Publiseret efter MEGA Eventet: Tree of Life om Nordiske gudesagn.
I cachen: Logbog, blyant og små bytteting.
Ginnungagap var i nordisk mytologi det store tomrum, der var i midten af verden, før jorden blev skabt. Ginnungagap adskilte det sydlige flammehav Muspelheim, hvor ildjætten Surt hersker, fra det nordlige iskolde rige Niflheim, hvor den kæmpemæssige lindorm Nidhug lever.
Ginnungagaps rolle i skabelsen
Den nordiske skabelsesberetning fortæller at fra floden Hvergelmer i Niflheim begyndte 12 iskolde elve at strømme ind i Ginnungagap, hvor de mødes med flammer og lava fra Muspelheim. I dette møde i Ginnungagap mellem kulde og varme opstod et rimdække. Den varme luft fra Muspelheim fik rimen til at smelte, og af dråberne opstod urjætten Ymer, som var stamfar til jætterne, og her opstod det første liv.
Det var her koen Audhumla og jætten Ymer levede, og det var her, at Odin og hans brødre Vile og Ve senere skabte verden af Ymers lig.
Da guderne voksede og blev bevidste om deres kræfter, besluttede de at dræbe Ymer. Alt hans æt undtagen Bergelmer og hans kvinde druknede i blodsstrømmen som stod fra ham i mange dage, og det er fra dem at al nuværende jætteæt stammer.
Guderne tog da Ymers lig og kastede det i ginnungagap – og af det formede de jorden. Blodet blev til verdenshavene, kødet til jord og muld, knoglerne til alverden bjerge og fjelde, håret til skovene, tænderne til sandet og hjerneskallen hævede de op som himmelhvælvingen. Herefter satte de dværgene Nordre, Søndre, Østre og Vestre til at holde hvert deres hjørne af denne skal. Gløder fra Muspelheim kastede de op og gjorde til stjerner. De mest glødende stykker fra Muspelheim fik særlige opgaver – det var sol og måne.
English:
Published after the MEGA Event: Tree of Life about Nordic legends.
In the cache: Logbook, pencil and small items of exchange.
In Nordic mythology, Ginnungagap was the great void that was in the middle of the world before the earth was created. Ginnungagap separated the southern sea of flame Muspelheim, where the fire giant Surt rules, from the northern icy realm Niflheim, where the giant lynx Nidhug lives.
Ginnungagap's role in creation
The Nordic creation story tells that from the river Hvergelmer in Niflheim, 12 icy rivers began to flow into Ginnungagap, where they meet with flames and lava from Muspelheim. In this encounter in Ginnungagap between cold and heat, a rhyming blanket arose. The hot air from Muspelheim caused the rime to melt, and from the drops arose the primordial giant Ymer, who was the ancestor of the giants, and here the first life arose.
It was here that the cow Audhumla and the giant Ymer lived, and it was here that Odin and his brothers Vile and Ve later created the world from Ymer's corpse.
As the gods grew and became aware of their powers, they decided to kill Ymer. All his race except Bergelmer and his wife drowned in the stream of blood which stood from him for many days, and it is from them that all the present race of giants originate.
The gods then took Ymer's body and threw it into the ginnung gap - and from it they formed the earth. The blood became the world's oceans, the flesh became earth and soil, the bones became all kinds of mountains and fells, the hair became the forests, the teeth became the sand and the skull they raised up like the firmament. After this they set the dwarfs North, South, East and West to hold each corner of this shell. Embers from Muspelheim they threw up and turned into stars. The most glowing pieces from Muspelheim were given special tasks – it was the sun and the moon.
