Download Norse Creation Mythology

Norse Mythology: Creation Myths
Sazama
The Creation of the Gods:
Before creation took place, there existed two great areas: Niflheim, a northern waste of ice and
fog, and Muspellsheim, a southern region of brightness and flame. Between them stood a gaping pit
called Ginnungagap. From this central region, where warmth and cold met, the first creature, Ymir,
was eventually formed; so too was the great hornless cow, Audhumla. The cow fed on the salty brine
of the Ginnungagap and produced milk for Ymir to drink. As Ymir grew, a male and a female were
produced from each of his armpits, and a family of trolls from his legs. These trolls produced the Frost
Giants called Jostars that soon multiplied, producing many fair and ugly offspring. The cow too
helped in creation , for as it was licking the ice-blocks around Ginnungagap, it uncovered a creature
called Buri.
Buri married one of the more beautiful of the Jotars and had a son, Bor. It was Bor’s three
giant sons, Odin (meaning spirit), Vili (meaning wild), and Ve (meaning holiness) who founded a
special family of the gods – the race of the Aesir, a fierce race which looked for a way to unleash their
new powers. But, before they could do this, they had to get rid of the one powerful figure who might
oppose them: Ymir.
Finding their chance one day, they slew Ymir and pushed his bleeding body into Ginnungagap.
The blood from his mighty wounds soon filled up the region, drowning all of the original Frost Giants
except one, Bergelmir. Bergelmir escaped, and eventually repopulated the icy wilderness, and vowed
to avenge the deaths of his fallen brothers. It was from this incident that the bitter enmity between the
Frost Giants and Odin’s followers began.
The Creation of the World:
Eventually the Aesir decided to raise up Ymir’s body, and from it formed the world. His blood
became the sea and lakes; his flesh formed the earth; and from his bones, the mountains were made.
Bones that were already broken became the rocks and pebbles.
Not stopping there, the Aesir made the dome of the sky out of his skull, placing a dwarf in each
corner of the earth to hold it high. Around the earth, they created a wall from his eyebrows and called
it Midgard. This, they said, would protect their next important creation, people, from the Frost Giants
who roamed the cold regions of Niflheim.
The Creation of Human Beings:
One day while Odin and two of his court, Hoenir and Lodur, were out looking at the results of
creation, they came upon two trees beside the cold sea: the ash and the elm (some accounts say the
alder). Wanting to populate the earth with beings who would respect and worship them, they
conceived a plan. Odin breathed his spirit into the tall and hardy trees. No sooner had he done this
than they came alive as man and woman. Hoenir gave them a gift of understanding, and Lodur gave
them their outward form and their five senses. The first man and woman were given the earth as their
home.
Below the earth, the gods created dwarfs, small twisted creatures with strange names, who had
great skills in forging metals and working with the precious gold and silver so dear to the Aesir and,
hence, to human beings ever since.
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Above the earth, to keep the man and woman warm, the Aesir created the sun and the moon,
and two children to drive them across the sky in their chariots. The sun was driven by a beautiful
maiden, and the moon by a fair-haired boy. The giants, lovers of the dark and cold regions of the
Niflheim, were enraged by this beautiful, warm creation of the Aesir and sent two of their number,
disguised as wolves, to destroy the charioteers of the new light. Thus the sun and the moon had to be
driven across the sky quickly, for the day when the wolves could catch the sun or the moon would be
the day when the gods and all of creation would come to an end. This would be the great day of doom,
or “Ragnarok.”
The World Tree:
Amid all of this creative activity stood the giant ash tree Yggdrasil. No one knew where it came
from or how it grew, but its very presence in the world was the sustaining force of the universe. As
long as it lived, the gods, the world, and human beings would live. Its branches stretched up to the
heavens and into the realms of the earth. Three great roots supported its mighty trunks: one passed
into the realm of the Aesir, another into the land of the Niflheim, and a third wound its way among the
land of the dead.
Beneath its roots in Niflheim was the spring of Mimir, from which came the clear waters of
understanding and insight. It was said that Odin himself had given up one of his eyes just to be able to
drink from its precious waters.
Beneath the tree was the sacred spring of Fate called the Well of Urd, looked after by the three
Norns, females named Urd (Fate), Verdandi (Being), and Skuld (Necessity). Sometimes, these three
women were called Past, Present, and Future. Their duty, besides controlling the destinies of humans
was to water Yggdrasil from the well of Urd and to anoint its bark with white clay in order to preserve
it from the ravages of wild forest creatures. Although water fell from its branches and nourished all of
the earth, the tree was in constant danger and needed protection.
On the topmost branch of Yggdrasil perched a giant eagle which shook his wings from time to
time, causing all of the leaves in the world to blow. On his beak sat a hawk whose duty it was to scan
the four corners of the world for enemies. Together, the eagle and the hawk guarded Yggdrasil. Their
eternal duty was to protect the tree from the giant serpent which lay at its roots.
This giant serpent was constantly entwined about the base of the Yggdrasil and, by gnawing at
tis base, tried to topple it. Hence, the serpent was at war with the eagle. This conflict was kept alive
by a malicious squirrel which ran from one to the other carrying insults; hence, eternal strife reigned
supreme in the universe.
All of this time goats and deer nibbled on the tender branches of the Yggdrasil, while birds and
insects bored into its bark. Were it not for the Norns who took care of the tree, it would have died and
with its death would come Ragnarok, the destruction which everyone fought to prevent.
1. In Norse mythology humans are made from trees, whereas in the Greek story humans are made
from clay. How do you account for this difference in materials?
2. The world of the Norse does not contain the order and symmetry of the Greek world. Even the
gods have enemies; the sun and the moon are constantly threatened, and the Water Tree,
Yggdrasil, needs constant attention in order to overcome the attacks of insects, forest creatures,
and the serpent. This is a world that is constantly in danger of annihilation by Ragnarok. What
does this tell you about the culture, environment, and existence of the Vikings?
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Norse Mythology: Creation Myths
Sazama
In the space provided below, illustrate one of the creation stories described in the previous
pages. Label all of the important aspects of the story and include clear drawings.
This is a depiction of:
(circle one)
The Creation of the Gods
The Creation of the World
The Creation of Human Beings
The World Tree