosyne, who is in charge of happiness, her other sister Thalia complements her sisters as the goddess of comedy or humor and idyllic poetry. The last sister, Aglaea, was venerated as the goddess of beauty, splendor, and charm. The three of them were known to be associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love and beauty, as part of her retinue.
Retinue of Dionysus
The followers or companions of Dionysus were called Satyr and Maenads. Maenads were the female followers of Dionysus, and their name means “mad” or “demented.” They performed frenzied ecstatic dances and were believed to be possessed by the god. Gelos is the one who leads the Satyr, aside from Comus. Along with being the god of drink and revelry, he is also a god of jokes who definitely will not run out of funny remarks while serving wine to Dionysus and to the public.
Differences Between Norse and Greek Gods of Laughter
There is no information on a Norse god of laughter who is equivalent to Gelos in Greek mythology. However, there is a certain story in Norse mythology about a giantess named Skadi who went to the kingdom of Asgard to avenge the death of her father Thjazi, who was killed by the gods or the Æsir. The conditions were to compensate for the death or for one of the gods to make her laugh.
Loki, who is best known as a trickster god, used his cunning to help the other gods get out of trouble. Although he sometimes creates his own trouble, he later fixes it. He tied one end of a rope to a goat and the other end around his testicles and began a game of tug of war. Loki endured every tug, turn, and howl until he fell over to the lap of Skadi, who could not help but chuckle and laugh.
Loki in Norse mythology and Gelos in Greek mythology are somewhat similar, but only to some degree. Loki as a god can definitely make anyone surrounding him laugh because of his tricky personality, but he is best known as a genderless shapeshifter.
He can be a friend or a foe, and he is a troublemaker. On the other hand, Gelos is innately given the power to make people laugh to the extent that their stomach will ache and they will start to gasp for air. Nevertheless, both are more given to the merry side of life rather than being serious like the other gods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is the Hindu god of Laughter?
A story goes that an elephant-headed Hindu god named Ganesha was created directly by the laughter of his father, Shiva. However, Ganesha is one of the Hindu gods being venerated up until this day because of his symbolism in removing obstacles and getting good luck, fortune, and prosperity.
Who Is the God of Humor?
Momus was the personification of satire and mockery in Greek mythology. In several works of literature, they used him as a critique of tyranny, but he later on became the patron of humorous satire, with the figures of comedy and tragedy. On stage, he became a figure of harmless fun.
Are Gelos and Joker the Same?
Most certainly not. Batman sat in The Mobius Chair, which gave him the ability to know anything there was to know in the universe, so he asked about the real name of the Joker. Batman finally had the answer to who Joker really was: a mere mortal man who has a family, and on top of that, there were two other joker identities: two clowns.
Conclusion
The god of laughter in Greek and Roman mythology are personified in similar ways but are known by different names compared to the Norse god of laughter and tricks, Loki. Both belong to the minor category of gods but have different stories and myths. Here are the few points about Gelos as a god and other gods and goddesses:
- Gelos was worshipped by the Spartans.
- Gelos was one of the Satyr or retinue of Dionysus.
- Gelos in other Greek mythology stories is different from the Gelos depicted in DC .
- Baubo is the goddess of laughter in Greek mythology.
- Euphrosyne is a goddess of happiness, together with her sisters Thalia and Aglaea.
The god and goddesses’ powers might overlap because of some similarities based on the specific roles given to them as deities. However, they have complementary roles when it comes to mankind. Being a god or goddess of laughter, jokes, comedy, revelry, or happiness, their role all boils down to giving a positive feeling to those surrounding them or even using laughter against their enemies.
