Similarities Between Norse and Indian Myths

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

A comparative study of mythology is essential for understanding the specifics of cultural and historical areas in the ancient world. Mythology was not only an arsenal for literature but also a direct predecessor of religious and philosophical thought. Moreover, the evolution of myth-making reflected the main stages of ancient societies development. The creation and use of mythology helped people conceptualize the surrounding reality (Agee 4). Thanks to it, they could explain any phenomena and events of the world. In addition, myths about the creation and death of the universe helped people fight a sense of uncertainty. They could be guided by life principles that could benefit their afterlife. The purpose of this paper is to compare Norse and Indian myths about universe creation, death, and rebirth.

Main body

Norse mythology seems to be slightly more straightforward than Indian. According to the Norse myths, at first, nothing existed, and later two worlds, cold and hot, arose immediately. After their creation, giants, gods, and then people were born. All these creatures are of different sexes, which probably indicates the desire of people to create complete mythology. In Indian mythology, the world is also a product of two opposing elements: water and fire. Nevertheless, the very origin of water (the only matter that existed initially) is not explained. When the two elements collided, the Golden Egg appears. This is the egg that gave birth to Brahma, who created all other living beings. Interestingly, the mythology of India gives motives to his actions: realizing that he is alone, he decided to create a company for himself. This explains one of the universal human feelings: the fear of being alone.

In Norse mythology, much attention is paid to the end of the world: Ragnarok. Various characters were invented for it, and the entire course of the battle between the gods and the forces of evil is described. People who believed in these myths knew precisely who would kill whom and what the consequences of the battle would be. Undoubtedly, the last war cannot pass without a trace, so its result will be the destruction of the Earth. However, after it is destroyed and plunged into the sea, it will be reborn and become as prolific and pure as it was before the settlement of people and gods. It is likely that this myth reflects the awareness of the harmful human influence on the planet. Probably, ancient people already understood this tendency at that time.

In the mythology of India, the end of the world is presented in a completely different way. The main idea is that everything that happens on Earth is Brahmas day. At this time, the creator of the universe does not sleep; he is just reflecting. His day lasts thousands of human years, so people have time for life. However, when Brahma goes to bed, the night of Brahma begins. At this moment, the entire existing universe disappears until Brahma wakes up and recreates everything. One can note a clear difference between the two mythologies: in the Norse events develop more linearly, and the Indian is very cyclical. Norse mythology does not provide knowledge of what will happen after the rebirth of the Earth, and in Indian, everything is predetermined.

Conclusion

Thus, in Norse and Indian mythologies, there are both common features and significant differences. The difference between them is due to the radically different cultural characteristics of countries. However, they partly converge in some aspects that help people better understand the world around them. The presence of myths gives human life meaning, and people look more calmly at the past and the future of the world.

Work Cited

Agee, Jennifer. Systematic Mythology: Imagining the Invisible. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2018.

Click Here To Order Now!

Similarities Between Norse and Indian Myths

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)