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ORIGIN STORIES

Before the 9 worlds there was a cosmic void (Gunningagap) with fire (Muspelheim) and ice (Niflheim) at either end. As heat and cold met in the middle, the first giant (Ymir) is formed from primordial poison. The first god (Buri)  comes out of melting ice.


9 WORLDS OF NORSE MYTH AND THE RACES THAT INHABIT THEM

1. Midgard (middle earth)
- populated by humans (menn)

2. Asgard
- populated by the Aesir
- a realm of sky?

3. Vanaheim
- populated by the Vanir
- a realm of land and sea - has sea giants

4. Jotunheim
- populated by jotnar (giants)-- specifically frost giants and rock giants

5. Alfheim
- populated by alfar (elves), specifically ljosalfar (light elves)

6. Svartalfheim
- populated by dvergar (dwarves), and dark elves (svartalfar and dokkalfar-- same? two diff kind of elves?)
- possibly Alfheim and Svartalfheim are the same world-- one above ground and one below ground.
7. Hel
- populated by dead people
- is located IN Niflheim? Is part of Niflheim?
- Those who die of disease and old age go to Hel --- Jotuns also? (because a Jotun killed in battle by Thor ends up in Hel, so...)

8. Niflheim
- primordial realm of ice and mist
- Hel is there?
 
9. Muspellsheim
- primordial realm of fire
- populated by fire giants


FROM NORTH TO SOUTH

The list of the nine homeworlds can arrange to form a continuum, with Niflheimr in the extreme north and Muspellheimr in the extreme south. The other seven form gradations in between, with the human homeworld in the center. The following nomenclature refers to the Old Norse names for the families of beings.

    South
    1. Muspellsheimr: World of Muspell (fire, in the south)
    2. Alfheimr: World of the Ljósálfr ('light elf')
    3. Vanaheimr: World of the Vanir
    4. Goðheimr: World of the Æsir
    5. Manheimr: World of the Maðr ('human')
    6. Jǫtunheimr: World of the Jǫtunn ('giant')
    7. Svartálfaheimr: World of the Svartálfar ('dark elves', aka Dvergar 'dwarves')
    8. Helheimr: World of Hel (the realm of the dead)
    9. Niflheimr: World of Nifl (arctic 'mist' and ice, in the north)
    North

Three levels of three homeworlds each

The modern Norse religion, Asatru, strives to systemize evidence from the Norse texts, and may list the nine worlds as follows. But this system too has difficulties:

The three worlds above the earth, in heaven:

    1. Múspellsheimr (Muspelheim or Muspell)
    2. Álfheimr (Alfheim)
    3. Ásgarðr (Asgard)

The three worlds on earth:

    4. Vanaheimr (Vanaheim)
    5. Miðgarðr (Midgard)
    6. Jötunheimr (Jotunheim)

The three worlds below the earth, in underworld:

    7. Svartálfaheimr (Svartalfheim)
    8. Niflhel (Hel)
    9. Niflheimr (Niflheim)
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