MiniMe3388
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Asgard and Vanaheim
In unreachable heights, in the sky itself, supported by four dwarves: Austri, Vestri, Nordri and Sudri, there are two divine lands, Asgard (Land of the Aesir) and Vanaheim (Land of the Vanir). Vanaheim is older, before the Aesir came and built Asgard east of Vanaheim's walls. Although Vanaheim is old, most of the gods live in Asgard and we know the land much better than ancient Vanaheim. There is only one way to get to Asgard from our land, across the rainbow bridge of Bifrost (The Trembling Path), guarded by the keen-eyed god Heimdall. Straight from Bifrost you enter the spacious, fabulously green plain of Idawall. At its far edge, the walls of Asgard can be seen. At first the place was weakly fortified by the Aesir, so the Vanir took it in one furious assault. Later, however, to protect against the Thurs, the gods decided to build stronger walls. A giant built it of stone, demanding Freya as his wife, and the Moon and the Sun in return. The gods agreed to this price, but thanks to Loki's cunning and Thor's strength, they did not have to fulfill the terms of the bargain. Thus Asgard was fortified. Inside the walls rise Alda's grandest buildings, the palaces of the celestials. Almost all of the gods reside in the Asgardian circle, only Gullweig resides in Vanaheim, Njórd in Noatuna on the sea coast, Frey in Alfheim, Aegir and Ran in the depths of the ocean, and Hel in Niflheim. All the other gods rest in luxuries: the Land of the Aesir. The largest palace of Asgard, Bilskirnir, belongs to the god Thor, and all three courts of the god Odin are considered the most exquisitely built. The first of these is Valaskjalf with its towering Hlidskjalf tower. Odin, enthroned on its top, looks out to every inch of all nine worlds. Over the rooftops of the palaces the great hawk of the Aesir, Habrok, circles. Though Asgard soars through the air, from time to time magical boundaries emerge that separate it from the realms of the giants: from Muspellheim the forest of Myrkwid, and from Jótunnheim the never-freezing river Ifing. The thickest of Yggdrasill's roots springs from Asgard, and the crown of this unique Tree overlooks the divine city. On it sits the deer Eikthyrnir, and from its antlers drips dew so abundant that it turns into the rivers of Asgard (some of them run their waters as far as Midgard). Eikthyrnir's lover is the goat Heidrun, who gives honey, the drink of the gods, instead of milk. Another celestial food is the Apples of Youth, which grow just outside the walls of Asgard in a small orchard. The gods must feed on them to stay young and immortal - without their miraculous workings, they would be subject to the power of death as much as humans.
Niflheim (Land of Darkness)
This gloomy abyss has several names. Niflheim is the oldest of them and means the Land of Darkness. It is also called Gnip, which means Cave. It is also called Hel (and therefore after the local ruler), Niflhel (Darkness of Hel) and Gniphellir (Cave of Hel). From there grows one of Yggdrasill's roots, for the Tree extends all the way to the underworld of the dead, Niflheim. The spirits of everyone who is not lucky enough to die on the battlefield and therefore not exalted by the grace of feasting in the palaces of Odin and Freya get there. The entrance to Gniphellir lies in the ice of the far north and is called the Gate of the Dead. Behind it flow two foul border rivers, Gjóll and Leipt, but only on the former is the Gjallarbru Bridge guarded by the giantess Modgud. In addition, the gates of Hel are guarded by the mad dog Garm - his grim baying heralds the beginning of Ragnarok - and the three-headed giant Hrimgrimnir. At the root of Yggdrasill, the water in the well of Hwergelmir (Seaping Cauldron) churns, for dew from all over the Tree pours into it, and all the rivers of the world flow from it. At the very bottom of Niflheim a terrible stream rolls, and perjurers and werewolves wade upstream in it. There, a dangerous wolf tears apart human corpses, and the dragon Nidhógg sucks on the bodies of the dead and gnaws at the root of Yggdrasill to no avail. On this root sits the Rooster of Niflheim, red as fire.
There are two palaces in Niflheim. The first one is unknown to whom it belongs, and it is located on the Corpse Coast. All its gates face north, the walls are made of snake bodies, and the venom of hatred and all the evil of the world fall into it through the smokestack. The second palace, Olund (Sorrow), belongs to the queen of Niflheim, the eternally gloomy Hel. Inside this mansion, on a golden floor, stands a Hungr (Hunger) table, on which lies the Sultr knife. In the hall of the palace, on the bed of Kor (Lethargy), behind the curtains of Blikande Boli (Shining Oaths), rests Hel, dressed in a dress called Nausea. That is all that is known about Niflheim, for there is no escape from it.
