Creating the World

High said: ‘It licked the rime-stones, which were salty. And the
first day as it licked stones there came from the stones in the
evening a man’s hair, the second day a man’s head, the third day
there was a complete man there. His name was Buri. He was
beautiful in appearance, big and powerful. He begot a son called
Bor. He married a wife called Bestla, daughter of the giant
Bolthorn, and they had three sons. One was called Odin, the
second Vili, the third Ve. And it is my belief that this Odin and his
brothers must be the rulers of heaven and earth; it is our opinion
that this must be what he is called. This is the name of the one who
is the greatest and most glorious that we know, and you would do
well to agree to call him that too.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘How did they get on together, which
group was the more powerful?’

Then High replied: ‘Bor’s sons killed the giant Ymir. And when
he fell, so much blood flowed from his wounds that with it they
drowned all the race of frost-giants, except that one escaped with
his household. Giants call him Bergelmir. He went up on to his ark
with his wife and was preserved there, and from them are
descended the families of frost-giants, as it says here:

Countless winters before the earth was created, then was
Bergelmir born. That is the first I remember, when that wise
giant was laid on a box.’

Then Gangleri replied: ‘What did Bor’s sons do then, if you
believe that they are gods?’

High said: ‘There is not just a little to be told about that. They
took Ymir and transported him to the middle of Ginnungagap,
and out of him made the earth, out of his blood the sea and the
lakes. The earth was made of the flesh and the rocks of the bones,
stone and scree they made out of the teeth and molars and of the
bones that had been broken.’

Then spoke Just-as-high: ‘Out of the blood that came from his
wounds and was flowing unconfined, out of this they made the
sea with which they encompassed and contained the earth, and
they placed this sea in a circle round the outside of it, and it will
seem an impossibility to most to get across it.’

Then spoke Third: ‘They also took his skull and made out of it
the sky and set it up over the earth with four points, and under
each corner they set a dwarf. Their names are Austri, Vestri,
Nordri, Sudri. Then they took molten particles and sparks that
were flying uncontrolled and had shot out of the world of Muspell
and set them in the middle of the firmament of the sky both above
and below to illuminate heaven and earth. They fixed all the
lights, some in the sky, some moved in a wandering course
beneath the sky, but they appointed them positions and ordained
their courses. Thus it is said in ancient sources that by means of
them days were distinguished and also the count of years, as it
says in Voluspa:

The sun did not know where her dwelling was. The moon
did not know what power he had. The stars did not know
where their places were.

That is what it was like above the earth before this took place.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘This is important information that I
have just heard. That is an amazingly large construction and
skilfully made. How was the earth arranged?’

Then High replied: ‘It is circular round the edge, and around it
lies the deep sea, and along the shore of this sea they gave lands to
live in to the races of giants. But on the earth on the inner side they
made a fortification round the world against the hostility of
giants, and for this fortification they used the giant Ymir’s
eyelashes, and they called the fortification Midgard. They also
took his brains and threw them into the sky and made out of them
the clouds, as it says here:

From Ymir’s flesh was earth created, and from blood, sea;
rocks of bones, trees of hair, and from his skull, the sky.

And from his eyelashes the joyous gods made Midgard for
men’s sons, and from his brains were those cruel clouds all
created.’

Then spoke Gangleri: ‘A great deal it seems to me they had
achieved when earth and heaven were made and sun and stars
were put in position and days were separated — and where did the
people come from who inhabit the world?’


- Prose Edda, Gylfaginning