The Norse Creation Story How the world came to be

The worlds Niflheim – Land of ice and snow – Spring Hvergelmir Source of the Elivagar (Eleven Rivers) – Cool Svol – Defiant Gunnthra – Fjorm – Bubbling Fimbulthul – Fearsome Slid – Storming Hrid, Sylg, and Ylg – Broad Vid and Leipt – Freezing Gjoll Muspell – Land of fire – Home of the fire-demon Black Surt Brandishes a flaming sword and waits for the end of time Ginnungagap – Void between the two worlds

Frost Giants Creation – When the rime from Niflheim and the warm air from Muspell collided, two beings were created Ymir the frost giant – Was “evil from the first” – Fed off of the milk from Audumla – He gave birth to all the other frost giants – They called him Aurgelmir Audumla the cow – She fed off the ice – Licked out a man from the ice called Buri

Allfather Odin – Grandson of Buri – Son of Bor and the frost giant Bestla – Two brothers: Vili and Ve – Hated Ymir and his gang of unruly, brutal frost giants He and his brothers killed Ymir The blood that streamed from his wounds drowned all the other frost giants except Bergelmir and his wife

Shaping of the world The parts of Ymir – Skull: The sky Held up by four dwarves; North, East, South, and West – Flesh: The earth Unbroken bones: The mountains Broken bones, teeth, and jaws: Rocks, boulders, and stones Blood: Lakes and the sea Eyebrows: Enclosure around Jotunheim Brains: Every type of cloud Other elements – Sparks from Muspell: Stars, sun, and moon – An ash and elm tree: The first man (Ask) and woman (Embla) – Maggots: Dwarves

Shaping of time Night and son Day – Placed in chariots to move over the world – Night’s horse: frosty-maned Hrimfaxi – Day’s horse: gleaming-maned Shinfaxi Sun and Moon – Daughter and son of man named Mundilfari – So beautiful that Odin and brothers snatched them up and placed in sky to guide the chariots of the sun and moon Moon does not travel alone but swooped down and took two children, Bil and Hjuki Chased by two wolves that are sons of a giantess who lived in Iron Wood – Sun is chased by Skoll – Moon is chased by Hati

Plains Asgard – A place for the gods of green plains and shining palaces Linked to Midgard by Bifrost: A flamming rainbow bridge Place where Valhalla sits – Hall of the slain warriors Midgard – The world where men, dwarves, and giants live Jotunheim is the land of giants that is seperated by mountains to protect mankind Yggdrasill – Ash tree that shelters all of creation – Roots plunge deep into the different plains and binds them all together

Yggdrasill Roots – Niflheim Spring Hvergelmir – Midgard (Jotunheim) Well guarded by Mimir (Head of Mimir) – Anyone who tastes the waters is given much wisdom – Odin sacrafice one eye for a drink from it – Heimdall left his horn next to it to sum all creatures to Ragnorok – Asgard Well of Urd (Spring of destiny) – Gods hold court of justice there – The Three Norns (Fates) » Fate, Being, and Necessity

Yggdrasill (cont.) Inhabitants – Nidhogg Lives in Niflheim ripping apart the dead Chews at the root of Yggdrasill Sends Ratatosk up the tree to insult the eagle sitting in the branches – Ratatosk Squirrel that runs up and down the tree – Eagle in the highest branches with a hawk on its brow – Four stags nibble at the leaves – Goats eat the tender shoots Condition – Yggdrasill is constantly attacked; starting to soften and rot