Greek Gods vs Norse Gods: Know the Differences Between both Deities
Greek gods vs Norse gods comparison has always fascinated scholars and literature enthusiasts for centuries. Their similarities and differences make an exciting and compelling study as one understands the culture and beliefs of the Greeks and Scandinavians.
Some of the Norse gods include Odin and Thor, while the Greeks worshipped gods like Zeus and Apollo. Discover the other gods of the Greek and Norse pantheon together with their powers, similarities and differences.
Greek Gods vs Norse Gods Comparison Table
| Features | Greek Gods | Norse Gods |
| Lifespan | Immortal | Mortal |
| Morality | Immoral | Moral |
| Strength and Power | More powerful | Less powerful |
| Rulership | Ruled alone | Ruled alongside the Vanir gods |
| Fate | Could interfere with fate | Couldn’t interfere with fate |
What Are the Differences Between Greek Gods and Norse Gods?
The major difference between the Greek gods vs Norse gods is their lifespan; Greeks had immortality, but Scandinavian gods were mortal. According to Norse mythology, most of their gods perished at Ragnarok while the Greek deities ruled forever. Also, Greeks are more powerful than Scandinavian gods.
What Are the Greek Gods Best Known For?
The Greek gods are best known for overthrowing the Titans in the family tree and establishing their rule over the cosmos forever. In addition, they are also known to have contact and even affair with humans, and how their nature looked like humans.
The Origin of the Greek Gods
The Greeks gods were the children of the Titans Cronus and his sister-wife, Gaia. The Titans had descended from the primordial deities and came to rule the cosmos when Cronus overthrew his father, Uranus. Therefore, Uranus cursed Cronus that his son would overthrow him just as he did to him. To stop the given prophecy from being fulfilled and to cement his rule for eternity, Cronus swallowed all his children by Gaia.
Fed up with her husband’s activities, Gaia decided to save her last son by hiding him. She then swaddled a rock and gave it to Cronus, pretending it was a new baby. Cronus fell the trick and swallowed the rock. Thus, Gaia saved her son and sent him to live on the island of Crete. Zeus grew up and forced Cronus to throw up all his siblings he had swallowed.
Zeus and his siblings became known as the Olympian gods because they resided on Mount Olympus. The Olympian gods banded together and overthrew the Titans in a 10-year war called the Titanomachy. With the help of the Hecantochires (also known as 100 hands), the Olympian gods were incarcerated in Tartarus. Zeus and his siblings now established control over the cosmos, making him the king of the Greek pantheon.
The Greek Gods Are Popular for Their Power and Immortality
The Greek writers gave their gods great powers and ensured their deities were immortal, though they could be immobilized or in certain cases dismembered. A Greek god was powerful enough to face an entire army of mortals and still emerge victorious.
Zeus remained the most powerful of the deities – his thunderbolts and flashes of lightning proved effective when the Titans came for revenge. His power ensured that he maintained order and sanity within the pantheon and the cosmos.
Greek mythology contains several stories of the gods facing each other in competitions and battles but they have never killed each other. For instance, during the Trojan War, the Greek deities took sides and faced off in battle. Poseidon, Apollo, and Aphrodite fought on the side of the Trojans while Hera, Thetis, and Athena sided with the Greeks. During the war, the gods could only immobilize each other but couldn’t do permanent harm or kill.
In the mythology of the founding of Athens, Poseidon and Athena faced stiff competition to determine who the city should be named after. This is when Poseidon went first by hitting a rock with his trident and out-flowed sea water which he gave as a gift to the Athenians.
On the other hand, Athena produced an olive tree which was more beneficial to the Athenians than seawater, thus Athena got the bragging rights to the city. If the gods had been allowed to fight, there would’ve been little to no outcome as both deities are extremely powerful.
The Greek Deities Interfered With Fate
The Greek gods had a penchant for interfering with fate albeit with the knowledge that they couldn’t alter it because Zeus wouldn’t let them. Zeus had the final authority and he made it his mission to ensure that whatever was fated to happen came to pass. The Greeks were fated to win the Trojan War and despite the best efforts of Aphrodite and Apollo, the Trojans suffered defeat and destruction. Although Paris started the Trojan War, he wasn’t destined to die during it, thus Aphrodite came to his rescue just when Menelaus was about to kill him.
In the Odyssey, a prophecy was foretold that Odysseus would survive the long journey from Troy to his home, Ithaca. Though he suffered numerous accidents on the journey perpetrated by Poseidon, Odysseus finally got to his destination alive. Even in the origin myths of the deities, Cronus was fated to be overthrown by his offspring Zeus and though he tried, he couldn’t fate from taking its course.
The goddesses in charge of fate were known as the Moirae and were three in number – Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. These deities determined the fate of humans by weaving the time and events of every man.
There’s even a time when they cut off the thread or clothes, the life of that individual comes to an end, and nothing can be done to change it. The Moirae are known to have great power, and even Zeus can do nothing to change their minds or alter fate.
The Greek Gods Were Notorious for Their Sexual Affairs
The Greek mythologies contain significant stories of the gods and goddesses seducing and sleeping with humans. The most notorious of them is Zeus, who has numerous offspring due to his penchant for sleeping with gods and goddesses.
