Best Mythology: Norse or Greek?

[LostInAnomie]

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Nothing holds up to Greek mythology

when it comes to depth, breadth, and development.

[LostInAnomie]

2. Norse eschatology kicks the shit out of Greek though.

Nothing beats Ragnarok.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Yeah, but what else has it got going for it?

[LostInAnomie]

5. Valhalla is a cooler concept of the afterlife than the Greeks have.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Valhalla over Hades?

Nah, I don't think so.

Valhalla's lame. Hades is totally brutal. Second only to Xibalba.

[LostInAnomie]

7. I was speaking more towards Elysium.

You can't tell me Valhalla does sound a shit load cooler that the Elysian Fields.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Tolkien didn't think so.

Studied that sort of stuff for a living, and still chose Elysium for his work.

[LostInAnomie]

9. Sure, it sounds more serene...

... but it's no where near as cool. The Norse "heaven" is the coolest of all positive afterlifes. Kicking ass during the day, then relaxing in a mead hall all night, all in preparation for Ragnarok. It doesn't get more awesome.

Beats the hell out of an afterlife being surrounded by pleasant streams and flowers.

[pokerfan]

21. Tolkien

Influence from Greek mythology is also apparent. The island of Númenor, for example, recalls Atlantis.<69> Tolkien even borrows the name "Atlantis" and reworks it into the Elvish name "Atalantë" for Númenor,<70> thus furthering the illusion that his mythology simply extends the history and mythology of the real world.<71>

Greek mythology also colours the Valar, who borrow many attributes from the Olympian gods.<72> The Valar, like the Olympians, live in the world, but on a high mountain, separated from mortals;<73> Ulmo, Lord of the Waters, owes much to Poseidon, and Manwë, the Lord of the Air and King of the Valar, to Zeus.<72> But the correspondences are only approximate; Tolkien borrows ideas from Greek mythology, but does not model the Valar and Maiar on Greek deities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien%27s_influences#Greek_mythology

But he also lifted Celtic, Norse, Anglo Saxon, Finnish, Welsh and Christian mythologies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien%27s_influences#Mythological_and_historical_influences

[Quantess]

3. Greek mythology is more culturally pervasive.

But Norse mythology is arguably cooler.
I'm not going to vote at the moment.

[EndersDame]

10. Ancient Egyptian ;Ra Ra Ra !

[AllenVanAllen]

11. I say Greek is better.

They have the cooler monsters.

[kentauros]

13. Plus, the cooler "nice" creatures:

And the cooler festivals, courtesy of Dionysus :D

[AllenVanAllen]

14. There ya' go.

:hi:

[Ikonoklast]

33. Some monster. Looks like Michelle Bachmann on a 'bad hair' day.

Norse, all the way to Ragnarok, baybeee!

[AllenVanAllen]

35. Comparing Michelle Bachmann to Medusa

is a slight to Medusa. x(

[proteus_lives]

12. Tough one.

But I'm going with Greek. I read the Greek myths book to tatters when I was a boy.

[Euromutt]

34. I'm with you on that one

I'm going with Greek too, but it's a tough call.

[Bucky]

15. All you hellophiles can eat it. For sheer durability, the Norse gods lived on 1000 years longer

The Greeks pretty much gave up on their gods the second Emperor Constantine came along. They were all like "Laters, Zeus. We got the mono now." But the Varangians were still rockin' Odin vibe well into the middle ages. Based on that road test alone, Valhalla kicks Olympus's ass.

[kentauros]

20. Yeah, but as far as "staying power" within the minds of the majority

the Greek stories are still being told and used for movies and what have you. Ask any average educated person which mythology they are more familiar with and most are going to say the Greeks.

For example, look at the results in this thread alone ;)

[Odin2005]

29. Trolls, dwarves, elves, fairies, and orcs are Germanic.

Guess what dominates popular culture? :)

[kentauros]

32. Germanic isn't Nordic

last I checked ;)

And you'll also find mermaids, Pegasus, Heracles (Hercules), and centaurs in popular culture. Think Narnia or Xena for example :)

[Odin2005]

38. But Nordic is Germanic.

Nordic is just the best-preserved example of Germanic mythology :)

[kentauros]

39. Yet it's all reconstructed, per JVS.

So, I'll defer to his knowledge base ;)

[Odin2005]

43. So is Graeco-Roman mythology as popularly conceived.

What we call "Graeco-Roman mythology" is a synthesis of the various myths found in the civilization's various city-states, this synthesis came into being when few people really believed the old Paganism anymore and it was being overtaken by Eastern cults like Mithraism and Christianity.

[kentauros]

46. You'll have to argue that point with JVS

as I deferred to his knowledge base.

I still prefer Greek over Nordic. Plus, it's a helluva lot warmer climate :D

[MorningGlow]

16. Other: Celtic

The Mabinogion kicks ass.

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. +1

[HEyHEY]

17. how has JVS not weighed in on this yet?

[JVS]

27. Because I'm just reading it now!

[cloudbase]

19. Other.

Compassionate conservatism.

[rcrush]

22. Klingon

Ancient Klingon warriors killed their gods a millenia ago.

[proteus_lives]

36. And they still sing of the battle in Sto-Vo-Kor!

Now pass the Blood Wine!

[Odin2005]

23. Norse! So sayeth the One-Eyed God of Wisdom!

:evilgrin:

Norse cosmology and eschatology is fucking awesome!

The Volpusa is one of the most incredibly haunting pieces of mythological literature.

[TK421]

25. I wouldn't have expected that sentiment from you!!!! Oh no I didn't!

;)

[Odin2005]

28. BWAHAHAHA!!!

:evilgrin:

[Odin2005]

31. On a related note, Greek "Zeus", Latin "Jupiter" and Germanic "Tyr" come from the same root.

Proto-Indo-European "Dyeus Pəkhter", meaning "Father Heaven" Odin (Proto-Germanic "Wodenaz" Old English "Wodan", as in Wednesday) only replaced Tyr (Proto-Germanic "Tiwaz", Old English "Tiw", as in Tuesday) as top god only during the Migration Period (the 400s AD).

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. Indian

[Bryan]

26. Does it have to be one or the other?

I think it's more fun to have both.

/nyud.net:8090

[JVS]

30. Greek wins because all we have left of Norse is reconstructed.

Since our paper trail starts with Snorri (ca. 1200) which is 200 years after Icelandic Christianization, and his goal was not so much a preservation of the Norse cosmology as providing a Old Religion For Dummies (ok. actually, not dummies, but rather poets) in order that skaldic verse be able to be understood and composed, there could very well be some differences between Norse religion as described and religion as practiced. At least for the Greek mythology there is exist authentic texts about the deities that actually were written by people who could give first hand accounting for the cults by which they were worshipped.

[Skittles]

37. Norse

because I am half Norwegian :7

[Dogtown]

40. Haitian Vodun

Fascinating panoply.

[frogmarch]

41. Both are interesting, but

I am drawn more to Greek mythology.

My latest statue:



Pan encouraging Psyche not to give up on Eros after he dumped her.

[Odin2005]

44. That's some excellent sculpture there!

:D

[frogmarch]

45. I think so too. :-)

It's even more attractive in person. Very detailed. I bought it at http://abaxion.com/ in the Statues (Gods, Goddesses, Gargoyles, Wizards, Dragons, Fairies & More!) section. :-)

[MrSlayer]

42. I like both but prefer Greek.

Greek is just better.