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The yawning void -

According to Norse mythology, the cosmos started with Ginnungagap, a vast emptiness whose name translates to the “yawning void.” The cosmos was a place devoid of sand, sea, earth, or sky. Only Ginnungagap existed between the scorching fire of Muspelheim and the icy mists of Niflheim.

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Land of fire -

Muspelheim was a blazing realm at one end of Ginnungagap, filled with intense, chaotic flames that glowed with heat.

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Land of mist -

On the opposite of Ginnungagap was Niflheim, which held eternal frost and mist, its deadly cold shaping part of the early universe. Together, they played pivotal roles in creation.

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Rivers of poison -

Rivers called Élivágar flowed from Niflheim, filled with toxic waters that turned into icy rime in Ginnungagap. Poisonous vapors froze into layers, while heat from Muspelheim moved closer and set the stage for life through an interaction of elements.

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Primordial ooze -

As Muspelheim's heat met Niflheim's ice, a strange alchemy occurred. The icy rime melted and transformed into a primordial ooze. From this cosmic soup, life would unexpectedly emerge.

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Birth of the first giant -

Ymir, the first being, emerged from the ooze. A primordial giant with a hermaphroditic form, Ymir birthed new giants from his sweat, producing both humanoid beings and monstrous creatures.

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The sacred cow Audumbla -

The next being to emerge from the ooze was Audumbla, a primordial cow. Her nourishing milk sustained Ymir, and she survived by licking the salty rime. As she licked, she inadvertently shaped the future of creation by revealing the first of the gods.

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Buri revealed -

Over three days, Audumbla licked the rime until Buri, the first god, appeared. On the first day, his hair was revealed, his head on the second, and his whole body on the third. Buri embodied strength and was the ancestor of the gods.

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Buri's descendants -

Buri fathered Borr, who married the giantess Bestla. They had three sons: Odin, Vili, and Vé. These three gods, brimming with divine power, would soon shape the very cosmos and fight a defining battle to bring order to the universe.

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Yggdrasil -

Yggdrasil, the sacred ash tree, rooted the universe together. It held the nine worlds within its branches and roots, connecting all the realms. Though its origins are unknown, it likely grew from the cosmic goop to become the axis of existence itself.

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Mystical wells -

Yggdrasil’s roots were nourished by three mystical wells: Urdarbrunnr, the well of destiny; Mimisbrunnr, the well of wisdom; and Hvergelmir, the well of fire. These wells, each carrying unique powers, supported the tree’s cosmic strength.

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Destiny at the well -

In Niflheim, mystical figures of fate known as the Norns watched over the well of destiny. Their purpose was to weave the threads of every being's fate, including gods and men.

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A growing concern -

The cosmos was once filled with giants and gods coexisting, but Odin and his brothers grew worried. Ymir's unchecked reproduction threatened divine stability, as the giants outnumbered the gods. This led to a fateful decision that would change everything.

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The slaying of Ymir -

Odin, Vili, and Ve killed Ymir to end the giants' dominance. Blood flooded the universe, drowning most of the giants. This cataclysmic event mirrored various myths of floods in reality.

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Creating the Earth -

Ymir’s corpse became the foundation of the new world. His blood formed the sea, his bones became mountains, and his flesh turned into land. His skull became the sky, and his brain created the clouds. It was the gods' masterwork of transformation, which they called Midgard.

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The stars and the sky -

The gods added stars by taking fiery embers from Muspelheim and embedding them in Ymir’s skull, now the sky. These celestial flames lit up the universe and brought a sense of order to the newly-crafted world.

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Midgard and Jotunheim -

In the end, Odin and his brothers crafted a world disk. Giants lived on the harsh outskirts in Jotunheim, while the gods shaped the fertile center of Midgard. Ymir’s eyelashes formed a protective barrier around Midgard, shielding it from the giants' reach.

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Ask and Embla -

The first humans, Ask and Embla, were lifeless wooden figures until the gods intervened. Odin gave them souls, Hoenir gifted them senses, and Lothur infused them with blood’s warmth. From these divine gifts, humanity emerged to inhabit Midgard.

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Asgard -

The gods established Asgard, a divine realm high in Yggdrasil. Odin (along with his wife, Frigga) led the Aesir gods, who fortified Asgard against giant invasions. A dazzling Bifrost Bridge was built to connect Asgard to Midgard, and acted as a conduit for divine protection of humankind.

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The Vanir -

Another tribe of gods, the Vanir, lived in Vanaheim. The Aesir and Vanir went to war early in cosmic history, but they eventually made peace through hostage exchange, and Vanir gods like Freyja (pictured) and Freyr integrated into Asgard’s divine society.

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Mysterious origins -

While Midgard and Asgard were accounted for, the origins of the remaining realms in Yggdrasil remain unclear. The realm of Alfheim was home to a race of elves that were good (or “light”) and were considered semi-divine beings, while Svartalfheim was reserved for the dark elves, commonly called dwarves.

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A dark craft -

The dwarves of Svartalfheim were skilled artisans. They forged iconic Norse treasures, including Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and Odin’s spear Gungnir. Their expertise in crafting divine relics helped shape the sagas of gods and heroes.

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The divided dead -

The Norse afterlife was diverse. Valhalla, Odin’s hall (pictured), welcomed fallen warriors, while Freyja’s Folkvangr accepted others. Ran, an underwater realm, claimed souls who drowned, and Helheim awaited those who died unheroic deaths. Each place had a distinct purpose.

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The sacred mountain -

Helgafjell, or the holy mountain, was believed to house the spirits of the dead. Unlike Helheim, it was a peaceful resting place with a warm hearth and good food and drink.

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Shaping social order -

The Norse god Heimdall descended to Midgard to establish social classes among humans. While on Earth, he stayed with various families and ensured that their offspring fit their social roles.

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Children of Loki -

The god of mischief, Loki, fathered three creatures with the giantess Angrboda: Hel, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr. But the gods feared their power and sought to contain them. These monstrous beings would shape the fate of gods and the universe, creating ripples of chaos and destiny.

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Hel -

Hel, half-living and half-dead, was sent to rule Helheim (one of the underworlds in Niflheim), where she would preside over souls who did not die gloriously. Her realm added to Norse cosmology’s layered complexity of death and the afterlife.

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Fenrir -

Fenrir, a monstrous wolf, was bound by the gods through trickery. As he struggled in fury, they placed a sword in his mouth, forming a river from his drool.

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Jörmungandr -

The serpent Jörmungandr was hurled into the sea around Midgard, and he grew so large that he encircled the world and bit his tail. His presence caused tidal waves, and he was crucial for maintaining the cosmic balance.

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Ultimate irony -

By banishing Loki’s children, the gods inadvertently laid the groundwork for Ragnarök, which was prophesied to be the twilight of the gods and the end of time. By creating the universe and binding Loki’s children, the gods had prepared the stage for the universe’s inevitable destruction.

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Foreshadowing Ragnarök -

Ragnarök was considered by Nordic folk to be a destined apocalyptic event where gods and creatures will clash, inevitably leading to the world’s end. Even in creation, the seeds of destruction were sown.

Sources: (TheCollector) (Britannica) (University of Pittsburgh)

See also: The mighty gods and goddesses of Slavic mythology

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