Norse vs. Greek Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Norse vs. Greek Mythology - Essay Example A comparison of creation myths can be very enlightening regarding the values and needs of the people who hold it. Two major cultures that had a great deal in common regarding their creation myths despite great differences in climate were the Greeks and the Norse. Overall, the creation myths and deity structure of the Greeks and the Norse served to place importance on the same basic elements of life. Both societies held a strong belief in the idea of fate. This concept was represented in both cultures by three female deities. In Norse mythology, these women were called the Norns and were considered demi-goddesses. They also had individual names including Urd (fate), Verdandi (necessity) and Skuld (being) (Lindemans, 1998). Together, they had the primary duty of caring for Yggdrasil, the world tree, which connected all the worlds together, but they also assisted with childbirth and helped determine the course of a person’s life path. The Greeks called their corresponding demi-goddesses the Fates and these women were more directly linked with the lives of men. Their individual names were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos (Saunders, 2009). Clotho spun the thread of life, so she was associated with birth and beginnings. The length of the yarn C lotho spun was decided by Lachesis and thus measured the path of a man’s life. However, it was up to Atropos to make the final cut that ended that life. Although the Norns and the Fates are considered lesser goddesses in both cultures, they are each given power over everything that exists and thus are considered a part of the grand scheme of creation. This importance can be seen in the myths of these cultures such as in the Voluspa in which the Norns come to Earth for the betterment of mankind and in the plays produced in Greece as characters.