Some of the offspring of the deities were blessed with exceptional beauty and strength as in the case of Heracles, while others like the Cyprian centaurs were born deformed. The deformed ones were usually a result of punishment for a misdeed or retribution for cheating.
According to one myth, the Cyprian centaurs were born when Zeus spilled his semen on the floor in frustration after Aphrodite deceived him. The Cyprian centaurs had horns which differentiated them from the mainland centaurs.
In some cases, the gods’ sexual affairs led to their disgrace, as illustrated by Ares and Aphrodite, who was the wife of Hephaestus. When Hephaestus realized that his wife was sleeping with Ares, he set a trap for them.
He then assembled all the gods to look at Ares and Aphrodite after the net had trapped them. However, some affairs involving mortals led to their death, as in the case of Semele, the mother of Dionysus.
When Hera heard that her husband, Zeus, was cheating on her, she transformed into an old nurse and convinced Semele to let Zeus appear in all his splendor. After several pleadings, Zeus obliged Semele’s request and revealed himself, killing him.
What Are the Norse Gods Best Known For?
The Norse gods’ are best known for how they belonged to two powerful clans – Vanir and Aesir. The Aesir are known as the main gods, and they live in the realm of Asgard and the Vanir, known as fertility gods, dwell in Vanaheim.
Norse Battle Between the Aesir and the Vanir
Unlike the Greeks deities, the Scandinavian gods don’t have a succession myth like the Olympians succeeding the Titans. As already discovered, the Norse deities belonged to two different clans with different origins who resided in different places. The two clans sometimes fought each other, came to agreements, and traded hostages. One war worthy of note is the war that brought equality between the Aesir and the Vanir.
The Vanir wanted equal status with the Aesir so they sent their representative Gullveig to Asgard, the land of the Aesir. However, Gullveig was treated with contempt and tortured which angered the Vanir. Thus, they asked the Aesir to make amends for Gullveig’s treatment by sending money or granting equal status. The Aesir refused both requests and instead chose to go to war with the Vanirs.
The Vanir were known for their use of magic while the Aesir were popular for their strength and brute force. The war went on for several years until both sides realized that they were not making any progress. At last, both clans sat down and came to an agreement that they would rule the cosmos alongside each other. To cement their agreement, they exchanged leaders; Njord and Freyr from the Vanir went to live with the Aesir while the Aesir let Honir and Mimir live with the Vanirs.
The Norse Gods Rarely Mated With Humans
The Scandinavian gods are famous for living with humans and even dining with them but they rarely mated with humans. Though demigods exist in Norse mythology, they are of a not male-human union as predominant in Greek mythology. Instead, demigods are offspring of gods and Jotunns also known as giants. For instance, the demigod, Saemingr, is the son of Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon, and his partner Skadi, a giantess.
Another notable demigod is Bragi, also a son of Odin and the giantess Gunnlod. Although the sources don’t mention Bragi as a son of Odin, scholars have deduced that since Bragi was a god of poetry, it wasn’t far-fetched to assume that his father was Odin who was also a god of poetry.
Secondly, Odin’s mother who was mentioned explicitly was the guardian of the poetry mead. The other demigod, Sleipnir, is the child of Loki and the giant horse, Svadilfari.
However, one myth stands out which may record the mating of a divine being and a mortal. According to the story of Rigsthula, there was a man known as Rig who slept with three different married women in one night. After nine months, the women gave birth to three sons: Praell, Karl, and Jarl. Some scholars claim the name Rig is another name for the god Heimdall, if that assertion is through then that’ll be a case of a Norse god sleeping with mortals.
FAQ
Who Would Win Norse or Greek Gods of War?
Comparing both mythologies, Greek gods appear stronger and possess more divine powers than their Norse counterparts. Also, the Greek gods are immortals while the Norse gods are mortal. Thus, the Greek deities of war will win this one.
What Are the Similarities Between Greek and Norse Mythology?
One similarity is that both mythologies have polytheistic gods who were responsible for every aspect of life. Another is that both civilizations had one deity that served as the head of the respective pantheons.
What Is the Difference between Greek Gods and Egyptian Gods?
The Greek gods are more powerful and aesthetically pleasing and look so much like humans with their facial and physical features than the Egyptian gods. On the other hand, the Egyptian gods, have the appearance of animals, like the head of a cat, or an eagle.
What Is the Difference Between Greek Gods vs Roman Gods?
The main difference between the two groups of deities is that the Greek gods are older than the Roman gods.
Conclusion
The Greek vs Norse gods article has distinguished the similarities and differences between the two groups of deities. The Greek deities are immortal but have low morality while the Scandinavian counterparts won’t live forever but have high morals.
The Greek gods’ divine power, dominion, and immortality separates them from the Norse gods who seemed less powerful and were mortals. On the other hand, the Greek deities appear stronger with exaggerated abilities than their Scandinavian counterparts. However, they all have a chief god who maintains order in the cosmos.
I still like the norse gods my favorite is Odin or Waden(All Father)