According to Norse mythology, the world was created from the collision of elemental forces in the primordial void known as Ginnungagap. The creation story is detailed in the Prose Edda, written by the Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, and in the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems.
The story begins with the existence of two realms: Niflheim, a world of ice and mist in the north, and Muspelheim, a realm of fire in the south. Between them lay Ginnungagap, an empty void. As the cold from Niflheim and the heat from Muspelheim met in the middle, the frozen rivers and the sparks created began to form the first being, Ymir, the primordial giant.
Ymir was not alone in the void. He was nourished by the cosmic cow Audumbla, who licked the salty ice of Niflheim, which provided Ymir with sustenance. As Audumbla licked the ice, she uncovered Buri, the first of the gods. Buri had a son named Bor, who married Bestla, the daughter of a giant.
From the union of Bor and Bestla came three powerful offspring: Odin, Vili, and Ve. These three brothers were instrumental in shaping the world. They slew Ymir, and from his body, they created the world. Ymir's flesh became the earth, his blood turned into the oceans, his bones formed the mountains, his teeth and broken bones became rocks and stones, and his skull was used to create the sky.
The gods then took sparks from Muspelheim to light up the sky, creating the sun, moon, and stars. They placed the newly created world, known as Midgard, in the middle of the universe, connecting it to the other realms through the World Tree, Yggdrasil. Thus, the world of Norse mythology was born, with its intricate connections between gods, giants, humans, and various other beings inhabiting the nine realms.
