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

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.