Norse Creation

Norse Pantheon

In the Beginning… There was nothing in the beginning but seemingly almost endless chasm called the Ginnungagap. Described as an abyss with fountain in the middle that 12 rivers flowed from. The further out they went, the more they froze.

Ginnungagap was bordered by Niflheim and Muspelheim – Niflheim is the place of darkness and ice, far to the north – Muspelheim, a place of fire, far to the south. – When they met, the mist formed clouds.

Out of this chaos the first being came into existence from the drop of water when ice from Niflheim and fire from Muspelheim met. Ymir

a primeval giant. The frost-giants called him Aurgelmir became father of a race of frost-giants.

nourished by a cosmic cow called Audhumbla. Audumla fed herself by licking the salty rime- stone, until that stone was licked into a shape of man. Ymir and the cow Auðhumla by Nicolai Abildgaard (1790)

This stone-man was named Buri and he was the first primeval god. Buri was the father of Borr.

Borr married the giantess Bestla, the daughter of the frost-giant Boltha.

And they became the parents of the first Aesir gods – Odin – Vili – Ve

Ymir grew so large and so evil that the three gods killed him. The blood that flowed from Ymir's wound was so great that almost all the frost giants drowned in the inundation and formed the seas.

Bones formed the Mountains

Flesh formed the covering of the Earth

His Hair becomes all kinds of plant life.

Sets world in Order Separated light from dark (night/day) Midgard (humans’ home) Asgard (gods’ home) Yggdrasil (tree of life)

The World Order Odin and his brothers then used Ymir's body to create the universe. This universe comprises of nine worlds. 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 was used to create the heaven. held up by four dwarves – Nordri – Sudri – Austri – Vestri

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).

A great ash tree called Yggdrasill ("World Tree") supported the universe, with roots that connects the nine worlds together.

One root of Yggdrasill extends to Muspelheim ("world of fire"), while another root to Niflheim (the "world of cold" or "of ice").

Niflheim was sometimes confused with Niflhel; Niflhel being known by another name – Hel, was the world of the dead. Hel was sometimes used interchangeably with Niflhel by many writers, as the world of the dead.

While one root was connected to Asgard (home of the Aesir), another root to Vanaheim (home of the Vanir). The frostgiants lived Jötunheim (Jotunheim). Midgard was the world for human. Alfheim was home of the light elves (ljósálfar). There was also the underground world for the black elves (svartálfar), called Svartalfheim. The dwarves inhabited the world of Nidavellir.

Besides the three roots of Yggdrasill, there were three wells.

The Norns guarded the Urdarbrunnr, which is often known as "Weird's Well", "Wyrd's Well" or "Urda's Well". The Weird's Well was considered to be very holy. The Norns were Urda or Weird or Wyrd ("Past"), Verdandi ("Present") and Skuld ("Future"). Two swans drink from this well.

The Norns cared for the root near the Weird's Well Every day, they take water from the holy well, pouring on the root and soil, so that at least this root doesn't rot or decay likes the other roots. The mud was white in color. – This white mud caused honeydew to fall to the earth, keeping the valley around the well to be forever green.

The second well was Mímisbrunnr or the "Well of Mimir", which was also known as the "Well of Knowledge". said to be guarded by the Aesir god named Mimir, a Norse god of wisdom.

The third well was called Hvergelmir or the "Roaring Kettle", where a giant serpent called Nidhogg, continuously gnaws at the root of Niflheim Eventually, Nidhogg will eat its way through the root that will cause Yggdrasill to collapse. – But this won't happen until Ragnarok finally arrived. – Nidhogg also liked sucking on the bodies of the dead.

There are many other animals that dwelled around Yggdrasill. Apart from Nidhogg, there were countless snakes living with the great serpent.

From above, four harts or stags feed on the foliage. Dain Duneyr Durathror Dvalin

So with Nidhogg feed on one root from above, the stags feed from above, while the side of the tree rotted, Yggdrasill suffered greatly.