![]() ![]() Let's explore the best understanding of what each of the nine realms is and how they fit into the context of Norse cosmology and mythology. We know a lot about the dynamic saga of Norse mythology, but we might never know everything. ![]() The same goes for various details throughout the nine worlds scattered amongst the branches of the world tree. People would be more concerned with the Gods as they existed in the context of their lives rather than knowing the particulars of the origin story.Īs a result, we'll have to wait for more source material to emerge or we'll never know the exact origin story. In light of that, it makes sense that someone might not know whether Yggdrasil came before the merging of Musphelheim and Niflheim. It was functional mythology, utilized in everyday life. Functional Mythologyįurther, Norse mythology is supposed to have been integrated into culture rather than preached and learned through study. While the myths and stories still had a heavy presence in Nordic culture, the nuances of the origin story might not have been as accessible in the 13th century. In any case, both texts were written almost two hundred years after the Viking Age. The Prose Edda is slightly younger and compiled, in part, by the aforementioned Snorri Sturluson. The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda are the earliest texts referencing these gods, origins, and creation stories.īoth are Icelandic, with the Poetic Edda coming from early, unnamed sources of the 13th century. Some accounts say that Yggdrasil existed amidst Ginnungagap before Niflheim and Musphelheim merged. This challenge is a result of the fact that Nordic people had predominantly oral cultures during the Viking Age.Īs a result, there isn't a lot of primary source material to give us the fine details. There's some confusion about the emergence or original existence of the Yggdrasil and the realms. As Ymir took nourishment from Auðumbla, she gnawed away at a salt lick, uncovering the god Buri in the process. Ymir existed alone, with only the company of the cow goddess Auðumbla to nourish him. In the heated chaos of their collision, the first giant Ymir emerged. These polar opposites drew close, causing ice to conflict with fire. Over time, Musphelheim and Niflheim drifted toward one another. We'll talk about the arrangement of the realms surrounding Yggdrasil in future sections. All of the nine realms exist somewhere on or in Yggdrasil, although there's some confusion as to where or how they do so. Yggdrasil is akin to the "tree of life," although it's distinct in meaning and description. In addition to those three realms, Yggdrasil was rooted in the center of the universe. This was the primordial world, existing before the presence of any beings. You can think of the fire and ice realms sitting opposite one another with Ginnungagap in between. It's impossible to understand the context of the realms without knowing how they came to be and where they're situated in the cosmos.īefore the union of the nine realms, the cosmos consisted of the void (Ginnungagap), the realm of fire (Musphelheim), and the ice realm (Niflheim). The Nine Realms of Norse Mythologyīefore we look at each of the realms, it's worth discussing the creation of the universe. We'll also cover the creation of these realms, exploring how they fit into the great Norse sagas as told by the Icelandic mythographer Snorri Sturluson. This article explores everything that a beginner needs to know about each one of the nine realms. In other words, the realms help us to better understand the way old Norse religion understood the creation of the universe. In addition to being an integral aspect of the old Norse religion, the nine realms tie us to an understanding of Norse cosmology in the Viking Age. These nine realms help us understand the battles, evolution, and development of the saga of Norse mythology. These realms lay the context for the existence of Norse gods, human beings, the Jötunn (giants), and all other beings. The 9 realms are important to understand if you want a clear understanding of Norse mythology. ![]()
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