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What Are the Similarities Between Norse and Irish Mythology?
Fulla on Her Way to Geirrod’s Court, woodcut by W.G. Collingwood, from Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known as Sæmund’s Edda, translated by Olive Bray, 1908, Source: My Norse Digital Image Repository
Situated on the rough coasts of the Irish Sea, the ancient Norse and Irish societies were historically far less isolated than is often assumed. Although one was Germanic and the other Celtic, the two distinct groups shared many structural and character similarities due to their close proximity. Many of the parallels drawn from a shared Indo-European heritage are said to have grown stronger during the Viking Age, leading to a significant exchange of cultural norms and mythologies between the two distinct groups.
The First Viking Raid
Map of Ireland 900 CE
Historical records show that the merging of the two cultures began with violence in 795 AD when the first Viking raid occurred at Rathlin Island. But soon, the relationship moved beyond the raid, and by 841 AD, the two societies had merged. Notably, the Norse established numerous trade centers in Irish territories that included Dubh Linn. Dubh Linn later became Dublin, the current capital of the Republic of Ireland.
The merging of the two societies also produced a mixed-blood group of people known as the Gall-Goídel. Growing up speaking both languages, the Gall-Goídel heard both sets of legends. Historians estimate that by the Battle of Clontarf, which occurred in 1014 AD, the cultural lines had blurred significantly.
The Two Societies Had Similarities in Deities
Týr equated with Mars in an 18th-century manuscript (ÍB 299 4to)
The oral traditions of the Norse and Irish societies were eventually written down by Snorri Sturluson in Iceland around 1220 CE and by earlier Irish monks. The texts revealed a world where the archetypes had likely influenced one another. Specific deities in both groups, for example, showed striking resemblances in their physical losses. Case in point is the parallel between the Norse god Tyr and the Irish king Nuada. Both deities were leaders who lost a hand or arm to a monstrous entity.
Tyr, for instance, placed his hand in the mouth of the wolf Fenrir to bind the beast. The action led to the loss of his hand for the safety of the gods. Nuada, on the other hand, led the Tuatha Dé Danann but lost his arm fighting the Fomorian champion, Sreng. Interestingly, both cultures required that kings be physically whole. As a result, Nuada was forced to step down as king until the healer deity Dian Cecht fashioned him a functioning arm made of silver. The restoration allowed him to regain his throne.
The Norse and Irish Had Warrior-Sorcerers
Odin, in his guise as a wanderer, as imagined by Georg von Rosen (1886)
Norse and Irish mythology shared the archetype of the intellectual warrior and sorcerer. The Norse had All-Father Odin, and the Irish had the champion, Lugh. Odin was known for wielding the spear called Gungnir and was associated with ravens, while Lugh was often depicted as a warrior and sorcerer who wielded a magical spear and had associations with ravens.
Both were known for having many skills. Odin was known for sacrificing an eye for wisdom and was the god of poetry while Lugh was known as Samildánach or Master of All Arts. Lugh possessed skills in smithing, poetry, and warfare simultaneously. Both were, however, regarded as the masters of unseen forces such as intelligence and inspiration. The mastery of such arts and their alleged assistance, apparently allowed leaders to win wars even before they began.
Human Behavior Was Governed by Code
Norns in Die Helden Und Götter Des Nordens, Oder: Das Buch Der Sagen by Amalia Schoppe, (1832)
Human behavior in the mythologies of both societies was governed by a strict code that was often fatalistic and grim. In Norse myth, the concept of fate was guided by powerful beings called the Norns. Even the gods were bound by fate and knew they would eventually die. This specific view created a world where honor was very important. Honor was gained by facing inevitable death with courage. Irish mythology was similar and also included supernatural taboos and obligations placed upon heroes.
The strict rules led to death or dishonor if they were broken and situations often conspired to force the hero to break the rules. The Irish hero Cú Chulainn, for instance, was required never to eat dog meat and was also never to refuse hospitality. When an old crone offered the hero a meal of dog meat, he was trapped between two fates. He eventually ate the meat and broke his power. The act led to his death in battle. The story echoes the Norse view that a hero’s death is pre-ordained.
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