Norse mythology is a myth that has been forgotten for a long time. The descendants of the ancient Norse people have abandoned this treasure for centuries. Among the many mythological systems, unlike the graceful and light joyous scenes in Greek mythology and the gorgeous and decadent self-destruction in Brahmin mythology, Nordic mythology is the most magnificent and tragic poem. The fate that had been set since birth could not be changed, so he could only press his rough fingers on the bleeding wound while mocking the nature of life with a smile.
The Nordic mythology is a mixture of the ancient poem "Ada" and ancient Germanic tragic legends. The most unique thing is the fate of eventual destruction that even the gods cannot resist - Regaru gram. The world of Norse mythology was created through battles, and was also destroyed through battles. It combines the fate of death and the endless self-dignity, like the proud lament of a sharp sword slashing in the cold wind, which is deeply touching!
The descendants of the heroes in Norse mythology are the Germanic peoples of present-day Scandinavia and the lowlands of northeastern Germany. They grew up in a desolate and harsh natural environment and developed brave and sturdy personalities. Wandering, fighting and hunting are their daily lifestyles. They often go on expeditions to other countries under the leadership of bold and enterprising leaders, and win status and wealth from foreign countries that they do not have at home.
The Nordic mythology that has been passed down to this day is the product of this nation. But the records of the myth no longer exist in the Germanic countries today. Instead, it was preserved on Iceland, an isolated island covered with volcanoes and glaciers in the North Sea. The Germanic gods were completely forgotten by the Germanic nation. The most important reason was the contact with the Roman Empire and the assimilation of Christianity through contact. Coupled with natural and man-made disasters, especially the "Thirty Years' War" from 1618 to 1648 AD, the inherent Germanic culture was incomplete and desolate. The valuable documents and legends fell into the abyss of forgetfulness and were buried in the dust for a long time.
At that time, only Christian priests were literate. They were in charge of records and safekeeping of documents. Naturally, they hated pagan legends, manuscripts, songs, etc. and cleaned them up; only a few data survived: the British "Beowulf" -Beowulf, the German "Nibelungenlied"-Nibelungenlied and some fragments-Saga (Heroic Legend), and two collections of Icelandic mythological poems "Edda"-Edda.
So, people now can only look for the remaining shadows of Nordic mythology from these fragmented chapters, and recall the magnificent myths and legends of the past...
1. The beginning of chaos
In the ancient times when Ymir was alive,
There was no sand or sea, no rough waves;
The world had no earth and no sky,
Just the gaping, barren chasm. ——"Sibyl Prophecy"
In the distant prehistoric era, the world was in chaos, with no sand, no sea, no sky and no earth. In the middle of this chaos, there is only a deep, huge chasm called the Jin-Enga Chasm. The entire chasm was empty and void, with no trees or weeds.
To the north of the Jin-Enga Divide is the vast world of ice and snow, Niflheim; to the south of the Jin-Enga Divide is the land of fire, Mosbyheim. The soaring flames shot out from the Fire Kingdom, and the sparks splashed down fell on both sides of the Jin Enga Chasm, and also fell on the ice mounds piled next to the chasm. The ice melted into water vapor after encountering the hot Mars, and was frozen again by the strong cold wind blowing from Niflheim. The cycle repeats like this. For thousands of years, under the continuous influence of the heat wave of the Fire Kingdom and the cold air of the Ice and Snow Kingdom, the first two lives were born in these ice mounds-the cow Odumbra and the giant Yi of the Origin. Mir. Huge cows make a living by licking snow and ice and bits of salt frost off the ice. Four streams of milk flowed out from under the cow, forming four endless white rivers. So the huge Ymir fed on the milk of Odumbra. In the prehistoric era of chaos, darkness, ice and snow, only these two huge creatures existed.
Countless years later, Ymir, who drank milk all day long, became very strong. Once, when he finished drinking milk and fell asleep, two giants, a man and a woman, suddenly grew from under his arms. Then, one of his sons also grew out from under his feet.
