How close are Greek Boreas and Norse Bori?

[emirikol]

I was just reading up on the greek god Boreas and was wondering if REH got his ideas for Bori with serious influences from that form as well as Norse myth.

Thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boreas

Jay H

 

[Clovenhoof]

Howard's "Bori" is a reflection of the nordic mythology "Buri", and has nothing to do with Greek Boreas.

"In the beginning, there was no upper sky,
neither earth below, nor grass anywhere
there was no sand, no salty waves,
just empty abbyss bottomless

From Elivagar fluid came dripping, of which a giant arose
Vergelmir was his name, who also as Ymir was known
Underneath the Giant's arm a man and a woman grew
and foot with the foot begat a sixfold son

Audumla gave nourishment, who had thawed from the ice
licking salty stones, out of which a head
on the third day a full-grown man,
who was Buri, fair and strong, arose"

 

[Spongly]

Howard's "Bori" is a reflection of the nordic mythology "Buri", and has nothing to do with Greek Boreas.

Well, I dunno - some of his "Hyborians" are also "HyperBOREANS" aren't they?

 

[Clovenhoof]

Hyperborea was the name for the northernmost land "known" to the Greeks, that's why. Actually not a special real-world land, but in a mythological context.
"Hyper borea" -> "Beyond the North(wind)"

Don't expect Howard to be a specialist in all terran mythologies, or that he wouldn't butcher any of those mythologies.
(If you ever played Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, it is said there that Hyperborea was identical with Iceland, and an Atlantean colony.)

Back to topic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BAri