Tolkien and Norse Mythology

[Lalaith]

It's also interesting to compare the differences between Tolkien's mythology and that of the Norsemen.
There's no tricky and morally ambigious Loki figure in Tolkien (well maybe Osse at a stretch) and no shining Baldur either. Yes, Manwe and Odin are both sky gods, but their spouses are quite different. Elbereth is also associated with the sky, while Frigg is a hearth/fertility goddess. Aegir is a rather more sinister figure than Ulmo.
Tulkas is a kind of cross between Tyr and Thor, I think.
But Norse mythology is itself also something of a hybrid. The Vanir were clearly a different set of gods, (perhaps worshipped by a conquered or neighbouring people - they feel quite Finnish to me, although I'm no expert) which became amalgamated with the Viking pantheon. Gods like Ullr were also probably from an earlier pantheon than Odin and co.