The Religion of the Northmen
ORIGIN OF THE WORLD
With Ýmir came to life the cow Auðhumla, by whose milk he was nourished. The cow licked the salt rime-clumps, and then came forth Buri, a great, a beautiful, and mighty being. His son was Bör, and Bör's sons, by the Jötun-woman Bestla, Bolthorn's daughter, were Odin (Óðinn), Vili, and Ve. Odin became the father of the bright and beautiful Æsir, the ruling Gods of Heaven and Earth; therefore he is called All-father (Alfaðir).
The sons of Bör slew the giant Ýmir, and in his blood the whole race of Frost-Giants was drowned, all but one pair who escaped, and from whom new Jötun-races descended. Bör's sons carried the slain Ýmir out into the middle of Ginunga-gap; there they made the earth of his body, the sea of his blood, the mountains of his bones, and the trees of his hair; of his skull they created the sky, which they arched high above the earth and adorned with sparks from Muspell; but the brain they scattered in the air and it became the gloomy clouds. Around about the earth's surface they caused the deep sea to flow, and upon its utmost strand the Jötuns, who had escaped, took up their abodes in Jötunheim and Útgarð. As a protection against them, the bland, creating powers made from Ýmir's brows a breastwork around the inmost earth---a citadel called Midgarð. From Heaven to Earth they set up the bridge Bifröst, or the Rainbow.
The black, dark Night (Nótt), of Jötun lineage, became by the Æsir-son Delling, the mother of Day (Dagr), who was beautiful as his father. Odin placed the mother and son in the heavens, and commanded them to drive every day and night (dögn) over the earth. Night rides before with the horse Hrimfaxi (Frost-mane), who every morning bedews the earth with the foam from his bits. Day follows after with the horse Skinfaxi (Shining-mane), whose man scatters light over air and earth.
The Æsir created Sól and Máni (the Sun and Moon) out of the sparks of Muspell, but they appointed the children of Mundilfori to drive their chariots across the heavens. The daughter drives the chariot of the Sun, but the son drives that of the Moon. They speed swiftly onward, for two Jötuns in the guise of wolves pursue Sól and Máni in order to devour them.
Dwarves (Dvergar) were quickened as maggots in Ýmir's flesh. By the command of the Gods they received the form and understanding of men; but their abode was in the earth and the rocks. Four Dwarves---Austri, Vestri, Norðri, and Suðri---were appointed by the Gods to bear up the sky. At the northern extremity sits the Jötun Hræ-svelgur, in the guise of an eagle; his wing-strokes are the cause of storms.
There were not yet any human beings upon the earth, when once, as the three Æsir, Odin, Hænir, and Lóðurr were walking along the sea-shore, they there found two trees and created from them the first human pair---the man Ask, and the woman Embla. Odin gave them spirit, Hænir, understanding, and Lóðurr gave blood and fair complexion. The newly-created pair received Miðgarð of the Æsir for their abode; and from Ask and Embla is descended the whole human family.
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