Völuspá: the origin of the
worlds.
And the growth of Yggdrasil, the
world tree.
• There was nothing in the beginning but a seemingly
almost endless chasm called the Ginnungagap. The
Ginnungagap was bordered by Niflheim, far to the north,
and Muspelheim, far to the south. Out of this chaos the
first being came into existence from the drop of water
when ice from Niflheim and fire from Muspelheim met.
•
•
This first being was Ymir, a
primeval giant. The frost-giants
called him Aurgelmir, but
everyone else called him Ymir.
Ymir's foot bred a son with the
other and a man and a woman
emerged from his armpits. Thus
he would be the father of an entire
host of the cruel creatures known
as frost-giants.
Ymir was nourished by a cosmic
cow called Audumla. Audumla fed
herself by licking the salty rimestone, until that stone was licked
into a shape of man. This stoneman was named Buri and he was
the first primeval god.
• From Buri, Bor was born. Bor
married the giantess Bestla,
the daughter of the frost-giant
Boltha. They became the
parents of the first Aesir gods
Odin, Vili (Hoenir) and Ve.
During this time, Ymir grew so
large and so evil that the three
gods killed Ymir. The blood
that flowed from Ymir's wound
was so great that almost all the
frost giants drowned in the
torrent. Only the frost giants
Bergelmer and his wife
escaped the flood in a chest,
arriving on the mountain of
Jötunheim (Jotunheim), which
became the home of the
giants.
•
•
•
•
Odin and his brothers used Ymir's body to create the universe and World Tree,
Yggdrasil. The branches of the tree supported nine different ”worlds”: Asgard,
Ljossalfheim, Midgard, Svartalfheim, Hel, Jötunheim, Muspelheim, Vanaheim,
and Nifelheim. They placed the body over the void called Ginnungagap.
They used his flesh for creating the earth and his blood for the sea. His skull,
held up by four dwarves (Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri), was used to create the
heaven. Then using sparks from Muspelheim, the gods created the sun, moon
and stars. While Ymir's eyebrows were used to create a place where the human
race could live in; a place called Midgard (Middle Earth).
After the three gods, Odin, Vili, and Ve, created Midgard, they started to create
the human race, from the tree trunks that they came upon at the beach. From
these timbers, they made the first man and first woman: Askr and Embla.
Each god gave them a gift: Odin gave them breath; Vili gave them understanding
and spirit; and Ve gave them senses and outward appearance.
The great world
tree, Yggdrasil.
Asgard
Ljossalfheim or
Álfheim
Muspelheim
Vanaheim
Midgard
Jotunheim
Nifelheim
Svartalfheim
Hel
The nine worlds and their rulers.
• Asgard:
Home of
the gods,
or Æsir,
living in
Odin’s
fortress,
Valhalla.
Ruled by
Odin.
• Álfheim: Home of the
good elves. Ruled by
Alfarin.
• Muspelheim: Home of the fire giants. Ruled by
Surt (or Sutr).
• Vanaheim: home of the Vanir, one of the two
clans of gods besides the Æsir. Ruled by Njord.
• Midgard:
Home of
the
humans.
There is
no set
ruler.
• Jotunheim:
Home of the
giants.
Ruled by
King Thrym.
They are
killed off by
Thor after
Thrym steals
his hammer,
Mjolnir.
• Nifelheim: Home of the frost-giants. Ruled
by the giantess Angrboda.
• Svartálfheim:
Home of the
dwarves.
Ruled by
Sindri.
• Hel: Land of the dead. Ruled over by Hel, a
half-giantess half-god.
• There’s a bridge between Asgard and
Midgard and Vanaheim. It’s a rainbow
bridge. Odin puts a gatekeeper on it (in
Midgard), to keep people from moving. In
one story, the gatekeeper set up the class
system for the humans in Midgard. He
could be seen as ruler, but he didn’t
maintain control or give edicts; he merely
stayed at the gate.
• Odin had female warriors, called Valkyries,
who collected the souls of warriors who
had died in battle (humans, on Midgard).
Since they died fighting, they were due the
greatest glory, to live on Asgard at
Valhalla. Later, in the battle of Ragnorak,
Odin used these warrior souls as his army.
In the battle, the gods and the warrior
souls fought against giants and monsters.