The Nine Worlds
A Norse Creation Story from Scandinavian Countries in Northern Europe
Introduction
In the north of Europe, people told stories about gods, giants, and different worlds. These stories are part of Norse mythology. They describe nine worlds, all connected by one great tree.
A very long time ago, there was nothing. There was no earth and no sky. There was only a big empty space called Ginnungagap.
In the north was Niflheim, a world of ice. In the south was Muspell, a world of fire.
When the cold ice met the hot fire, the ice began to melt. From the melting ice, the first giant appeared. His name was Ymir. Ymir was not a god. He was a powerful creature.
Next to him was a giant cow named Audhumla. She gave milk, and Ymir drank it. Audhumla licked ice-stones. After three days, she uncovered a man named Buri.
Later, Buri’s family had three sons: Odin, Vili, and Ve.
They became the first gods.
The gods wanted to make a new world. They wanted order instead of chaos. They fought Ymir and won the battle.
When Ymir fell, water covered the land and became the sea. From his huge body, the earth was made. His big bones became mountains. The gods lifted the top of his head high above the world and turned it into the sky.
They placed four dwarves in the four directions of the world to hold up the sky. They took sparks from Muspell and put them in the sky to make stars.
To protect people, the gods built a wall around the middle of the world. They called this place Midgard.
The gods made the first humans from two logs. Their names were Ask and Embla.
The gods built their home called Asgard. In the middle of everything stands a great tree named Yggdrasil. Its branches stretch across the nine worlds and connect them all. The gods could travel across a bridge between worlds.
The Norse people believed that one day the world would end in fire, and then a new world would begin again.
Glossary
to appear – появявам се
powerful – силен / могъщ
to lick – ближа
ice-stones – ледени блокове
chaos – хаос
to fight, fought – бия се / боря се, бих се / борих се
to lift – вдигам / повдигам
to protect – защитавам
log – дънер на дърво
branch – клон
dwarf – джудже
spark – искра
to stretch – простирам се / разпростирам се