1. Divine Roles Across Cultures Matrix
HUM/105 Version 3
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University of Phoenix Material
Divine Roles Across Cultures Matrix
Select one common divine role that recurs in world mythology.
Possible options of divine roles include the following: father or mother divinities, divinities of war,
home or hearth divinities, divinities of love, divinities of wisdom, divinities of medicine or health,
divinities of the wind, divinities of agriculture, divinities of the sky, ruler of all the gods, and so on.
Identify the role in the title of your matrix.
Select two myths, each from a different culture, in which the divine role appears. Identify the
divinity names and cultures in columns A and B.
Complete the matrix by answering each of the five questions for both selected divinities.
Title: Column A
Divinity Name: Zeus
Culture of Origin: Greek
Column B
Divinity Name: Odin
Culture of Origin: Norse
1. How is this divinity
portrayed? Describe
the divinity’s role within
the myth.
Zeus is the ruler of all the
Olympian gods and
master of all men. He is
also the lord of the sky,
clouds, rain, thunder,
light, winds, and all other
atmospheric phenomena.
Zeus is a god of justice
and he is merciful. He
protects the weak and
punishes the wicked.
Although he is the god of
rain he is also married to
Hera (the goddess of the
Earth).
Odin is the ruler of all the
Gods. He lives in
Valhalla, where half of all
the dead warriors gather
after death. He sits on his
throne viewing the whole
world. Odin is the god of
wisdom, war, magic, and
poetry. He is the wisest of
all the gods. However, he
gave one of his eyes for
this power. Odin has the
power to transform into
whatever he wants, from
serpents to fish, smoke to
fire. He is all powerful.
2. Is the divinity male or
female? What function
does this gender play?
Zeus is a male god. He is
the ruler of all the gods.
He is most powerful and
is a proper characteristic
of a patriarchal society,
such as the Greek
society.
Odin is a powerful male
god with incredible
wisdom about everything.
A female god as the ruler
of all gods would have
been impossible in a
patriarchal society like the
Scandinavian Vikings.
3. Within the myth of
origin, how does this
divinity compare with
other divinities? How
does this divinity
Zeus is the last born son
of Cronus and Rhea of
the Titans. Cronus was
cruel and swallowed his
children after they were
Odin is a “good” god as
opposed to his
grandfather Ymir who was
really cruel. With Ymir
being such a cruel god,

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interact with or
compare to divinities of
the same gender and to
divinities of the
opposite gender?
born. However, Rhea
saved Zeus by hiding him
in a cave. When Zeus
grew up, he made his
father (Cronus), vomit up
his siblings. Then the
other gods joined him in
fighting against Cronus,
and the Titans, to gain
control of the universe.
After he defeated the
Titans and his father,
Zeus imprisoned them in
the underworld. Then he
split up the universe
between him and his
brothers Hades, and
Poseidon. Zeus took the
sky, Hades got the
underworld, and
Poseidon got the seas
and all other waters. Zeus
was also appointed the
supreme authority of the
earth and Mount
Olympus. Zeus is the
ruler of all divinities on
Mount Olympus, both
male and female. He is
married to Hera, but he is
the equivalent of a
womanizer because he
continually has affairs.
Odin and the other gods
could not take it anymore
so they plotted against
him and killed him. Then
Odin and his brothers
made all things (earth,
sky, moon, etc.) from
parts of Ymir’s body. Odin
has a positive interaction
with his brothers, and
there is an agreement
that he is the most
powerful. The sisters of
Ymir however are upset
at the death of their
brother and try to cause
trouble for people.
4. What are the divinity’s
attributes, such as
divine powers or
characteristics? What
objects does the divinity
possess, such as a
weapon or animal that
assists him or her?
Zeus is the cloud
gatherer, and rain god.
His weapon is a
thunderbolt. He throws
his thunderbolt at anyone
that displeases him. He
will also punish those who
break oaths or lie.
Odin is supposed to have
wisdom about everything
that happens in the past,
present and future (like an
omniscient god). He gains
a lot of power from this
wisdom over everything.
Odin can also transform
himself into other things
like animals, or fire, etc.
Odin has a magical horse
and spear, which helps
him accomplish his goals.
Odin has two ravens,
Hugin and Munin who fly
out each day and return
at night with their news of
the world. They gather
information for Odin to
make decisions and be
informed.

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5. Identify one character
from contemporary
culture that shares
characteristics of each
divinity and explain why
you chose each
character. What real-life
ideals does this divine
role represent? How
attainable are these
ideals?
Zeus is like Superman in
the sense that he’s
powerful, protects the
weak, and punishes the
wicked. He is however, a
rather “human” god, in
that he has affairs, and is
often unfaithful to his wife
Hera. The real-life ideals
represented by Zeus’
role, is one of a just,
powerful character that
exacts justice on those
who are bad, while
protecting, and helping
those who are good but
weak. For Zeus, being the
god of the Olympian
gods, it’s rather easy to
be powerful and just. In
real-life the justice system
is supposed to enable the
execution of these ideals
too, with the police and
courts catching the bad
guys, and bringing a
sense of justice to the
victims.
There is a wicked side to
Odin, which he can be
erratic, and abuse his
power, such as causing or
starting wars. Sadly, this
is a situation that has
happened with many
rulers throughout history.
If I were to compare Odin
to a character from
contemporary culture it
would be a dictator that
came to power with good
intentions, only to start
abusing it later on, such
as Hitler.
Summary: Write a 150- to 350-word short essay addressing the following: Why do so many
cultures have divinities in similar roles?
After doing much reading, I found that mythology evolved in different cultures as a way to explain
life and answer important questions pertaining to human existence. Questions, such as how did
the universe come to be? What happens to us when we die? Is there a God? How were humans
created? How should humans behave? Surprisingly, most people have a good idea what
desirable behaviors are acceptable. In many cultures, it is viewed that the weak should be
protected, and the accused should have a chance to prove their innocence. It is also viewed that
the wicked should pay for their wrong doings and not just as retribution but as a warning to
others.
For example, in Greek mythology, Zeus became a supreme god by fighting against the Titans
and his father Cronus to take over the universe. Zeus and his brothers won the battle. Zeus is a
male god and the ruler of all the gods on Olympus. He is most powerful and a proper
characteristic of a patriarchal society, the Greek society. He not only has power over the sky and
everything happening on earth, but he is also a god of justice and mercy. He brings justice to the
weak by punishing the wicked. In Israeli mythology, one god is all powerful, and he also is a god
of justice and mercy. Most cultures want to believe that their god, gods, and goddesses, are also
gods of justice and mercy. Although, there are many cultures and beliefs they all have the same
questions, it is just that the answers maybe a little different.
References

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Leonard, S., & McClure, M. (2004). Myth & knowing: An introduction to world mythology. New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill
MetaReligion. (n.d.). Norse Creation Myth. Retrieved from http://www.meta-
religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Europe/norse_creation_myth.htm
The Big Myth. (2011). Big myths: The Norse. Retrieved from
http://www.bigmyth.com/myths/wnglish/2_norse_full.htm