Match Norse with Greek Myth Trivia Quiz

Answer: Freyja

Freyja was the Norse goddess for love, sex, beauty and fertility, but also for war, death and a forgotten form of sorcery (probably related to telling and even shaping the future). Her name means "Lady", so perhaps her real personal name was replaced by her mere title. She was married to the god Odr.

Freyja is usually portrayed with a gold necklace (called Brisingamen) forged by four dwarves. One of the myths involving Freyja tells she could only obtain this necklace by spending one night with each of the dwarves. Freyja journeyed around in a chariot drawn by two cats (domestic cats indeed, but of more than usual strength), accompanied by a wild boar. Freyja had also some alternative names: Gefn (the one who gives), Hörn (meaning unclear, may refer to flax - possibly inspired by Freyja's hair colour), Mardöll (etymology unclear, possibly translated as "she who lightens up the sea"), Skjalf ("the shaker") and even Syr ("sow").

Connoisseurs of Greek myth may be tempted to draw parallels between the Norse Freyja and the Greek Aphrodite: goddesses of beauty, love and sex. But Freyja's quality as goddess of death does not match the Greek Aphrodite - it reminds more of the Greek god Thanatos. Freyja's gift for sorcery does remind me of the minor Greek goddess Hecate, head of all witches.

Answer: Mimir

Mimir is properly named "she who remembers": the wisest of all the Norse mythical characters, Mimir possessed a spring out of which mead flowed. Drinking the mead daily enhanced Mimir's wisdom, and Mimir inspired all the talented bards from Scandinavia. The assumption that mead (a type of beer) enhances wisdom is of course completely contrary to the popular proverb "when the drink is in the sense is out". The fictional Inspector Morse would agree with Mimir, but most doctors warn against drinking much alcohol. Mimir's well was so famous that Odin, the head of the Norse gods, offered one of his eyes for a sip of the well.

Greek myth has no one similar deity. Part of Mimir's duties (wisdom) belong to the Greek goddess Athena, while other specialties of Mimir (poetry, inspiration) remind of the Greek god Apollo. And Mimir's fondness for alcoholic beverages is a trait we only find in the Greek god Dionysus.

Answer: Sleipnir

Sleipnir was a horse - but not an ordinary horse. As it had eight legs, it could travel farther and faster than any other steed. Odin owned Sleipnir, and it was a spectacular sight to behold Odin riding his noble steed: "ten legs, three eyes and only one tail". Such an unusual horse had to have a peculiar pedigree. Indeed: Sleipnir was born from the union of the stallion Svadilfari and the god Loki (conveniently disguised as a mare). So Sleipnir had in fact a male father and a male mother - how odd. Some popular portrayals from the Twentieth Century onwards show Sleipnir as a white or golden horse. But the Prose Edda made one thing clear: Sleipnir had a grey fur.

Greek myth has no horse with eight legs. But the Greeks had one other unique horse: Pegasus, the winged horse (so not four extra legs but two extra wings).

Answer: Heimdallr

Heimdallr's name has become Heimdall in common English (without the final R). He had some aliases as well: Gullintani (the one with the teeth of gold), Vindler (protector against storm) and Hallinskidi (a name for which there is no consensus about the meaning). Heimdallr lived in a castle at the edge of the Bifrost rainbow bridge (stretching from the Asgard - the Norse heaven - to the Midgard - the earth where men and giants lived). Heimdallr could see for many miles, as well in daylight as at night. He also had exceptional hearing, being able to distinguish the sound of the wool growing on sheep. His task was to be eternally watching Bifrost for signs that announced Ragnarok (the final war between gods and men, which would conclude time all together).

The Greeks had no deity dedicated to keen hearing. Two Greek deities may be related to excellent eyesight: the Titan Helios (whose main occupation was driving the sun around the heaven) and his mother Theia (goddess of sight, prophesy, and the bright sky).

Answer: Loki

Loki was a shapeshifter; he could transform his appearance as he wished. At one instance he turned into a mare, on another occasion he disguised himself as a fly. Most of the Norse gods were unfavourable to Loki. He loved to make trouble, insulted almost everyone, and he also fathered some dreadful creatures, such as the huge wolf Fenrir, the giant serpent Jormungandr, and the old hag Hel, guardian of the underworld. Loki was not only the father of this dreaded trio, but also the mother of Sleipnir - the eight-legged horse on which Odin regularly rode. A prophecy foretold that during the end battle Ragnarok, Loki would fight against the gods and duel with Heimdallr - the guardian of the gods. In this duel both would be killed.

