Norse society was male- dominated, leaving the roles of men and women in society quite distinct. In ancient society, it was “just as unlikely that a man would weave cloth as that a woman would participate in a Viking raid” (citation). Women’s responsibilities were clearly defined as domestic, and each woman was by law under the authority of her husband and had limited freedom to dispose of property belonging to her. In the Norse creation story, the world was created beginning with a gaping abyss of perfect silence and darkness, containing only two things: a mountain of ice and vast lakes of fire. Out from the glacial mountain appeared Ymir, the first of the god-like giants, and Odin, who became king of all the gods. However, Ymir was cruel, and Odin and his brothers could no longer abide by his evil acts, and so they slew him and set about constructing the world from his corpse. The gods eventually formed the first man and women, but all were not pleased with Odin’s creation. Ymir’s sisters, still morning the loss of their brother, were looking for vengeance on those who killed him. They gathered at the foot of Yggdrasil and began carving lines in it, each representing a human life. These spells were irreversible, and thus “Yggdrasil became known as ‘The Tree of Life’ and humans knew death and suffering in their world” (Norse Creation). Similar to the Greek and Old Testament creation stories, the introduction of evil and suffering to the world was the fault of a woman. Ymir’s sisters, in fueled by pain and grievance, are tempted by revenge and the fate of their brother to curse the human race.
Norse society was male- dominated, leaving the roles of men and women in society quite distinct. In ancient society, it was “just as unlikely that a man would weave cloth as that a woman would participate in a Viking raid” (citation). Women’s responsibilities were clearly defined as domestic, and each woman was by law under the authority of her husband and had limited freedom to dispose of property belonging to her. In the Norse creation story, the world was created beginning with a gaping abyss of perfect silence and darkness, containing only two things: a mountain of ice and vast lakes of fire. Out from the glacial mountain appeared Ymir, the first of the god-like giants, and Odin, who became king of all the gods. However, Ymir was cruel, and Odin and his brothers could no longer abide by his evil acts, and so they slew him and set about constructing the world from his corpse. The gods eventually formed the first man and women, but all were not pleased with Odin’s creation. Ymir’s sisters, still morning the loss of their brother, were looking for vengeance on those who killed him. They gathered at the foot of Yggdrasil and began carving lines in it, each representing a human life. These spells were irreversible, and thus “Yggdrasil became known as ‘The Tree of Life’ and humans knew death and suffering in their world” (Norse Creation). Similar to the Greek and Old Testament creation stories, the introduction of evil and suffering to the world was the fault of a woman. Ymir’s sisters, in fueled by pain and grievance, are tempted by revenge and the fate of their brother to curse the human race.