NorseNorse MythologyMythology EnglishEnglish IV:IV: MythMyth && LegendLegend HistoricalHistorical && GeographicalGeographical BackgroundBackground
OriginOrigin isis inin IcelandIceland andand otherother realmsrealms ofof EuropeEurope
InfluencedInfluenced WesternWestern cultureculture (started(started inin BronzeBronze Age,Age, 16001600 –– 450450 B.C.)B.C.)
ChristianChristian priestspriests destroyeddestroyed manymany recordsrecords –– consideredconsidered asas paganismpaganism HistoricalHistorical BackgroundBackground Continued…Continued…
YouYou knowknow BeowulfBeowulf (England);(England); alsoalso importantimportant isis NibelungenliedNibelungenlied (Germany)(Germany)
ElderElder EddaEdda ,, 13001300 A.D.,A.D., poemspoems (Icelandic)(Icelandic)
YoungerYounger EddaEdda ,, prose,prose, SnorriSnorri SturlusonSturluson ,, 12001200 A.DA.D ElderElder Edda’sEdda’s workwork isis moremore importantimportant ComparedCompared toto IlliadIlliad ;; notnot asas organizedorganized DifferencesDifferences fromfrom GreekGreek MythologyMythology MoreMore storiesstories werewere aboutabout gods,gods, ratherrather thanthan mortalsmortals
NotNot asas mainstream,mainstream, butbut moremore intriguingintriguing toto manymany
ConceptConcept ofof inevitableinevitable doomdoom ETERNAL LIFE HeroicHeroic –– diedie fightingfighting
HeavenHeaven isis notnot eternaleternal –– AsgardAsgard includesincludes deathdeath
AllAll northernnorthern talestales areare tragic,tragic, butbut lightlight inin thethe dardarknesskness isis heroismheroism SimilaritiesSimilarities toto GreekGreek MythologyMythology
warwar --likelike culturescultures == warwar --likelike myths/godsmyths/gods creationcreation mythmyth pantheonpantheon ofof godsgods mortalsmortals moralmoral worldworld MapMap ofof NorseNorse RegionRegion Conception:Conception: CreationCreation ofof thethe GodsGods
StartedStarted withwith twotwo regionsregions
NiflheimNiflheim :: northernnorthern MuspellheimMuspellheim :: wastewaste ofof fogfog andand iceice southernsouthern regionregion ofof flameflame andand brightnessbrightness CreationCreation ofof thethe GodsGods Continued…Continued… BetweenBetween NiflheimNiflheim andand MuspellheimMuspellheim existedexisted aa centralcentral regionregion calledcalled GinnungagapGinnungagap ..
FromFrom thisthis regionregion wherewhere warmthwarmth andand coldcold metmet camecame firstfirst creaturecreature YmirYmir andand aa greatgreat hornlesshornless cowcow calledcalled AudhumlaAudhumla
AsAs YmirYmir grew,grew, aa malemale andand femalefemale camecame fromfrom hishis armitsarmits andand familyfamily ofof trollstrolls fromfrom hishis legslegs CreationCreation ofof thethe GodsGods Continued…Continued… TrollsTrolls producedproduced FrostFrost GiantsGiants calledcalled JotarsJotars thatthat soonsoon multiplied,multiplied, producingproducing fairfair andand uglyugly offspringoffspring CowCow lickedlicked iceblocksiceblocks andand uncovereduncovered BuriBuri BuriBuri marriedmarried JotarJotar andand hadhad sonson BorBor BorBor hadhad threethree sons:sons: OdinOdin (spirit),(spirit), ViliVili (wild),(wild), andand VeVe (holiness)(holiness) TheyThey foundedfounded thethe AesirAesir racerace TheyThey killedkilled YmirYmir andand pushedpushed hishis bleedingbleeding bodybody intointo GinnungagapGinnungagap andand hishis bloodblood drowneddrowned allall FrostFrost GiantsGiants exceptexcept BergelmirBergelmir HeHe repopulatedrepopulated thethe icyicy areaarea andand vowedvowed toto avengeavenge OdiOdinn