Greek myth has no exact counterpart to Loki. The Greek gods could shapeshift, but only Zeus has been recorded of doing so - on the sole behalf of his extramarital pleasures. As to the god of mischief, there was no major Greek god who did nothing but stir up trouble. The closest to this definition is Eris, goddess of discord.

Answer: Freyr

Freyr was the god of sunshine and rain, and thus of the earth's fertility. Every plant or fruit grew thanks to Freyr's intervention. But he was also the god of male fertility, and some of the first depictions of Freyr resemble an erect penis. Freyr was the owner of some extraordinary attributes: a self-fighting sword and a ship that could be folded and then fitted nicely in a pocket, However, when Freyr fell in love with a gorgeous giantess, he donated the self-fighting sword to his servant, and thus Freyr had to fight in Ragnarok (the end battle) without his most mighty possession.

In Greek myth, fertility (and especially the vegetal food) was the responsibility of the goddess Demeter, while Helios was the god of the sun. The erect penis reminds one of Priapus, always in heat but never to fulfil the deed. The foldable ship has no counterpart in Greek myth, and neither has the sword that battled from its own initiative (provided the proprietor was wise).

Answer: Idunn

Idunn was a minor Norse goddess. The orthography of her name calls for an eth (crossed and lopsided minuscule d) as second letter, but as this may give you illegible mumbo-jumbo, I prefer to use the transliteration with only d. Idunn's name would translate to "forever young". She guarded apples in a secret garden, and when the gods consumed these apples, they regained their youth. This part of the story reminds us of the Greek apples of the Hesperides.

At one moment Loki convinced Idunn to visit a strange forest, where she was abducted by the giant Djazi. Because Idunn no longer provided the gods with the healthy apples, the gods started to experience old age. So they made Loki restore the order. Loki disguised himself as a falcon, transformed Idunn into a nut, and flew away with the nut - only to be pursued by Djazi, who shapeshifted into an eagle. At last the gods lit a pyre into which Djazi stumbled, and the gods killed Djazi. This marvellous story has no equivalent in Greek myth.

Answer: Dellingr

The Norse god Dellingr was the god of dawn - similar to the Greek goddess Eos.
Dellingr was married either to Nott (the night) or Jord (the earth), and from this union sprang Dagr (the day).

Answer: Eir

Eir is only mentioned briefly in the Poetic Edda and in some skaldic poetry. The Edda as written by Snorri Sturluson mentions that on the hill Lyfjaberg (translated as Hill of Healing) sat a certain woman named Menglod, and at her knees sat nine maidens - including Eir. Because Menglod and her nine companions are mentioned sitting on Lyfjaberg, theories have arisen that all these were involved in some form of healing. Whether these female beings were goddesses or Valkyries (half-goddesses who collected the souls of the brave slain in battle), is unclear.

Eir has been compared to the Greek goddess Hygieia, the protector of good health. Hygieia's sisters Panacea (a cure for all) and Iaso (the healing process) also come into mind.

Answer: Odin

Odin is the supreme god in Norse mythology, and his occupations are many. Odin was the god of wisdom, healing, royalty, death, war and the alphabet, but also of the gallows, sorcery, knowledge and madness. In Germanic dialects his name became Wotan, and in Anglo-Saxon dialects it was Wodan or Woden. Odin was usually portrayed wielding a spear and wearing an eye patch (for he had sacrificed one eye for a sip of the well of wisdom). His companions were the ravens Huginn (translated "thought") and Muninn (translated as "mind"). Odin's ravens spied upon Midgard (the earth where men dwelled) and reported to him each night at dinnertime.

As supreme god, Odin can be compared to the Greek Zeus, but some of his other occupations are more commonly attributed to other Greek deities. Wisdom is primordially Athena's field of expertise, while Ares is the Greek god of war.