Yggdrasill
First: Yggdrasill, or the Tree of Terror, or Odin. Second: Laerad. Third: Mimameid, or Mimir's Tree. Fourth: Irminsul, or Irmin's Pillar, or Heimdall's. You can see from this that this sacred ash tree is associated with many gods, but in truth many celestials would like to be associated with it. According to some, Yggdrasill is based on three roots, arising from Niflheim, Hrimthursheim and Asgard, although others say that there are nine roots, each originating in a different world. One is at the Well of Urd, by the Norn abode. Another is to be placed next to Mimir's Spring, where the Gjallarhorn horn and Odin's eye are hidden. At yet another, the gods hold rallies and judgments daily. The root, growing from Niflheim, is eaten by the gods' fierce enemies: the dragon Nidhógg and the offspring of Grafwitnir's lawman: Goin, Moin, Grabak, Grafwóllund, Ofnir and Swafnir. Despite attempts to fell the ash tree, Yggdrasill stands firm - nothing can break the unity of the world. The trunk of a tree gleams with the dew that falls into the valleys of the earth and gives fertility to the soil. Mimameid forms the skeleton of the world: on it, at various heights, lie suspended lands - from the lowest Niflheim to the highest Asgard. However, Yggdrasill is not just the weld that connects all worlds - it is also a world itself, rich and inhabited by countless creatures. Of these, I will mention only the most famous. At the very top of the ash tree sits the golden rooster Yithofnir, a mute bird - it crows for the first time only at the beginning of Ragnarok. Next to it, a great eagle rests majestically, holding on its head the ruler of the weather, the falcon Wedrfónir. Insults between the eagle and Nidhógg of Niflheim are carried by the fast-legged squirrel Ratatosk (Bitting Tooth). Four deer run to and fro in the branches of the tree, feeding on young shoots of ash - Dain, Dwalin, Duneyr and Dyrathrór. Their cousin, the deer Eikthryrnir (Oak-Tipped Horns), resides in Yggdrasill in the heights of Asgard. Water drips from its horns directly into the Hwergelmir underground well in Niflheim, and from there flows into all the rivers of Alda. Also at the height of Asgard, the goat Heidrun has made its home. A whole herd of goats follows her step by step, but even they cannot satisfy her sexually in any way. Heidrun gives the gods and einherjar (those who fight alone) milk, which instantly turns into the finest honey. All this wonderful world of the Tree will end and fall when the time of Ragnarok comes. First, the trunk of Yggdrasill will tremble, and then, under the pressure of misfortune and evil, it will break, dragging all the worlds, all of Alda, with it into the abyss. But the memory of the sacred ash tree will remain, as there will never be another garden of miracles like this.
Source: Szrejter Artur - Mitologia germańska
In unreachable heights, in the sky itself, supported by four dwarves: Austri, Vestri, Nordri and Sudri, there are two divine lands, Asgard (Land of the Aesir) and Vanaheim (Land of the Vanir). Vanaheim is older, before the Aesir came and built Asgard east of Vanaheim's walls. Although Vanaheim is old, most of the gods live in Asgard and we know the land much better than ancient Vanaheim. There is only one way to get to Asgard from our land, across the rainbow bridge of Bifrost (The Trembling Path), guarded by the keen-eyed god Heimdall. Straight from Bifrost you enter the spacious, fabulously green plain of Idawall. At its far edge, the walls of Asgard can be seen. At first the place was weakly fortified by the Aesir, so the Vanir took it in one furious assault. Later, however, to protect against the Thurs, the gods decided to build stronger walls. A giant built it of stone, demanding Freya as his wife, and the Moon and the Sun in return. The gods agreed to this price, but thanks to Loki's cunning and Thor's strength, they did not have to fulfill the terms of the bargain. Thus Asgard was fortified. Inside the walls rise Alda's grandest buildings, the palaces of the celestials. Almost all of the gods reside in the Asgardian circle, only Gullweig resides in Vanaheim, Njórd in Noatuna on the sea coast, Frey in Alfheim, Aegir and Ran in the depths of the ocean, and Hel in Niflheim. All the other gods rest in luxuries: the Land of the Aesir. The largest palace of Asgard, Bilskirnir, belongs to the god Thor, and all three courts of the god Odin are considered the most exquisitely built. The first of these is Valaskjalf with its towering Hlidskjalf tower. Odin, enthroned on its top, looks out to every inch of all nine worlds. Over the rooftops of the palaces the great hawk of the Aesir, Habrok, circles. Though Asgard soars through the air, from time to time magical boundaries emerge that separate it from the realms of the giants: from Muspellheim the forest of Myrkwid, and from Jótunnheim the never-freezing river Ifing. The thickest of Yggdrasill's roots springs from Asgard, and the crown of this unique Tree overlooks the divine city. On it sits the deer Eikthyrnir, and from its antlers drips dew so abundant that it turns into the rivers of Asgard (some of them run their waters as far as Midgard). Eikthyrnir's lover is the goat Heidrun, who gives honey, the drink of the gods, instead of milk. Another celestial food is the Apples of Youth, which grow just outside the walls of Asgard in a small orchard. The gods must feed on them to stay young and immortal - without their miraculous workings, they would be subject to the power of death as much as humans.
