CREATION MYTHS: GREEK VS.
NORSE
Zeus, the King of Olympus.
War, in Greek myth, it is
considered as an inevitable
part of life.
Both are pre-determined; fated to
go to war and become a hero or kill
a giant and become a hero to
create the world, maintain order
and justice, and continue the wheel
of life.
Both has male ruler of Gods. Odin, the King of Agar.
Both relies on their
supernatural faculty to move,
do, and perform things.
 GREEK CREATION MYTH
Creation of the world out of
1 Patterns
chaos. Suddenly, divine beings
such as Erebus, Nyx, Eros, and
Gaea appeared, bringing the birth
of the universe.
Cronus castrated his father,
Uranus. From his blood and
genitals came the Giants, Tree
Nymphs, Erinyes, and Aphrodite.
Present with the heroic quest. The
journey of Zeus to fight for the
Olympian and his throne.
2 Motifs
SIMILARITIES
Humans and animals are non-
existence. They existed after divine
beings had been formed. God-like
creatures trigger the train of events
that created the world.
It involves a chief God
slaughtering a father/creator in
one form or another, and
something new comes out of it.
NORSE CREATION MYTH
Creation of the world out of
nothing but chaos. Abruptly, Ymir
came. The earth was created out
of Ymir’s (a primordial giant) body.
Odin and his brothers slew
Ymir and fashioned the cosmos
from his dismembered body
corpse.
Present with a sacrificial body.
A Giant Ymir was killed by Odin
and was sacrificed unwillingly
to create the cosmos.
Transformation. Odin and the
brothers transformed the body
of a Giant into nature, celestial
bodies, grubs, and turned them
into dwarves, trees, were also
transformed into a man and
woman.
 Heroic journey. Zeus display
astounding achievements of virtue,
honor, and strength.
Cronus ate his children to avoid
the prophecy of being overthrown
by them, and so, this fate would
not be fulfilled. Greeks run away
from their fate.
3 How do different
cultures explain
Greek Mythology explained the
beginning of the world
the beginning of through Consummation.
the world?
Love (Eros) formed between
Erebus and Night. They slept
together and created Day
and Light. Once there was
Day and Light, Gaea, the
earth, appeared.
In addition, Gaea, alone, gave birth
to Uranus. Gaea and Uranus mated,
and together they produced Titans,
Cyclopes, and Hecatoncheires.
Both forces are actions and choices
that maintain order in their
respective universes, suppressing
chaos and noble pursuit to reach a
desire.
Both mythologies present Fate,
Phorephecy, and Legacy but
responded differently.
Both Myths also extend the
explanation of the beginning of the
world by including Secretion.
Greek:
Uranus was castrated by
Cronus using flint sickle, and
from his split blood came the
Giants, the Ash Tree Nymphs,
and the Erinyes.
Norse:
Other giants like Ymir were
born from his own sweat. Buri
was born from Audumia’s
heat of tongue and breath
while licking salt from the ice.
Heroic sacrifice. Odin sacrificed his
one eye to gain enlightenment that
would give him the divine wisdom
of the world and reality.
Norse creatures are prepared to
meet their fates. They don’t try to
change their fate nor run away
from it.
Norse explained the beginning of the
world through a God who sacrifice
to create the cosmos. Henry Adams
Bellows (1936) wrote:
Out of Ymir's flesh | was
fashioned the earth,
And the ocean out of his
blood;
Of his bones the hills, |
of his hair the trees,
Of his skull the heavens
high.
 Greek gods are a large family
4 What are the because ancient Greeks believe
that Gods and Goddesses control
similarities and
everything in their lives and
differences in
environment.
your chosen
creation myths?
Uranus was overthrown by Cronus
and Cronus was overthrown by
Zeus.
Underworld; realms of departed
souls. Styx; boundary between
earth and underworld.
In Greek mythology there is
one allotted place for people to
go after death and once they
are there they stay there for all
eternity. 
The Gods did not create the
universe; rather they were created
by the universe.  wanted to give it an explanation.
There is no end of the world. The
Gods will always be on Mount
Olympus, ruling over the earth.  everything would be destroyed
In every myth, there is a presence
of divine beings and primordial
Gods. However, Greek Gods are
immortal while Norse Gods are not.
In both mythologies the rulers had
to overthrow the previous god.
Both mythologies had realms for
those who died, boundary
between earth (land of living) and
underworld.
Norse mythology and Greek
mythology have beliefs regarding
the afterlife.
Both mythologies wanted to
explain how the world began and
Both mythologies have a definite
end-view of the world they created.
Norse (Germanic) myths are
populated with evil giants, elves,
dwarfs, and monsters that heroes
—both divine and mortal—
challenge in combat.
Ymir was overthrown by Odin.
Hel; realm of departed souls.
Bifrost; realm (boundary)
between Asgard and Midgard.
In Norse mythology there are four
different places for the dead:
Folkvang, Valhalla, Helheim, and
Ran’s hall or the halls of Ran.
The Gods were responsible for
building the universe. 
There is a definitive end of the
world. In the end of the battle,
and all things on earth would
cease to exist.

Greek Gods are invincible and
5 What unique
cultural traits
unconquerable. They always
ensure victory in every battle.
are revealed in
myths?
Greek God, Zeus, upholds
standards of morality; right and
wrong actions but is committing
affairs.
Gods and goddesses were based
on human personality traits –
Love, Dignity, Honor, and Hatred.
Thus, it symbolizes the actions of
man. Greek Myth is giving us
lenses to view the existing life
before.
Flint sickle was used to kill Uranus
indicates violence.
Sinning requires punishment,
and to have justice, blood
begets blood, just as what
Cronus did to Uranus, his father.
People used to worship Gods and
Goddesses in a form of nature.
Both Gods have courage and
bravery and believe in different
ideologies in their respective
universes.
Both are Sky father and ruler of
all Gods.
Greek and Norse Gods were used
as a model /representation for
mortal humans to behave and act
rationally.
Obtaining power through use of
violence.
Maintains order and justice
Worshipping nature are part of
cultures and tradition.
Norse Gods know that they will be
defeated by evil forces. They are
accustomed to this belief that one
day they will be annihilated.
Odin, was the opposite of
Zeus. Odin seeks knowledge
and wisdom as much as
possible.
Revenge, wrath, and murder
are revealed in the story,
which are by-products of
humans’ irrationality,
immortality, and lack of
judgment.
The flood of blood coming through
the dead body of Ymir indicates
chaos and violence as to the point
that the abyss was filled with it,
and only two giants managed to
The golden cock is preventing
enemies from destroying Yggdrasil,
maintaining the peace and growth
of the tree.
The Tree of Life-Yggdrasil- is
significant to Norse people for it
gives life to the living and on earth.