Period 4
15 February 2011
Norse Mythology Research Paper Norse Mythology originated with nothing but a land called Ginnungagap. King Gylfi, who disguised himself as an old man called Gangleri, and came to the palace of the Gods who also disguised themselves as the High-One, Just-as-High and Third (Rosenberg 207). They told him all the myths that the Norse people (Rosenberg 213), now known as Scandinavians (Daly n.pag.), who also undertook widely spread out raids and took most of the British isles, and found their way to southern France, Italy, Spain, and most importantly they colonized Iceland and their mythology developed well after most of Europe was Christian. This all happened between 780 and 1070(Leeming, pg 470.), and now believe about their creation story (Rosenberg 213). Gangleri asked the gods about the creation of the world and the gods spoke of the world Ginnungagap surrounded by the fiery world named Muspelheim on one side and Niflheim, the ice world, on the other. Then, a Frost giant was created from the joining of Muspelheim and Niflheim, or fire and ice, named Ymir, and also a cow called Audhumbla. Ymir received his nutrients from the cow, and in return, she helped create the first human being called Bur from licking ice blocks. Ymir was the grandfather Frost Giant overall, and from his sweat he created a man and woman. (Gill n. pag.). The major deities were Odin, Ve, and Vili who were the main gods over other gods such as Frigg, Odin’s wife, Thor, Balder, Hoder, Hermod, Bragi, Idun, Njord, Frey, Freya, Heimdall, Hoenir, Loki, and Hel. The parents of the three main gods were Bur and Bestla. Odin, Woden meaning wild or filled with fury, is the ruler of wind, father of mortals and gods, god of war, son of Bur and Bestla, helped kill Ymir a Frost Giant, and gave life and soul to the mortals. Ve and Vili are the two brothers of Odin, him being the oldest and Ve the youngest, and they helped to kill Ymir, also. Frigg was known as a