Lore

Overview

The World Tree, Yggdrasil, is the center of the cosmos. Within its roots and its branches lie nine worlds-- Asgard, Muspelheim, Alfehimr, Vanaheim, Midgard, Jotunheim, Svartalfheim, Nidavaellir, Niflheim, and Hel.

Long before there was any ground, or sky, or any form of life, there was the gaping abyss called Ginnungagap, a place of perfect stillness and darkness. On one side of it was the homeland of elemental fire, Muspelheim. On the other side was the homeland of elemental ice, Niflheim. Frost from Niflheim and fire from Muspelheim slowly crept toward each other, eventually meeting in Ginnungagap. In the midst of the sputtering and hissing of element meeting with element, the fires of Muspelheim melted the ice of Niflheim. Ymir, the first of the godlike giants, was born from the droplets. Ymir was able to reproduce asexually, creating more giants from his sweat. Eventually, Buri, the first of the Aesir tribe of gods was born, who later had a child, named Bor. Bor married Bestla, the daughter of the giant Bolthorn, and they later had half-god, half-giant sons: Odin, Vili, and Ve.

Odin and his brothers slew Ymir and from his corpse, created the world of Midgard, the world of the Normans. From his blood they made oceans, from his skin and muscle they made soil, his hair became vegetation, his brains became clouds, and his skull became the sky. Four dwarves, one in each cardinal direction, hold Ymir's skull above the earth. It is said that Ymir's heart was broken into many fragments and these fragments maintain the world and fuel its growth. Their locations are primarily unknown. Some believe that the fragments have the potential to regrow into a full, whole heart, and that Ymir's heart is capable of immense power

As the Normans flourished, they eventually formed three main countries: Rune-Midgard, Arunafeltz and its states, and the Schwarzwald Republic.

References

1. http://norse-mythology.org/tales/norse-creation-myth 2. http://mythology.wikia.com/wiki/Norse_cosmology