Norse cosmology

Categories: Norse mythology | Mythological Cosmologies

Norse cosmology, as it is given us in the source material for Norse mythology recognizes the existence of nine worlds, assigned the ending -heimr (home, realm, or world) or in some cases -garðr (homestead, yard or earth). In the latter cases, there is always also some kind of construction with the same name centrally located in the world. Apart from Miðgarðr (the "Middle Earth," or the world as we know it), the remaining eight worlds can be structured into pairs of opposing principles:

The worlds are all connected by Yggdrasil, the world tree. However, there is some inconsistency in the sources, as the world tree – drawing its nutrition from three wells, located in three different worlds – suggests that they are all roughly on the same level, which would indicate for instance a Niflheim in the north, a Muspelheim in the south and a Jotunheim in the east.

On the other hand, the Younger Edda locates Asgard and Alfheim in "the heavens," and it should also be noted that the underworld Helheim is generally said to border or be situated in Niflheim, yielding a more layered cosmology, something like the chart below. (Rasmus B. Anderson's 1897 translation of the Younger Edda gives a slightly different layering, however.)

The theory and diagram presented here only represent one possible interpretation.

• Yggdrasil (Beneath its roots are the nine worlds of the universe, plus three magic wells)
  • Hvergelmir
  • Mímisbrunnr
  • Urdarbrunnr
• Highest level
  • Álfheim (The world of the elves)
  • Asgard (The world of the Aesir, originally called Godheim)
    • Valhalla
  • Vanaheim (The world of the Vanir)
• Middle level
  • Jotunheim (the world of the Jotnir, i.e. giants)
    • Gastropnir
    • Thrymheim
    • Utgard
  • Midgard (The "Middle Earth," the world of men, originally called Mannheim)
  • Nidavellir and Svartálfheim (The world of the dwarves or black elves. Most probably the same)
• Lower level
  • Helheim (The world of Hel, goddess of the underworld)
  • Muspelheim (The world of fire and home to the fire giants)
    • Ginnungagap (Former gap between Muspelheim and Niflheim, from which life sprang)
  • Niflheim (The world of mists, ice and cold. Home to the frost giants)
    • Nastrond

da:Nordisk kosmologi el:Σκανδιναβική κοσμολογία he:יקום נורדי nl:Noordse kosmologie ja:九つの世界 no:Norrøn kosmologi