The Creation of the Norse Universe

The Creation
of the
Norse Universe
In the beginning . . .
Niflheim ­ In the far North
Realm of darkness and ice
Ginnungagap ­
In the middle
A void of nothingness
Only a Great Ash Tree ­ Yggdrasil
Muspelheim ­
In the far South
Realm of fire & extreme heat
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Ginnungagap
In the void ­ condensation from cold of Niflheim and the
heat of Muspelheim formed
From the droplets of water a giant and a cow emerged
Giant ­ Ymir
Cow ­ Audumla
Ymir fed from
the milk of the cow
Eventually he slept and fell into a sweat
from sweat emerged a frost­giant male and female
From Ymir leg emerged another frost­male giant
Cow fed herself by licking the frozen salt from ice that
jutted into Ginnungagap from Niflheim
While she licked, she sculpted another frost giant ­ Buri
Buri created his son Bor
Bor married another frost­giant Bestla
They had 3 sons ­ Odin, Vili (Hœnir) and Vé
Ginnungagap
Ymir proved to be a tyrant ­ horrible and
mean
The three brothers (Odin, Vili, Ve) killed him
The blood that spilled from the murder
drowned all the frost­giants except Bergelmir
& his wife who escaped on a small boat/raft
to Jotunheim
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Ymir
The three brother moved the body of Ymir to the
middle of Ginnungagap & used it to create the
universe
Flesh ­ worlds
Blood ­ sea/water
Skull ­ sky/heavens
Hair ­ trees
Bones ­ mountains
Brains ­ clouds
Teeth ­ rocks and pebbles
Eyebrows ­ Midgard (world of humans)
Then they took sparks from Muspelheim for stars
Dieties of Sol (sun) and Bil (moon) were born and
put in their places to circle the skies/heavens
Remember that lone tree?
Yggdrasil ­ Great Ash Tree
Supports the universe
Roots connect to all worlds
Asgard ­ Æsir gods
Jotunheim ­ frost­giants
Aifheim ­ light elves
*Fates ­ live at the base of
Yggdrasil
Midgard ­ humans
Svartalheim ­ dark elves
Nidavellir ­ dwarves
Muspelheim ­ fire
Niflehim ­ ice (underworld)
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Asgard
Home of the Æsir gods
Entrance to it only through BIFROST ­ rainbow bridge
The different colors of the rainbow represent various elements
that make it dangerous to cross for any creature
Palaces/Halls built there for each of the more prominent gods
Some older generation of gods from Vanaheim (a realm that
"merged" with Asgard after these gods were defeated by
the Æsir gods)
Valhalla ­ best known hall
Valkyries ­ female warrior divinities picked the best of the
warriors slain in combat and brought souls there
Practice war all day ­ Party all night
Prepare for Ragnarök ­ end of the world
Vingolf ­ wine/friend hall
Righteous men's souls were brought here
Much like Elysian Fields
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Midgard
Inhabited by human race
Odin, Vili (Hœnir) and Vi walked the planet and
saw a two beautiful trees ­ an ash and an elm
From the ash they created the first male ­ Askr
From the elm they created the first female ­ Embla
Later gods re­visited the earth and populated it with 3
classes of men
Thralls ­ labourers and slaves
Farmer ­ farmers
Lord ­ nobles
Midgard is surrounded by an "endless" sea and within
that sea, circling the world, is the giant serpent
Jörmungand
Ragnarök
Dooms day ­ Armageddon ­ Destruction of 9 worlds & Yggdrasil
Good
Æsir , led by Odin
Vs
Evil
Giants, Monster, Led by Loki
Fate has already determined the outcome
All the fight know how it will end
Important ­ fight valiantly ­ the highest honor/recognition
Signs of Ragnorok
The birth of 3 of Loki's offspring
Fenrir (giant wolf), Jörmungand (Midgard serpent) &
Hel (ruler of the underworld)
Winter/cold for 3 years ­ no summer
Great battles will be fought
Taboos will be broken (son v. parents, brother v. brother)
Sun and Moon will disappear
Stars will fall out of the sky
Dragon will chew through a root of Yggdrasil
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A New Age
Not all is "doomed" for eternity
Some gods will survive to repopulate Asgard
(and they know exactly who)
The children of the son and the moon will take
over their parents duties
2 humans will survive to repopulate Midgard
Gods & men will live in peace
Heaven on Earth ­ impossible dream
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