The pair of giants born from under his arms later became a couple and gave birth to many giant descendants. Among their many children, one of them, Mimir, was an extremely wise giant. From Ymir's feet was born an evil giant with six heads, who later had many descendants. But most of his descendants are huge, stupid giants, some have many heads, and some are beasts. Ymir, the ancestor of the giants, himself gave birth to other giants since then. All giants from Ymir are called frost giants. They are the masters of the giant world, destroyers of world order and enemies of the gods.
The cow Odumbula licks the ice and snow day and night, constantly looking for salt and frost. One day, when it was licking some salt grains on the stone, some hair suddenly licked out from under its tongue. It continued to lick, and on the second day, a complete head appeared; on the third day, it licked out a living human form. Thus was born Bree, the ancestor of the gods. Bree is a tall, handsome man, strong and gentle. He soon gave birth to a son Bor who was also tall and majestic. When Bor grew up, he married the giantess Pestra. Bestela is the daughter of the pair of giants who grew out from under Ymir's arms, and is also the sister of the wise giant Mimir. Bor and Bestela soon gave birth to three sons, Odin, Willi and Vi. There are no words in the world to describe their tallness and majesty. They are three great gods and will be the masters of all worlds.
2. The Creation of Heaven and Earth
The sons of Bor gradually grew up and became stronger and stronger. At the same time, they were no longer satisfied with living in such darkness, cold and In a chaotic world. After some planning, the three gods Odin, Willi and Wei launched an attack on Ymir, the ruler of the prehistoric world and the ancestor of the giants, and finally succeeded in killing this behemoth.
Then, they used Ymir's body to start creating a comfortable and beautiful world. The gods dismembered Ymir's huge body. Place Ymir's body in the middle of the Jin-Enga gap, and use the body that fills the gap as the earth. The gods used his blood to create oceans and lakes, his bones to create hills and mountains, his teeth and fragments of jaw bones to create cliffs and pebbles, and his hair and beard to create trees and grass. After the earth was formed, the gods threw Ymir's head onto it to form the sky, and then scattered his brains into the sky to form clouds. In order to prevent the sky from falling from above, the gods sent four dwarfs to the four corners of the sky, southeast and northwest, and used their shoulders to support the four corners of the sky. These four dwarfs carrying the sky are named East, South, West and North respectively. After creating the earth and the sky, Odin, Willy and Wei collected many sparks from the Fire Kingdom in the south and scattered them into the sky at will. These sparks stayed in the sky and became stars all over the sky, lighting up the whole world.
After the world began to take shape, the ancestors of the gods began to think about creating a perfect creature that could live in the rich and fertile land. The three gods often walked between heaven and earth with this question in mind, observing their achievements in creating heaven and earth. One day, when Odin, Willy and Vee were walking on the beach, the waves washed up two pieces of wood, one was an ash tree and the other was an elm tree. After the gods picked them up, they felt that they could be used as materials to create humans, so they began to carve them into two human shapes with knives. Thanks to the careful carvings of the gods, the ash wood took on the lifelike shape of a man, while the elm wood took on the shape of a woman.
Once the trees took shape, three gods breathed life into them. Odin first held the human form in his hands and gave them life and breath; Willy then gave them souls and wisdom; finally, Wei gave them body temperature and the sense of the five senses. Humanity was born.
According to their origins, the ancestors of the gods named the man Ask (meaning ash tree) and the woman named Epola (meaning elm tree).
In addition, long before the gods thought of using Ymir's corpse to create the world, many maggots emerged from Ymir's rotting flesh. These maggots robbed the essence of the ancestors of the giants, and they were actually spiritual creatures. Under the judgment of Odin and other gods, they all had human-like bodies and intelligence.