FeudFeud beganbegan betweenbetween FrostFrost GiantsGiants andand Odin’sOdin’s followersfollowers CreationCreation ofof thethe WorldWorld TheThe AesirAesir raisedraised upup Ymir’sYmir’s bodybody andand formedformed thethe worldworld fromfrom itit BloodBlood == seasea andand lakeslakes FleshFlesh == earthearth BonesBones == mountainsmountains BrokenBroken bonesbones == rocksrocks andand pebblespebbles SkullSkull == domedome ofof skysky (dwarf(dwarf inin eacheach cornercorner toto holdhold up)up) EyebrowsEyebrows == wallwall aroundaround earth,earth, calledcalled MidgardMidgard andand meantmeant toto protectprotect peoplepeople fromfrom FrostFrost GiantsGiants whowho roameroamedd NiflheimNiflheim CreationCreation ofof HumansHumans
OdinOdin andand twotwo ofof hishis court,court, HoenirHoenir andand LodurLodur sawsaw twotwo treestrees (ash(ash andand elm)elm) –– hehe breathedbreathed intointo themthem andand theythey becamebecame aa manman andand womanwoman HoenirHoenir gavegave giftgift ofof understandingunderstanding LodurLodur gavegave outwardoutward formform andand fivefive sensessenses TheyThey werewere toto livelive onon earthearth BelowBelow earthearth –– dwarfs,dwarfs, smallsmall andand twistedtwisted creaturescreatures –– workedworked withwith metalsmetals AboveAbove earthearth –– sun/moon,sun/moon, twotwo childrenchildren toto drivedrive acrossacross skysky inin chariotschariots EndEnd ofof daysdays camecame whenwhen giantsgiants wouldwould destroydestroy thethe sun/moonsun/moon resultingresulting inin RagnarokRagnarok (doom)(doom) TheThe WorldWorld TreeTree GiantGiant ashash treetree YggdrasilYggdrasil OriginOrigin unknownunknown SustainedSustained lifelife BranchesBranches wentwent toto heavenheaven AndAnd intointo thethe earthearth ThreeThree roots:roots: AesirAesir realm,realm, NiflheimNiflheim realm,realm, landland ofof deaddead RootRoot ofof NiflheimNiflheim –– springspring ofof MimirMimir (Odin(Odin andand eyesight)eyesight) TheThe WorldWorld TreeTree (cont.)(cont.) BeneathBeneath treetree –– sacredsacred springspring ofof fatefate calledcalled WellWell ofof UrdUrd –– lookedlooked afterafter byby 33 NornsNorns 33 NornsNorns :: UrdUrd (Fate),(Fate), VerdandiVerdandi (Being),(Being), SkuldSkuld (Necessity)(Necessity) –– alsoalso calledcalled past,past, present,present, futurefuture ControlledControlled destinydestiny andand nourishnourish earthearth EagleEagle andand hawkhawk onon toptop –– wind,wind, enemyenemy lookoutlookout GiantGiant serpentserpent atat rootsroots –– tryingtrying toto destroydestroy itit –– You are andand thethe evilevil squirrelsquirrel withwith itsits insultsinsults such a jerk! I hate you! DifferentDifferent WorldsWorlds ofof thethe NorseNorse MuspellheimMuspellheim –– brightnessbrightness andand lightlight NiflheimNiflheim –– coldcold andand darknessdarkness (Hel(Hel –– gloom)gloom) GinnungagapGinnungagap –– gapgap wherewhere creationcreation camecame fromfrom JotunheimJotunheim –– FrostFrost Giants’Giants’ home,home, icyicy EarthEarth –– realmrealm ofof mortals,mortals, surroundedsurrounded byby MidgardMidgard (created(created byby Odin)Odin) DarkalfheimDarkalfheim (under(under earthearth –– dwarfs)dwarfs) AlfheimAlfheim –– landland ofof elveselves AsgardAsgard –– homehome ofof AesirAesir godsgods (rainbow(rainbow bridgebridge BifrostBifrost );); Odin’sOdin’s palacepalace highesthighest pointpoint Golden palace – Gimli , where good people went Vanir gods lived in Asgard – love and peace (more obscure)