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In Norse mythology the universe was made of a fountain and mist.
From this fountain twelve rivers flowed and each turned into ice and it
eventually filled up the great deep. Below
the land of mist and ice there was a land of light. There came a
warm wind upon the ice and melted creating steam. From the clouds
sprang the Frost Giant Ymir and his kin. Also came Aundhumbla (a cow) from which the giants drank
it's milk and got nurishment. The Aundhumbla got it's food from the frost and salt
on the ice. One day the cow licked from the ice an Almighty God
(He Disappears until Ragnarok).
This
god took as his wife a giantess and had three children Odin, Vili, and
Ve
these three gods along slew the frost giant Ymir and
out of his body came the world ,his bones the mountains, his blood the
seas, his hair the trees, his skull the heavens, his brains the clouds,
and of his eyebrows the gods made Midgard, the home of man. Odin then
made the days, months, weeks, year, seasons ,and night. As soon as
the sun came out the world grew plentiful of all manner of plants.
Then the gods carved a man out of an ash tree and a woman out of a
alder. The man was called Aske and the woman Embla. Odin
gave them life and soul, Vili reason and motion, and Ve emotion and
speech. They lived in Midgard.
The universe was now supported by the mighty ash tree Ygdrasill.
It came from the body of Ymir and had three great roots. One went to
Asgard (the land of the Gods), the second went to Jotunheim (the land of
the Giants), and the third went to Niffleheim (the land of the Dead).
Each of it's roots had a well or fountain next to it and was tended by a
fate. The fates are three Norse goddesses and their names are
Urdur (The Past), Verdandi (The Present), and Skuld (The Future). The
spring or well at Jotunheim is the well of wisdom, but the well at
Niffleheim is the dragon Nidhogge's (Darkness) feeding place for it
continually gnaws at the root. Four Harts (They Represent the
Four winds: North, South, East, And West) run across the branches
of Ygdrasill and bite off the buds.
Asgard is the home of the gods and the only way to get there is to
cross the bridge Bifrost (The Rainbow). Asgard has many
splendid dwellings but the best of them all is Odin's Home, Valhalla.
His throne overlooks all. Whereas his ravens Hugin and Munin fly all
around the world and report back to him what they have seen and heard.
His wolves Geri and Freki get all of his food because to him mead is
both food and drink.
Valhalla is where Odin's chosen heroes reside. Everything and
everyone is excluded if they died a peaceful death. Here the
heroes fight all day. When they are not fighting they sit at the
great table of Odin and feast the boar (Schrimnir) is served to them but
his body is renewed every day. For drink the heroes have mead from
the goat (Heidrum).
Some more heroes are the Valkyrior they are virgins atop mighty
steeds and Odin trains and gathers them for the time of Ragnarok when
they will fight against the giants they are also Odin's messengers and
go and choose the dead on the battle field when they ride their armor
and shields have a strange flickering light about them making the Aurora
Borealis or the Northern Lights.
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