Niflheim (Land of Darkness)
This gloomy abyss has several names. Niflheim is the oldest of them and means the Land of Darkness. It is also called Gnip, which means Cave. It is also called Hel (and therefore after the local ruler), Niflhel (Darkness of Hel) and Gniphellir (Cave of Hel). From there grows one of Yggdrasill's roots, for the Tree extends all the way to the underworld of the dead, Niflheim. The spirits of everyone who is not lucky enough to die on the battlefield and therefore not exalted by the grace of feasting in the palaces of Odin and Freya get there. The entrance to Gniphellir lies in the ice of the far north and is called the Gate of the Dead. Behind it flow two foul border rivers, Gjóll and Leipt, but only on the former is the Gjallarbru Bridge guarded by the giantess Modgud. In addition, the gates of Hel are guarded by the mad dog Garm - his grim baying heralds the beginning of Ragnarok - and the three-headed giant Hrimgrimnir. At the root of Yggdrasill, the water in the well of Hwergelmir (Seaping Cauldron) churns, for dew from all over the Tree pours into it, and all the rivers of the world flow from it. At the very bottom of Niflheim a terrible stream rolls, and perjurers and werewolves wade upstream in it. There, a dangerous wolf tears apart human corpses, and the dragon Nidhógg sucks on the bodies of the dead and gnaws at the root of Yggdrasill to no avail. On this root sits the Rooster of Niflheim, red as fire.
There are two palaces in Niflheim. The first one is unknown to whom it belongs, and it is located on the Corpse Coast. All its gates face north, the walls are made of snake bodies, and the venom of hatred and all the evil of the world fall into it through the smokestack. The second palace, Olund (Sorrow), belongs to the queen of Niflheim, the eternally gloomy Hel. Inside this mansion, on a golden floor, stands a Hungr (Hunger) table, on which lies the Sultr knife. In the hall of the palace, on the bed of Kor (Lethargy), behind the curtains of Blikande Boli (Shining Oaths), rests Hel, dressed in a dress called Nausea. That is all that is known about Niflheim, for there is no escape from it.
Yggdrasill
First: Yggdrasill, or the Tree of Terror, or Odin. Second: Laerad. Third: Mimameid, or Mimir's Tree. Fourth: Irminsul, or Irmin's Pillar, or Heimdall's. You can see from this that this sacred ash tree is associated with many gods, but in truth many celestials would like to be associated with it. According to some, Yggdrasill is based on three roots, arising from Niflheim, Hrimthursheim and Asgard, although others say that there are nine roots, each originating in a different world. One is at the Well of Urd, by the Norn abode. Another is to be placed next to Mimir's Spring, where the Gjallarhorn horn and Odin's eye are hidden. At yet another, the gods hold rallies and judgments daily. The root, growing from Niflheim, is eaten by the gods' fierce enemies: the dragon Nidhógg and the offspring of Grafwitnir's lawman: Goin, Moin, Grabak, Grafwóllund, Ofnir and Swafnir. Despite attempts to fell the ash tree, Yggdrasill stands firm - nothing can break the unity of the world. The trunk of a tree gleams with the dew that falls into the valleys of the earth and gives fertility to the soil. Mimameid forms the skeleton of the world: on it, at various heights, lie suspended lands - from the lowest Niflheim to the highest Asgard. However, Yggdrasill is not just the weld that connects all worlds - it is also a world itself, rich and inhabited by countless creatures. Of these, I will mention only the most famous. At the very top of the ash tree sits the golden rooster Yithofnir, a mute bird - it crows for the first time only at the beginning of Ragnarok. Next to it, a great eagle rests majestically, holding on its head the ruler of the weather, the falcon Wedrfónir. Insults between the eagle and Nidhógg of Niflheim are carried by the fast-legged squirrel Ratatosk (Bitting Tooth). Four deer run to and fro in the branches of the tree, feeding on young shoots of ash - Dain, Dwalin, Duneyr and Dyrathrór. Their cousin, the deer Eikthryrnir (Oak-Tipped Horns), resides in Yggdrasill in the heights of Asgard. Water drips from its horns directly into the Hwergelmir underground well in Niflheim, and from there flows into all the rivers of Alda. Also at the height of Asgard, the goat Heidrun has made its home. A whole herd of goats follows her step by step, but even they cannot satisfy her sexually in any way. Heidrun gives the gods and einherjar (those who fight alone) milk, which instantly turns into the finest honey. All this wonderful world of the Tree will end and fall when the time of Ragnarok comes. First, the trunk of Yggdrasill will tremble, and then, under the pressure of misfortune and evil, it will break, dragging all the worlds, all of Alda, with it into the abyss. But the memory of the sacred ash tree will remain, as there will never be another garden of miracles like this.
Source: Szrejter Artur - Mitologia germańska
