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Norse Creation Myth

© Linda Casselman

In the beginning, Ginnungagap yawned across the great void between the realms of fire and cold. When the warm air from the south met the cold air from the north, the ice of Ginnungagap began to melt. Drop by drop fell forming Ymir, the Frost Giant and first living thing of all. And from Ymir sprang the race of Frost Giants. The drops of melting ice from Ginnungagap also formed Audhumla, the primal cow. Her milk nourished Ymir at the start of creation. As Audhumla licked and licked at the ice of Ginnungagap, she revealed something frozen in the ice. She licked for days and finally Buri, the first man, was freed from his frozen prison. Buri, had a son, Bor, who married Bestla, the daughter of a Frost Giant. They in turn had three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. These were the first gods.

The three brothers grew tired of the brutality of the evil Ymir, so they did battle with the Frost Giants and slew Ymir. The blood of the fallen Giant flowed, flooding the land and drowning all of his Frost children, except for Bergelmir and his wife whom fled using a hollowed tree trunk as a boat. It is these two who continued the race of Frost Giants in the land of Jotunheim.

The gods Odin, Vili, and Ve then used Ymir's carcass to create Midgard, the world of men. They used his flesh to create the earth, his broken bones to make the mountains, his teeth to make the rocks, and his hair to create the trees. From his blood they made the lakes and the sea and from his skull the brothers fashioned the sky, placing four dwarfs, Nordi, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri, at its corners to hold it up. Then the three gods used sparks to create the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Later, the gods found some driftwood on the seashore. They took the fallen ash tree and created man. And from the fallen elm tree they fashioned woman. Odin breathed life into them. Vili gave them intelligence and emotion, and Ve gave them the ability to see and hear. Thus were created the first man and woman on Midgard.

This is the creation myth of the Norse. What can we learn from it? What can it tell us about the ancient Norsemen? What can it tell us about ourselves? About being human?