Differences between Norse/ Nordic/ Scandinavian and Germanic/ German/ Teutonic myths

[ChildOfAsh420]

Thanks everybody! So it seems that the common origin of these myths and legends ensures that although they are not exactly the same, they are similar enough to be grouped together as one mythology/legend system.

Possibly to outsiders, it's a major stereotype kind of like saying, all Christian, and Jewish denominations can be lumped together because of common origin.
Technically they ALL originated circa 3,000 bce and were spread far and wide by the Indo- European group commonly referred to as the Aryans. Not the Hitler Aryans idea of 6' tall with blonde haired and Blue eyes.
The Aryans that were Half Indian half European and mostly Nomadic. After the Era Known as the Aryan invasions circa 2,000 bce the Aryan Tribes became a majority of the Eurasian Continent, their ways and religion were spread from France to Northern China, the Vedic texts and the Eddas spawned from their teachings and ways. About a millennia and a half later the Teutonic tribes began making permanent homes around northern Germany, in the dark ages 536ad the Germanic poems, and stories had spread north into Norway, Denmark, Switzerland etc.
The Authority of the Roman empire attempted to purge Paganism for nearly a thousand years throughout that time. Making it legal to kill or convert ALL Pagans. This made it hard to spread the Ideas of the Teutons and is the reason that for over a thousand years of written language passing by them, no texts were found of their beliefs. Until just recently Snorri's Edda was THE only source. Which was written at a date about 4,500 years after the first archeological finds we have found showing this set of Gods (Woden, Thunar, Freya) . So .. long answer short .. no they are not the same. But yes they came from the same origins. The differences came over time.

 

[ChildOfAsh420]

Thanks everybody! So it seems that the common origin of these myths and legends ensures that although they are not exactly the same, they are similar enough to be grouped together as one mythology/legend system.

Possibly to outsiders, it's a major stereotype kind of like saying, all Christian, and Jewish denominations can be lumped together because of common origin.
Technically they ALL originated circa 3,000 bce and were spread far and wide by the Indo- European group commonly referred to as the Aryans. Not the Hitler Aryans idea of 6' tall with blonde haired and Blue eyes.
The Aryans that were Half Indian half European and mostly Nomadic. After the Era Known as the Aryan invasions circa 2,000 bce the Aryan Tribes became a majority of the Eurasian Continent, their ways and religion were spread from France to Northern China, the Vedic texts and the Eddas spawned from their teachings and ways. About a millennia and a half later the Teutonic tribes began making permanent homes around northern Germany, in the dark ages 536ad the Germanic poems, and stories had spread north into Norway, Denmark, Switzerland etc.
The Authority of the Roman empire attempted to purge Paganism for nearly a thousand years throughout that time. Making it legal to kill or convert ALL Pagans. This made it hard to spread the Ideas of the Teutons and is the reason that for over a thousand years of written language passing by them, no texts were found of their beliefs. Until just recently Snorri's Edda was THE only source. Which was written at a date about 4,500 years after the first archeological finds we have found showing this set of Gods (Woden, Thunar, Freya) . So .. long answer short .. no they are not the same. But yes they came from the same origins. The differences came over time.

 

[Umbran]

For instance, and I really wish I could remember where I read this, Odin didn't really used to be that important of a god, and he certainly wasn't the "All-father" until his cult, which spread from Germany, actually, pushed him forward. Before that, Thor was the king of the gods in the Germanic tradition.

I find there's very little agreement upon the idea that Thor was leader in earlier Germanic tradition.

Thor may stem from the same root Indo-European root as Indra, who in some traditions is king of the gods, but in Germanic and Norse sources, Thor is almost never in a leader's position. By the time we call it "Germanic" Thor seems to have kept Indra's tendency to muck in, but lost the aspect of presiding over other gods.

Meanwhile, we ought to talk about Tuesday - Tiw's Day, or Tyr's Day. Etymologically, Tyr comes from *Tiwaz, which translates to "the god". And in Norse poetic kennings, Tyr's name is often used as indicator of being a deity - so Odin is "Victory-Tyr" and Thor is "Chariot-Tyr". Tyr is used in kennings indicating Odin frequently, which makes little sense if Tyr's a nobody, but a lot of sense if Tyr used to be top dog - the name becomes a title, then the title is attached to the new person in the position. Also, there's some evidence that Tyr was god of things. Not meaning objects, but in the Germanic and Norse meaning of councils in which stuff gets decided, which is pretty fitting for a king of gods.

 

[Dioltach]

Heh, you replied twice to the same post, almost 18 years after your first reply.

But it's a fascinating thread, so thanks for necroing it.