Brandon Bonaby
Professor Stefanie Ketley
INDS-1059-01
05 August 2014
How both Zeus and Odin’s similar qualities Show their lack of leadership abilities
There are many similarities and differences between Greek and Norse mythology, however none can be seen any bigger than those between the Greek God Zeus and the Norse God Odin. Both are depicted as strong bearded men of authority, who reign over their realm without equal and above all else is seen as the strongest of all the Gods in their respective mythology. However they were both not without fault as leaders but even so, followers of these two mythologies all praised , listened and sacrificed to both Zeus and Odin without hesitation and sometimes even if it meant their immediate death.
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There is no greater case of Zeus’ poor leadership than the rape of the innocent Europe who ended up bearing three of Zeus children.
Odin on the other hand even though more discreet than Zeus did his devious deeds on the sly and in ways that others could not see. One such occasion would be in the Eddic peom Vafþrúðnismál when Odin disguised himself as an old man and asked the giant Vafthruthnir to a game to test who is the wisest, with the loser having to offer up their head. Ultimately to beat the giant Odin asked the question "What did Odin say in Baldur 's ear before he was borne upon the pyre?”. Only Odin would know the answer to this question and so here we see Odin actually cheated in order to gain a victory over the giant rather than admit defeat. For a leader of Odin’s statue to stoop as low as to cheat is a foul trait for any leader to emulate. In addition to this the story of the Mead of the Scalds is another important way that Odin’s devious ways were similar to Zeus’. In the story Odin facilitated the death of nine slaves, manipulated an unsuspecting Giant named Baugi, “won Gunnloth’s heart” using her for three nights then ultimately stealing the mead away from her through deception and returning to Aesir to brag ( Mortensen ,125-126). These various actions from a leader who is supposed to be “wise” seem very hypocritical, in the sense that a wise leader shouldn’t have to go to such length of deceit and manipulation to
To begin the comparison of the two myths, one must look at both the similarities and the differences. To write the myth both poets need help from the Gods, however, the Gods just appear to Hesiod, thus making the Gods in control and the Gods are asked to help by Ovid, thus putting
Although Zeus and Thor are alike in many ways, such as their physical appearances and the fact that they are both the god of thunder, their role in mythology is completely different. For example, Zeus is the ruler of men and all gods, while Thor is the protector of men and all gods. Although these roles may sound similar, they are very different. Additionally, Thor loves his father, while Zeus wants to kill his father. Thor’s father, Odin, holds a deep respect for him and appreciates him. On the other hand, Zeus’ father, Cronus, wanted to eat him to get his power. Finally, Zeus has lightning bolts that he can throw down to Earth, while Thor has a hammer that gives him strength.
The supreme ruler and king of gods, Zeus, is often mentioned as Jupiter and the sender of thunder, lightning, rain, and wind (Britannica.com). “Zeus was the first of the gods and a very imposing figure. Often referred to as ‘the father of gods and men,’ he is a sky god who controls lightning.” (Britannica.com) Although the god is labeled most powerful and the mightiest of all, he is not perfect. Zeus is known for his promiscuous action. Often times he fell in love with one woman after the other and attempted to disguise his infidelity from his wife. Zeus left no woman behind in his crazy love-life, the god married and had children with his sister, Hera and. Hera was not Zeus’ only siblings. He also had two brothers, Poseidon and Hades and another sister named Hestia. His parents are known as Cronus and Rhea. Zeus was not just handed the title “god of the sky,” instead him and his two brothers drew lots. The sea was given to Poseidon, the underworld to Hades, and Zeus was named lord of the sky, rain god, and cloud gatherer. The eagle is considered sacred to this god. Zeus also treasures the oak tree. It is often told that the gods will was revealed by the rustling of the oak tree. (Hamilton 27)
The next comparison between two stories is that of Norse mythology and Greek mythology. Both stories have very similar ideas and ways of telling their stories of how their world came into being. Norse has their giants, who gave birth to the original three gods that created Midgard. The Greeks have the Titans who bore the Greek gods who overthrew them as well to control the Earth. Both myths contain the presence of creatures in their stories, beasts who helped shape their respective worlds to move the culture’s creation stories further along. Creatures within these worlds would be the dwarves, the serpent Nidhogg, and demons of Norse myth and the Cyclopes, the furies, and Typhon of Greek origin Furthermore, the children of some of these creatures were divines, who ended up overthrowing their elders to lead the creation of their own worlds, to rule over their own creations as well. And speaking of the world, both myths have multiple layers to their
Every country has its own mythology, bringing purpose for life. Norse and Egyptian Mythology are two excellent examples. Norse Mythology was brought up by Vikings and is told throughout areas such as, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, etc. Egyptian Mythology is told in Egypt and was brought up by Pharaohs. Norse and Egyptian Mythology are very different from one another, but are both myths that were told for centuries, and are to be told for centuries more.
In ancient Greek Myths, the description of Zeus’ character can range from a heroic leader to that of a vile dictator, depending on the author’s intention. This contrast is especially noteworthy when comparing Hesiod’s Theogony with Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, as Zeus is presented as the world’s protector in the former, while he is portrayed as selfish and ruthless in Aeschylus’ tale.
Zeus’ most significant and well known power was the ability to hold lightning bolts. He could throw them like a javelin at people or gods that did not please him or defied him. He had his winged horse Pegasus carry his lighting bolts and had his eagle pick them up after he threw them. That was not his only power however, Zeus had the ability to control the weather with his temper. When he was in a happy mood the skies would be
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.
“The supreme deity of Greek mythology has his lusty, tempestuous story recast in engaging fashion by Stone”(ProQuest). Zeus was thought of as the father of gods and men. While he did not make them, he protected them, and therefore was considered a father to them. He ruled over the sky and air, and controlled everything that happened in his domains from his throne on Mount Olympus. To gain his throne, he overthrew his father, Cronos, with the help of his siblings, and then dividing up the realms between him and his two elder brothers. Zeus became lord of the sky and rain, Poseidon took the title lord of the sea, and Hades became ruler of the underworld. He then banished his father to the shadowy Tartarus in the underworld. Zeus was the most
Greek mythology and Roman mythology both have an importance in both ancient history and the modern world. People often confuse the two and mistake them for each other. They may be similar on paper but they are very different. Greek mythology is more original, had a bigger influence on the ancient people, and has a bigger influence on the modern world.
There is a wicked side to Odin. He can be erratic and at times abuse his power by causing or initiating wars. This has surfaced with many rulers throughout history. If Odin were to be compared to a
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Although Zeus had a dozen of love affairs he created a “union” wit Hera that resulted in four children. Arguments soon began to arise between Zeus and Hera and became a part of their daily lives. Zeus continued to have one affair after another with different goddesses. Hera could not punish Zeus for
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Most of the comparisons will be examining the similarities between major Greek and Norse gods, as well as creatures, stories and specific symbols which are featured in the mythologies. Some of the gods do not have direct counterparts (Thor, Athena and Loki). However, I will provide possible similarities within the respective mythologies.