The Norse Creation Story

1. The Norse Creation Story How the world came to be

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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