Ginnungagap – The Void
Before time began, there was only Ginnungagap, the vast empty void lying between the realms of fire, Muspelheim, and ice, Niflheim.
The Birth of Ymir
From the meeting of fire and ice, the primeval giant Ymir was formed. From him came other giants, the first beings of chaos.
Audhumla and Buri
The great cow Audhumla licked the ice for sustenance and revealed Buri, the first of the gods, who fathered Bor. Bor’s children were Odin, Vili and Ve.
The Death of Ymir
Odin and his brothers slew Ymir. From his body they shaped the cosmos. His flesh became the land, his blood the seas, his bones the mountains, his hair the trees, his skull the sky and his brains the clouds. His eyelashes formed Midgard, the realm of humans.
The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Stars
The gods placed the sun and moon in the sky, driven across it by horses. The stars were set in place to guide both men and gods.
The Nine Worlds and Yggdrasil
The gods established the Nine Worlds, each with its own purpose and beings, all bound together by the World Tree, Yggdrasil.
The Creation of Humanity
From two tree trunks on the shore, the gods created Ask and Embla, the first man and woman. They became the ancestors of all humanity.
The War of the Aesir and Vanir
The two tribes of gods, the warlike Aesir and the fertile Vanir, fought a great battle. Peace was made by exchanging hostages, uniting the divine families.
The Age of the Gods
The gods ruled the Nine Worlds. Odin sought wisdom through sacrifice, Thor defended Midgard from giants, Freyr and Freyja governed fertility and prosperity. Loki, both trickster and companion, brought aid and ruin in equal measure.
The Binding of Fenrir
The gods feared Loki’s monstrous offspring. Jormungandr was cast into the ocean. Hel was sent to rule the underworld. Fenrir the wolf was bound by Gleipnir, a chain forged by dwarves from impossible things. Tyr placed his hand in Fenrir’s jaws as pledge and lost it when the wolf was restrained.
The Death of Baldr
Baldr, son of Odin, was invulnerable to all things save mistletoe. Loki guided the blind god Hodr to throw a mistletoe dart, killing Baldr. His death was the first signal of the approaching doom.
The Prophecy of Ragnarok
Seers foretold the end of the cosmos. The signs would be Fimbulwinter, three endless winters with no summer between. Kin would turn upon kin and all bonds would break.
Ragnarok – The Doom of the Gods
The wolf Fenrir would break free, Jormungandr would rise from the sea, and Loki would lead the giants against the gods. Odin would be devoured by Fenrir. Thor would slay the serpent but fall to its venom. Freyr would die at the hands of Surtr, who would then burn the world with fire.
The Renewal
From the sea a new world would rise, green and fertile. Lif and Lifthrasir, two humans who survived in the shelter of Yggdrasil, would repopulate the earth. Baldr would return from Hel’s realm, and a new golden age of peace and abundance would begin.
