The beginning

In the south was the burning Muspelheim. Surt was the only one who could stand the warmth. In the north was the cold Nifilheim. Between these two places there was a big empty space, Ginnungagap. One day the cold, white frost from Nifilheim touched warm winds from Muspelheim and it started to drip. These drops became a giant, Ymir. One man and one woman growed in his armpit and his legs made a child with each other. Ymir kept himself alive by drinking milk from the cow Audhumbla, who also had her origins in the waterdrops. Audhumbla got food by licking salt from a stone. One day a male head appeared on the stone and a few days later you could see the hole man, Buri. Buri growed up and got a son, Bor, who married a giantess, Betsla, and got the sons Odin, Vili and Ve.

When the sons had grown up and gotten bigger and stronger they decided to kill the evil giant Ymir. They succeeded and Ymir's blood drowned every giant except Bergelmir and his family. Odin, Vili and Ve put Ymir's body in the middle of Ginnungagap where they created the world. The earth was built of his meat, the mountains from his bones. His blood became floods and oceans. His tooth and jaws became rocks and stones. They made heaven out of Ymir's skull and they made the clouds of his brain. Flames from Muspelheim became stars. The worms in his dead body became what we call dwarves. They placed out four of them; Austri, Vestri, Nordri and Sudri in the four corners of the skull to hold it up. One day the three brothers saw an ash and an elmtree. Of that tree they created the first humans, Ask and Embla. Odin gave them life, Vili gave them intellect and Ve gave them sight and hearing. They let the humans stay in Midgard were they were protected by the wall made of Ymir's eyebrows. They put Moon and Sun, Night and Day to ride their horses round the world. The last thing they created was Asgard and the Bifrost-bridge.

Related Links: Audhumbla Austri Betsla Buri Bor Day Ginnungagap Muspelheim Moon Nifilheim Night Nordri Odin Sun Sudri Vili Ve Vestri Ymir