Answer: Jormungandr

Jormungandr literally translates to "great beast". The description found in skaldic poetry and in the Eddas may fit a serpent or a dragon - in any case, a creature that inspires fear. Jormungandr was said to have encircled all of Midgard (the earth), biting its own tail. Once Thor went out fishing, and using the head of an ox as bait, he caught Jormungandr with the fishing rod. But as Thor was preparing to dealing the fatal blow, his companion cut the line, thus releasing Jormungandr. A prophesy states that at Ragnarok (the end of times) Jormungandr will break free, poison the earth and the sky, and fight an epic battle with Thor. Thor will kill the beast, but only to succumb a few instants later from Jormungandr's poison.

There is no direct comparison with Greek myth possible. But I would like to draw a comparison with the Hydra of Lerna: another gigantic serpent or dragon, that could only be killed by a really powerful hero.

Answer: Angrboda

Angrboda (whose name translates to "the bringer of grief") was married to the shapeshifter Loki. Together they had three evil children: the huge wolf Fenrir, the giant serpent Jormungandr, and the old hag Hel, guardian and personification of the Underworld. Angrboda was the old troll woman from a place called Ironwood. Alternative names for Angrboda are Gullveig, Heidr and Ljod.

In Greek myth, most evil creatures were the children of Typhon and Echidna. Echidna was half woman, half snake, and she is cited as the mother to monsters such as Cerberus (the three-headed dog guarding the Underworld), the Lernaean Hydra (a snake or dragon with nine heads), the Sphinx (half lion, half woman), and Ladon (a giant snake guarding the garden of the Hesperides).

Answer: Sif

Sif is described as a goddess with long golden hair, likened to the colour of ripe wheat. Sif's occupations are unclear. Some sources state that she was the goddess of the earth, while other point at her mother for this function. Sif has also been cited as the goddess of grain and harvest - perhaps because of the colour and length of her tresses. One source mentions that the name Sif would be synonym to wife or family, and thus Sif would have been the goddess of marriage and the home.

The only certainty is that Sif was married to Thor, and that she had at least one child with him (the daughter Thrudr, either a minor goddess or a Valkyrie). Sif also had a son named Ulli, whose father is not mentioned in any of the extant texts. Once Loki cut off Sif's golden hair as a prank. Thor found out and forced Loki to acquire a golden wig for her. Loki then set some dwarves at work, and these dwarves not only forged the golden peruke for Sif, but also Odin's spear and Thor's hammer.

As Sif has been mentioned as goddess of earth, harvest, marriage or the family life at home, she could be linked to the Greek goddesses Gaia, Demeter, Hera and Hestia, respectively.

Answer: Thor

Thor (Old Norse spelling Thorr) was the mightiest of all the gods. He used his Warhammer Mjolnir to strike any enemies, and when doing so he created lightning and thunder. The thunder has given Thor his name, which is transcribed as Donar in Old High German and Thuner in old Friesian. Thor has been mentioned in many stories. Once his hammer was stolen by the giant Thrymr, who demanded Freyja as his bride in order to return the powerful hammer. The gods seemed to give in, but in fact they had Thor dressed up in female attire with a thick veil, and Loki dressed up as her bridesmaid. In the end Thor killed Thrymr and reconquered his hammer Mjolnir.

Tacitus compared Thor to the Roman hero Hercules or the Greek Heracles because of his tremendous force. One could also draw parallels with the Greek god Zeus, who threw lightning bolts in battle.

Answer: Skadi

The Old Norse name is written with the letter eth, which appears (in minuscule) as a minor d with the end turning to the left and crossed. As such letters may cause unreadable effects on many different computers, I chose to use the English transliteration with a normal d, although the English dh or th can be used as well.

Skadi was goddess of the hunt, the winter, the mountains and skiing. There are only a few stories about her. When her father Djazi was killed by Loki, Skadi went to the Asgard (home of the gods) fully armed and demanded compensation. Part of the compensation was that Odin placed both Djazi's eyes in the sky as stars, another part was that Skadi could marry one of the gods. Odin agreed, but stipulated she would chose her future husband by looking only at his feet.

As goddess of the hunt, Skadi can be compared to the Greek goddess Artemis. The Greek divine creatures dealing with the mountains were the Ourea, including Aitna (the Sicilian volcano), Olympos (home of the gods - mountain situated in Thrace), and Parnes (the protector of Parnassos mountains in Central Greece), among others. But the Greeks had no mythical creature that was somehow concerned with skis or skiing.