The Beginning and Creation of Norse Mythology - WILD Mythology

♪♪♪ Before the existence of the oceans, the sky, or anything green, there was only the land of fire, the land of ice and mist, and Gnungagap, the abyssal gap of primordial nothingness that laid between the two worlds. The realm of ice and mist was Niflheim, a world covered in frozen mountains and rivers that released a poisonous mist. As the cold rivers of Niflheim poured out into the abyss, the waters began to freeze and the northern half of the gap became enshrouded with ice. The realm of fire was Muspelheim, a world bathed in eternal flames and lava. The blazing fires of Muspelheim spread out into the southern half of the gap, preventing the ice from crossing into its domain. Over time, the fire began to melt the ice, and as the droplets of water fell, they formed into the first Jotunn. This Jotunn was Ymir, the ancestor of all giants and the first primordial being. As Ymir slept, the flames from Muspelheim made him sweat. This sweat fell from his body and formed into the first generation of giants, and as the new giants came into existence, another being emerged from the melting ice. It was the celestial cow Adhumla. Adhumla began her existence by licking the frozen ice, nourishing herself with the ice's salt. At the same time, she kept Ymir and the giants well fed with an unending source of milk. As she continued to nourish herself, she brushed upon a patch of long dark hair. After the second day of continuous licking, a head was revealed, and on the third day an entire being had been licked free from the ice. This being was Bori, the ancestor to the Aesir tribe of gods and goddesses. Bori started his new bloodline by having a son named Bor. Bor went on to choose the giantess Vesla to be his wife. Together they had three half-god, half-giant children. They were Odin, Vili, and Ve. Much time had passed, and the giants had reproduced quickly. Concerned and disgusted with the giants, Odin, Vili, and Ve decided it was time for the gods to rule. So when Ymir was asleep, the three brothers snuck to his resting place and attacked him. What took place next was a monumental battle heard throughout the entire abyss. The battle waged on but eventually ended with the death of Ymir. As Ymir fell, gallons of his blood gushed out, creating a flood. With nowhere to escape, most of the giants drowned. Only the giant Bergamir and his wife survived by floating on a piece of wood. Finding the realms of fire and ice to be unlivable, the three brothers took Ymir's corpse to the middle of the gap to create a new world. They constructed soil and earth in the shape of a flat disk from Ymir's skin and muscles. They made the oceans from his blood, rocks from his teeth, vegetation from his hair, the sky from his skull, and clouds from his brain. Finding maggots in Ymir's rotting flesh, the brothers used them to create the dwarves, a mighty people gifted in craftsmanship and smithing. At each corner of the world, the brothers placed a dwarf to keep the sky from falling. These dwarves were known as Nordi, the North, Ostri, the East, Sandri, the South, and Vestri, the West. The gods then took embers from Muspelheim and placed them in the sky. These embers became the stars, the planets, and the sun and the moon. Finally, they took Ymir's eyelashes and created a barrier that encircled the middle area of the flat world. This middle area was known as Midgard. The barrier was needed to protect the land from the surviving giants, who made their new home on the outside areas of the world. This outskirt area became Jotunheim, the land of the giants. As Ud and Vili and Vey explored Midgard, they came upon two branches of wood. Wanting to fill Midgard with new beings, the brothers created the first two humans out of the wood. A man named Ask and a woman named Emla. The brothers gifted them consciousness, intelligence, and Midgard itself. The new world would belong to them and their descendants. Satisfied with their creations, the brothers decided to build a home for only the gods to live in. And so, way above Midgard in the sky, the gods created Asgard, the great fortress and dwelling of the Aesir. Not long after this, a son of Ask and Emla had two beautiful children of his own. In fact, he believed them so beautiful that he named them after the sun and moon. He named his daughter Sol and his son Mani. Angry with the man's arrogance, the Aesir took his children and placed them in the sky. There the two would poll the sun and moon on chariots until the end. Creation was now complete, but by killing Ymir, Odin and his brothers had started a timer to complete and utter destruction. And while there were many more stories and adventures to come, the prophesied event that would destroy the known world was ticking closer and closer. The event known as Ragnarok. Hey, if you enjoyed the video then please consider subscribing to my channel. There's plenty more videos on mythology, folklore, and fairy tales on the way, so please subscribe. Until next time.