The Beginning and the End- Scandinavian Mythology

2 31

Written by

I'm a history buff

2 years ago

In community: Just Write(e5e5)

Topics: Freewrite, Story, Short Story, Creative Writing, Write, ...

Scandinavian Mythology consists of pre-Christian beliefs and legends of peoples called Scandinavian, Norse, Teutonic or Germanic, living in today's Northern Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, located in the subarctic region between the Rhineland and the North Sea.

From fire and ice in Ginnungagap, which was originally an open void. Nothing else was formed, neither the heavens above nor the earth below nor the sands nor the grasses nor the rising waves of the sea at this time.

The first world to form was Muspelheim, known as the home of the Warriors, and was called "Stur", meaning black, by giants. This place, south of Ginnungagap, was a world of hot, bright flames, guarded by the giant Surt, who wielded a flaming sword that lit up embers glowing with sparks. The second formed world was Niflheim, north of Ginnungagap, where 11 rivers flowed, and was known as the House of Mists. In the middle of Niflheim was a spring called Hvergelmir, meaning boiling cauldron, from which eleven rapid and fearful rivers rose and flowed far into the distance. The foamy poison formed by the waves of these rivers hardened and turned into ice. As it cooled, a drizzle of venom rose and fell on the solid ice of the first layer to form a second, heavy layer of ice, which made Niflheim cold, foggy, and cruel.

Although they lived through endless winters before they formed, over time the ice thawed where the warm air rising from Muspelheim met the ice from Niflheim. For the first time, life developed from drops of melted venom foam, giving rise to a giant named Ymir and a cow called Audhumla, meaning feeder. Ymir, made wild, cruel and evil by the poison he was created, was fed from the four milk rivers produced by Audhumla. In the region licked by the ice-fed Audhumla, the first residence of the gods, the Aesir, emerged. The first god was Buri and his son Bor, the next generation was Odin, Vili and Ve, these last 3 gods were one and killed Ymir. While all the ice giants were drowning in Ymir's blood, the gods first shaped the earth and sky (moon, sun, stars) and then created the first human couple, Ask and Embla, from two tree stumps. Norse mythology also has an apocalyptic legend called Ragnarok (Twilight of the Gods) or Gotterdammerung (death of the Gods), which deals with the destruction of the entire universe so that a better universe can emerge.

Scandinavian Cosmology

9 worlds created in Scandinavian Mythology are mentioned, and in some sources they are added to Svartalfheim, where Dark Elves live. The 10 worlds below were believed to be connected by the world tree (Yggdrasil), whose roots reach the lowest worlds and whose leaves reach the realm of the gods.

Asgard: Aesir (for the warrior superior race of the gods)

Vanaheim: Vanir (secondary half of the gods)

Alfheim: Lios Alfar (for Light elves)

Hel: the dead world

Jotunheim: realm of giants

Midgard: the world of the human realm

Nidavellir: kingdom of the dwarves

Niflheim: the ice kingdom

Muspelheim: Fire zone (for fire giants)

Svartalfheim: Dokk Alfar (for dark elves)

Norse Gods

The most important Norse gods lived in Asgard, and although they were mortal like humans, they gained immortality by eating the fruits of the magic apple tree guarded by the beauty goddess Freya. It was believed that the Aesir would perish on the Day of Judgment, as described in the legend of Ragnarök.

The most important Aesir deities are:

Odin: Leader of the Pantheon.

Frigg: Odin's wife

Thor: The god of thunder.

Sif: Thor's golden-haired wife.

Idunn: Goddess of immortality.

Balder: The white god.

Heimdall: Watchman

Tyr: god of war.

Loki: the trickster god

Secondary gods live in the Vanir, and the most important of them are Frey, the god of fertility, Frey's sister, the goddess of fertility, Freya's father, the sea god Njord or Niord. Although the Vanir once fought the Aesir in revolt, they had to surrender in defeat, which is often interpreted by mythologists as a trace of conflict between new and old religions.

Supernatural Creatures in Norse Mythology

The Elven people, called the Amnes, were viewed as a race weaker than the gods but superior to the humans, believed to be descended from the Vanir and possibly the children of Frey. Elfers were divided into 2 groups as Light Elves (Lios alfar) and Dark Elves (dokk ams).

The giants known as Jotun were divided into groups of Ice, Fire, and Mountain giants among themselves, and talented architects and archenemy of the gods, the giants all lived in Jotunheim.