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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.