Similarities and Differences Between Thor and Zeus

These mighty Gods are famous in pop culture today, like in movies and TV shows. But we’re going to talk about these Gods in their original views, what is now mythology. Back in the day when these Gods were “relevant” or praised, it was because they didn’t know a lot of things about the world yet. The Greek and Norse Gods of thunder are from different cultures, religions and time periods but are they similar or not?

Zeus the ruler of all Gods he was the most respected and powerful God of all. He is ordered to the Olympians and mortals. “The most important of the Olympians is Zeus, the king of the gods and the god of law, fate, and weather.” Zeus’s weather powers were primarily thunder and lightning. To control someone’s future is an extremely powerful power associated with this God. On the other side, Thor is a master of lightning and has Maluner as well. “When people heard thunder and saw lightning in the sky, they knew that Thor was fighting these evil giants.” Zeus and Thor are both masters of lightning, but are families overrated?

Parents could bring you joy and happiness but others could just as well give you suffering. Zeus’s dad Cronus was tyrannical, he ate his children because he was afraid they would overthrow him. Rhea (Cronus’s wife) took Zeus and protected Zeus from Cronus to kill his dad later. “ Zeus was ready to overthrow his cruel father and avenge the siblings that Cronus had swallowed.” Thor’s father was Odin and king of Asgard. Odin was a good God, he was loving and funny. But very powerful because he liked the farmers and the educators. “While Odin appealed to the educated and noble classes. A protector of farmers, Thor was associated with weather and crops. Although he could be fearsome, many myths portray him in a comic and affectionate way.” Zeus and Thor have a different father and their characteristics. But they had siblings too.

Zeus’s brother Poseidon was a destroying force. He didn’t want people to have safe passage without his consent. He was the master of waves and earth. Poseidon didn’t care who you are, but he was just in his actions. He even tried to kill a hero Odysseus, because Odysseus killed a cyclops. Poseidon had lots of other brothers and sisters other than Zeus. “Poseidon, Zeus's brother, was god of the sea and of earthquakes.” Thor’s mischievous brother was the God of tricks. He was just as destructive as Poseidon and caused chaos to the land. “Loki, a cunning trickster, sometimes helped the other gods but more often caused trouble because of his spiteful, destructive nature. The sky goddess Frigg was Odin's wife and the patron of marriage, children, and households.” But Zeus has wives too. One of Zeus’s wife was Hera, Zeus actually cheated with her, Some with other Goddess and others with humans. “A source of perpetual discord with his wife, Hera — and he had many love affairs with both mortal women and goddesses”. While Thor had his wife Sif, but there isn’t a lot of myths about Sif. That’s why she is a puzzling Goddess. “His wife was the beautiful goddess Sif, who seldom appears in myths and remains a somewhat mysterious figure.” Zeus Cheats on his wife while Thor has a beautiful but puzzling wife. They also had children.

Zeus had Athena and Hercules but I’m only going to talk about Hercules. Hercules was a normal human then he founded his strength and found out that his real father was Zeus, after many trials he became a God instead of a God-like hero. He was also a great hero in many ways. “One cycle of myths concerns the hero Heracles… Zeus's son by a mortal princess—renowned for his strength and for completing twelve remarkable feats. Unlike other heroes, who died and were buried, Heracles eventually became immortal … and was worshipped as a god by both Greeks and Romans.” While Thor’s son Balder was trying to survive the great war with the other Gods and saved the world from a blazing destruction. “After three bitter winters with no summers in between, great wars will erupt throughout the world, and fire will destroy everything. However, Balder, Thor's sons, and some minor gods will survive” So far these two Gods aren’t anything alike but there might be a surprise. These Gods have a slight similarity, like how Zeus’s symbol is a giant lightning bolt and the symbol of this lightning bolt is actually his weapon as well. He uses that lightning bolt when he is angry with someone. Especially with people who don’t give him his sacrifice. “… Was struck dead with a thunderbolt for his mockery.” It used to be given to him after he rescued the Cyclops in the course of the struggle between the Titans and the Olympians. As the identify implies, the Thunderbolt permits Zeus to throw down lightning bolts as if they have been projectiles, smiting anybody who dares defy his bidding. Zeus used the Thunderbolt in particular to guard the people of Mount Olympus.

Thor’s symbol was kind of obvious his hammer, Maluner. He uses that weapon with the lighting as well. He uses this weapon to save his realm. “His hammer symbolized the crackle of thunder”. The two Gods have a roughly similar symbol. But the Greeks and Romans worshiped Zeus or Jupiter and was in the area where is now known as Italy and Greece. “Nationality/Culture: Greek”, “Alternate Names: Jupiter (Roman)”. While the Norse were in the now as Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Germany). Thor had to have a new name for the Germans. “Nationality/Culture: Norse/German”, “Alternate Names: Donner German”. These countries had to expand upon their knowledge and figure out how their world would work and how to make scene of it too. Also, their respective countries were praying different ways. Zeus, for instance, the way they worship him is building a statue and give him the in edible parts, like the thigh of the cows or other gifts. “The statue was lost long ago, but a description of it survives. The forty-foot-tall statue… lower body was draped in gold.” Thor was worshiped with the jewelry of what they said was precious. “he found a statue of Þórr, adorned with gold and silver, seated on a splendid carriage drawn by finely carved wooden goats”. Back then gold and silver were really precious and they would cost a lot of money. They were only for the rich at the time. But what about their personalities or how they look?

Zeus was a person who gave peace and order to the world and he looked like a person in his 30’s with a beard and holding a lightning bolt. “Zeus was the god of law and social order, yet he came to power through violent revolution.” “Ancient artists generally depicted Zeus as a dignified, bearded man of middle age. Often, he was shown holding, or preparing to hurl, a thunderbolt, which took the form of a winged spear or a cylinder with pointed ends.” Thor was a hot-headed, friendly God and he was a red haired buffed man. “Generally good-natured, Thor had a hot temper and his anger was dreadful to behold.” “As a huge, strongly built, red-bearded fellow with a huge appetite.” The two gods were different and look more like the big heroes in the movies like Superman. These Gods are royal as well.

Zeus, as we all know, is the king of all Greek Gods. He was the protector of humanity and the highest God status of all. He could even shapeshift into anyone and animal he wanted to. “Zeus was the most important deity of ancient Greece, the leader of the gods and the all-powerful overseer of earthly events and human destiny.” Thor is prince of Asgard and protects the land of Asgard. “The mighty Thor, warrior god of thunder, ranked as the second most important Norse deity.” Zeus is ranked higher than Thor because of Zeus as a King while Thor is a prince. They have other powers other than lightning as well. Zeus has the powers other than the rest I said earlier are storms and thunder. “Associated with weather and agriculture in early Roman myths, Jupiter was the god of storms, thunder, lightning, the sowing of seeds, and the harvesting of grapes.”Thor was the God of thunder and lightning primarily. “When people heard thunder and saw lightning in the sky, they knew that Thor was fighting these evil giants.” These powers are only the tip of the ice burg for these gods. The similarities are really small but noticeable. These two gods are different with a spark of similarities.

Zeus and Thor are some of the most respected God of their time and until now. Like Thor, from the Avengers movies with his trilogy of movies, action figures and more. We totally forgot what they meant for the Greeks or what Zeus was meant for the Norse. They were the Gods of these polytheistic religions. The way we think about them is that they are history and we don’t need to know about it just reboot it, and again and again. For short theses, Gods were the most important thing to them. To Worship and Survive.