The Creation of the World According to Norse Mythology
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The Creation of the WorldThe Origin of Life
In the beginning there was only primordial chaos — the void of Ginnungagap. To the north of the void lay the realm of mist and ice, Niflheim. To the south, the realm of fire, Muspelheim.
In the realm of cold and darkness, the spring Hvergelmir broke forth. Its powerful current flowed and froze under the harsh frosts of Niflheim. Slowly, the ice began to spread and creep southward. And when the ice drew close to the world of fire and began to melt, the sparks that flew off landed upon the ice and breathed life into it. A giant form rose out of the void and became the first living being — the giant Ymir.
NiflheimYmir was a hermaphrodite and reproduced asexually. As he slept, giants (anti-gods) sprang from the sweat of his armpits and legs. On the first day, a giant man and woman emerged from his left arm, and a six-headed giant, Thrudgelmir, from his leg. Thus arose the race of savage giants — the Hrimthursar.
MuspelheimThe Coming of the Gods
From the melting ice arose a cow of gigantic size — Audhumla. She began licking the ice and feeding on its salt. Four rivers of milk flowed from the cow's udder, and so Ymir and his children had food to eat. Audhumla continued licking the ice, and within a few days had licked free the mighty ancestor of the gods, Buri. His son, Borr, married the giantess Bestla, and in time three sons were born to him — the gods Odin, Vili, and Ve.
AudhumlaThe three brothers, having lived a while in this cruel world, decided to put an end to Ymir's rule. The battle proved fierce and long, but in the end they managed to defeat and kill their rival. So much blood poured from Ymir's wounds that all the other giants, along with the cow, drowned in it. Only Bergelmir, Ymir's grandson, and his wife managed to build a boat in time and sail away upon it.
The battle with YmirThe Creation of Midgard
Next, the gods set about shaping the world. From Ymir's body they made the earth, and set it in the middle of the great sea that had formed from his blood. From the giant's skull they made the sky, from his hair, the trees, from his teeth, the stones, and from his brain, the clouds. They bent the four corners of the sky into the shape of horns and placed four winds there — the north wind (Nordri), the south wind (Sudri), the west wind (Vestri), and the east wind (Austri). From the sparks of Muspelheim they made the stars in the sky. Some moved in a circle, while others stood still, so that time could be measured. When they had finished, they named this world Midgard.
Ask and EmblaOne day, on the shore of the sea, the gods found an ash tree and an alder. From the ash they made a man, and from the alder a woman. They gave them blood and reason, and breathed life into them. They were named Ask and Embla, and from them began the human race. Nor did the gods forget the giants — they created the world of Jotunheim and gave it to their descendants as their domain.
AsgardThe gods themselves, along with their descendants, settled in the land of Asgard, which they built high above Midgard.
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