The Beginning

There was once no heaven above or earth beneath, but only a bottomless void, and a world of mist in which flowed a fountain. Twelve rivers flowed from this fountain, and when they had flown far from their source, they froze into ice, and one layer accumulating over another, the great deep was filled up.

Southward from the world of mist was the world of light. From this flowed a warm wind upon the ice and melted it. The vapors rose in the air and formed clouds, from which sprang Ymir, the Frost giant and his progeny, and the cow Audhumbla, whose milk afforded nourishment and food to the giant. The cow got nourishment by licking the frost and salt from the ice. While she was one day licking the salt stones there appeared at first the hair of a man, on the second day the whole head, and on the third the entire form endowed with beauty, agility, and power. This new being was a god, from whom and his wife, a daughter of the giant race, sprang three sons Odin, Vili, and Ve. They slew the giant Ymir, and out of his body formed the earth, of his blood the seas, of his bones the mountains,of his hair the trees, of his skull the heavens, and of his brain the clouds, charged with hail and snow. Of Ymir's eyebrows the gods formed Midgard, destined to become the home of man.

Odin then regulated the periods of day and night the seasons by placing in the heavens the sun and moon and appointing them their courses. As soon as the sun began to shed its rays upon the earth, it caused the vegetable world to bud and sprout. Shortly after the gods had created the world they walked by the side of the sea, pleased with their creation, but found that it was without beings. Therefor they took an ash tree and made a man out of it, and they made a woman out of an elder, they called the man Ask and the woman Embla. Odin then gave them life and soul, Vili gave them reason and emotion, and Ve gave them senses, expressive features, and speech. Midgard was then given to them as their residence, and they became the ancestors of the human race.

The mighty ash tree Ygdrasill supported the whole universe. It sprang from the body of Ymir, and had three immense roots, extending one into Asgard, the dwelling of the gods, another into Jotunheim, the home of the giants, and the last into Niffleheim, the regions of darkness and cold. The root that extends into Asgard is carefully tended by three Norn goddesses who are regarded as the dispensers of fate. They are Urdur(the past), Verdandi (the present), and Skuld (the future). The spring at the Jotunheim side is Ymir's well, in which wisdom and wit lie hidden, but that of Niffleheim feeds the adder Nidhogge, which constantly gnaws at the root. Four harts run across the branches of the tree and bite the buds, they represent the four winds. Under the tree lies Ymir, and when he tries to shake off its weight the earth shakes.

Asgard is the name of the abode of the gods, access to which is only gained by crossing the bridge Bifrost, which is a rainbow that reaches from the earth to Asgard. Asgard consists of golden and silver palaces, the dwellings of the Gods, but the most beautiful of these is Valhalla, the residence of Odin. When seated on his throne he overlooks all heaven and earth. Upon his shoulders are the ravens Hugin and Munin, who fly every day over the whole world, and on their return report to him all they have seen and heard. At his feet lie his two wolves, Geri and Freki, to whom stands in no need of food. Mead is for him both food and drink. He invented the Runic characters and it is the job of the Norns to engrave the runes of fate upon a metal shield.