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MYTH AND LEGEND Hierarchy of the Gods

EVAN HAAS author of this PDF transcription 7th December 2018

Abstract

This page, “Hierarchy of the Gods,” outlines the different structures and chains of command of the different gods of the Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologies. The intent of this page is to show the differences as well as the similarities between the kinds of dieties that we observe in all three of these mythologies.

Contents

Contents i

1 Hierarchy of the Greek Gods 1

2 Roman Religious Hierarchy 2

3 The Hierarchy and Structure of the Norse Gods 3

i

1 Hierarchy of the Greek Gods

Zeus- God of the Sky

Poseidon- God of the Sea

Hades- God of the Underworld

Apollo- God of Archery, Music, Poetry, Prophecy, Medicine and later on, the Sun

Ares- God of War

Hermes- God of Roadways, Travelers, Merchants and Thieves

Hephaestus- God of Blacksmiths and Fire

Dionysus- God of Wine

Aphrodite- Goddess of Love and Beauty

Artemis- Goddess of the Moon, the Hunt and Young Maidens

Hera- Goddess of Marriage, Mothers and Families

Athena- Goddess of Wisdom, War and Useful Art

Hestia- Goddess of the Hearth

Demeter- Goddess of Agriculture

Persephone- Goddess of the Underworld, Spring, Flowers and Vegetation.

(According to a Christian writer of the second century, there are 365 gods in . Proclaimed by Orpheus).

[1] “Meet the Greek Gods – Rick Riordan.” Accessed December 5, 2018. http://rickriordan.com/extra/meet-the-greek-gods/.

1 2. Roman Religious Hierarchy

2 Roman Religious Hierarchy

The Gods, Goddesses, and of were formed in a hierarchy strikingly similar to that of the Greeks. The featured twelve main gods and goddesses. although not one of the main twelve was a primordial and the father of . Saturn replicates the story of Chronos from Greek myth. Thus, making him the God of time. His son, Jupiter was the most important god in Roman myth, highly considered the protector of the and its laws. Jupiter was connected to sky, light, and thunder. Jupiter’s wife, , was regarded as the protector of the state, along with women. Her personification is akin to the Greek queen of the gods Hera. Jupiter, , and make up the Capitoline , they represented the centre of Roman Religion at the time. The name, Capitoline Triad, comes from the hill there three temples were located. in Roman mythology had no counterpart and was directly integrated from the Greek religion. This makes him one of few gods who was completely integrated from Greek to Roman myth. Apollo became one of the more important gods for Roman people after Octavian defeated Antony near a temple dedicated to the god. There are plenty of more gods that held importance to the Roman people, but these are some of the highest valued and most important to Roman society[1].

[1] Wasson, Donald. “Roman Religion.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. November 13, 2013. https://www.ancient.eu/Roman-Religion/.

2 3 The Hierarchy and Structure of the Norse Gods

The North mythology is a polytheistic religion meaning that there are multiple gods and deities that are worshiped or believed in by those who follow the Norse set of beliefs, while a monotheistic religion entails the belief in just one god or deity. What sets the Norse mythology apart from other polytheistic systems is the existence of two separate sects or “tribes of gods”[1] which consists of the Aesir gods and the Vanir gods. A painting made by Chistoffer Willhelm Eckersburg depicting many of the Aesir gods, with Baldr lying dead in the foreground. Baldr’s death actually signifies the start of Ragnarok making this scene all the more powerful. [4] The Aesir, the older of the two tribes, is known for being tasked heavily with holding the universe together and maintaining life on all nine of the different worlds held within Yggdrasil; the tree of life[2]. The Aesir consists of many different gods and goddesses, the most powerful of which being Odin; the ruler of the gods. Most of the well known and documented deities belong to the Aesir tribe, some of which include; Thor (the god of thunder), Frigg (goddess of love and marriage), Loki (the trickster god), Tyr (the god of war), and Baldr (the god of beauty)[1]. The Aesir were the first of the tribes and Odin created their home on the world Asgard, which is one of the nine worlds of Yggdrasil and has the important purpose of holding one of the three roots of Yggdrasil that hold the cosmos up[1]. The second tribe of gods is known as the Vanir, which has far less deities amongst their ranks. The leader of the Vanir is much harder to identify than Odin of the Aesir, but the leader would appear to be Njord who is largely associated with being the god of wealth and the sea. Freyr (the god of health), and Freya (goddess of fertility), are two of the other more prominent members of the Vanir tribe[3]. The Vanir tribe live in Vanaheim which is one of the nine worlds within Yggdrasil’s reach. These two tribes of gods make up the structure of the Norse mythology, and help distinguish this set of beliefs from other mythologies that feature polytheism. [1] McCoy, Daniel. The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016. [2] McCoy, Daniel. “The Aesir Gods and Goddesses.” Norse Mythology for Smart People (blog). Accessed December 1, 2018. https://norse- mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-aesir-gods-and-goddesses/. [3] McCoy, Daniel. “The Vanir Gods and Goddesses.” Norse Mythology for Smart People (blog). Accessed December 1, 2018. https://norse- mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/the-vanir-gods-and-goddesses/.

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