Nine worlds the World Tree touches. Nine worlds for the races of gods and men and monsters.
The tree is named Yggdrasil,
whose roots are watered by nornes. Yggdrasil and whose roots the serpent lies
Yggdrasil upon which all things live lays at the center of everything.This is the story of its worlds.
Thanks again to the God of War team for sponsoring this episode and making this brief overview of the Norse world's possible
When it comes to arranging the worlds of Norse myths there are a few different lists of realms which are debated among scholars.
For today's overview
we've chosen to run with the 9 that are by far the most commonly accepted. Now without further ado the realms of Norse myths.
We must start with Asgard, the home of the Aesir, the gods themselves.
Surrounded by an unfinished wall it is here that Valhalla lies.
It is in these halls that Odin rules and the valiant dead gather for the final battle.
And it is here in Asgard that Bifrost the great Rainbow Bridge that connects the realm of men and the realm of gods ends.
The bridge that will crumble before the forces of Muspellheim on the last of days.
It's in Asgard that Baldur the beautiful died. It's in
Asgard that Fenrir the wolf that will slay Odin sits bound.It is here that Freya weeps for her husband as he is away on
his travels.It is here that she rides in her chariot pulled by two
great cats and it is here that Heimdall stands on his lonely vigil
waiting for the fire giants to charge across the Rainbow Bridge and for Ragnarok to begin.
After Asgard we have Álfheim land of the light elves it was these elves that inspired Tolkien.
They are said to be fairer than the Sun to gaze upon
They are often associated with the aesir
But they are aloof and play a little part in the ancient tales. Then comes Muspelheim first of the created worlds.
It is a rage of fire and heat. Lava flows across its baked plains and from its ruddy depths come the fire
giants. At the head of their hosts is Surtur the bringer of flames that shall engulf the world. With his blazing sword he
shall lead the fire Giants across the Bifrost bridge and their tread shall send it tumbling into the void below. And in the final days
He shall slay Freyr and as they fight
he will spark the conflagration that will burn away all things. For that is the fate of Surtur
Second of the created worlds is Niflheim the land of snow and mist. It is the inversion of Muspelheim
bitter cold covered in glaciers and ice, crossed by frozen rivers.
It is here that Hvergelmir springs one of the pools that feeds the roots of the world tree.
Yet Niflheim may not be just one world but two.
For some sources say that this is where Odin cast Hél, daughter of Loki to make her abode for the damned.
So the 5th world in our list is Helheim
It is a hall long and dark, hidden by valleys of the blackest night.
Accessible only by an old wooden bridge with a roof of gold.
What is to be found in that hall and how hell functions is a mystery full of contradictions. To some it was a place of
horrors where the wicked and those who died of old age, or sickness went. To others
it was a strange imitation of life where the dead that were not swept up to Valhalla continued their existence in a way not
too different from what they experienced on Earth.
But there is one thing we know there is no coming back from Hell.
Even when the gods tried to rescue Baldur from its depths their efforts were all in vain.
Then comes Niðavellir the dark fields. The realm of dwarves and all of their works.
These beings prefer the depths of the mountains and wrought wondrous marvels like Gungnir the spear of Odin.
Gullinbursti, the glowing boar of Freyr who could run through the air and the water. And
Mjölnir perhaps the most famous hammer of all.
But the dwarves of Niðavellir were not always kind smiths. They were often wicked, greedy or violent. One particularly well known
dwarf in another form is Fafnir.
He was a dwarf who killed his brothers for riches and then transformed into a dragon to protect his gold.
Next we have Jötunheim or giants' home. Broad and varied like the lands
we know.Jötunheim is home to many of the giants.
Located between the realm of gods and the realm of men,
it is a land of adventure. Its landscape is dotted with the fortresses of giant kings.
And it is a favored realm of Loki who loved going there and finding ways to lure Thor into the clutches of some giant or
other. But perhaps its most important tale belongs to Odin because tangled in Yggdrasil's roots,
just below this realm is a well that feeds the world tree. And at that well sits one of the wisest beings, an old man
named Mímir who you may recall from the previous episode.
Mímir became wise by drinking from the well,
because its water contains wisdom and it is to this well that Odin went on one of his trips to seek a greater understanding
of all things. He asked Mímir for a drink from the well.
But the draught would not be free. Mímir asked that Odin pledge
an eye in return for wisdom. This he did and dropped it in the well.
Which is how he became known as Odin One-eye. And of course there's Midgard, the mortal realm. The realm
we know. It is here that people fight and farm and wander. It is from here that the human heroes of the sagas spring
But it's not quite like the world as we think of it today
For around Midgard swirls a bounding ocean and around that ocean curls the great serpent Jörmungandr
Encircling the world and when Ragnarök comes Jörmungandr will rise out of the waves to poison the ocean and the sky
The serpent will end Midgard and then make its way to fight in the final battle with the gods
Where it will be the death of Thor who will slay it
but live for only nine steps before it's mighty poison fells him as well
Finally of course we have Vanaheim. The mysterious realm of the Vanir, the gods that came before the gods
Before the pantheon we know there was an older host; a more primeval host.
Gods and goddesses of fertility and nature.
Eventually they will be joined with the host of the Aesir and some of them will take their place in Asgard.
But not before a great struggle between the two.
A struggle you might remember from last time. The Aesir - Vanir war. I hope you have enjoyed this little romp through Norse mythology.
We'll see you next time!
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