human frailties and flaws. In this way they created gods that had similarities with the common man in the society. This made the gods more tangible and easier to identify with. I think that this was necessary because they were not yet at the societal maturity level to have a single god on a cosmic plane. 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.ASGARDAsgard is sometimes known as Asgarth. It is the realm of the gods and the home of both the Aesir and Vanir. Is is ruled by Odin, the leader of the Norse deities. It is located in the heavens, but is connected to earth by a bridge, known as Bifrost, sometimes referred to as a rainbow. There is also a route from Asgard to the underworld, the domain of Hel. Valhalla, a hall within Asgard, was the palace for fallen kings, warriors who had died in battle and heroes. MT. OLYMPUSMount Olympus was the home of the Greek gods. It was chosen as their home because of its altitude, for Zeus, the king of the gods, was associated with the sky. Within the mythology, Mt. Olympus was large, foreboding and of considerable elevation, but the real Mt. Olympus is little more than a hill. DIRECT COMPARISONThe comparisons between Asgard and Mt. Olympus are many. Both are in the sky or heavens. In this sense, these mythologies are somewhat similar to understandings of "heaven" in later religions, which is often visualized as being above the earth. However, both Asgard and Mt. Olympus have direct connections with the earth (via the bridge or up the slopes of the mountain.) This connectedness to the realm of man is again another example of the needed tangibility of the gods by these peoples.Both Asgard and Mt. Olympus were r...