The maggots that grew from the light side of the corpse became elves or light elves, and the maggots that grew from the backlit side of the corpse became dark elves. People generally called them dwarfs. The four dwarves in the southeast, northwest, and southeast that support the sky grew out of Ymir's corpse. The elves are all bright and dazzling, and they are very beautiful. They are usually gentle, cheerful and enthusiastic, and can communicate with trees, flowers, plants, fish and birds, so the gods regard them as their friends. They also often help the gods manage the world, especially matters such as the sun, moon and stars. Although dwarfs are the same thing as elves, their appearance and temperament are completely opposite. They were short and ugly, black as pitch, greedy for money, lustful, cunning and prone to lying.
The wise giant Mimir has a beautiful, dark-skinned daughter, her name is Night. At night, she often rides her steed, galloping in the sky with twinkling stars. Later, Beautiful Night fell in love with Deling, the dawn elf who controlled light in the Elf Kingdom, and they gave birth to a son who was as handsome and dazzling as his father, named Bai Tian.
From then on, when the red light of morning shines on the earth and the sea, the elves called the awakeners will sing the song of the morning outside the palace wall of the dawn elf Deling. During the day, the son immediately mounted his horse amid the singing and galloped towards the boundless sky. At the same time, his mother returned to the palace to rest tiredly after a long night of driving.
In the kingdom of giants, there was a giant who had a son and a daughter. They were handsome, beautiful and dazzling, and they were called the moon and the sun respectively. The proud giant often praised other creatures for how outstanding his children were, which attracted the attention of the gods. Later, the gods took these two beautiful children away from the giant kingdom and gave them two horses and a large carriage respectively, so that they could patrol the sky day and night.
From then on, the girl called the sun shined with golden light, and during the day, the boy called the moon shined with silver light, and continued to run in the sky at night.
Two ferocious wolves were chasing the sun and the moon respectively, trying to devour them with salivation. They kept roaring at the sun and moon, following closely behind them. However, Yavik and Elvis, who are driven by the sun, are two incomparable divine horses. Their manes shimmer with golden light, dragging the sun chariot studded with gems forward at extremely fast speeds. Therefore, the sun can always escape the pursuit of the wolf.
When the golden sun passed over the western horizon, she arrived at the palace of the dusk elf Billing. After a day of running, the tired Sun rested on the luxurious bed arranged for her by Billing. Billing's servants held lit candles and torches around her bed to guard her. When the morning light appears on the horizon again, the sun will once again step onto her carriage and drive the horse galloping across the sky.
When the sun boarded the car and set off, the moon drove back to the Dusk Palace in Billing. As the moon rested on his luxurious bed, a group of sleeping elves snoozed around him.
In this way, human beings on the earth have the distinction between day and night, as well as the warmth of the sun and the warmth of the moonlight.
3. The composition of the world
The entire universe in Nordic mythology is composed of nine worlds and is divided into three levels.
The upper level is: Elfheim, the kingdom of elves, Asa Garden, the kingdom of gods, and Mosbyheim, the kingdom of fire;
The middle layer is: Atrium, the kingdom of humans. , Jotunheim, the country of giants, and Vanaheim, the home of the Vanir;
The lower level is: Severnheim, the country of dwarfs, Hela's country of death, and Niflheim, the ice world.
What connects these nine worlds is a huge ash tree. It originated in the "past", flourishes in the "present", and extends to the infinite "future". The leaves are always green, its branches support the weight of the entire universe, and its roots run through the whole world. Its name is: "Yugatrash".
This huge ash tree is the origin and carrier of all things in the universe. It is full of vitality and its dense branches and leaves cover the entire heaven and earth. There are three huge tree roots supporting the World Tree Yugatrasi, making it stand erect. These three roots lead respectively to the kingdom of the gods, the kingdom of giants and the ice world of Niflheim. At the ends of these tree roots, there are three springs that provide water to the Cosmic Tree.
The spring leading to Niflheim in the far north is called Hevegelma. In a land of ice and snow, the spring water is bone-chillingly cold and the cold mist is steaming. A ferocious black dragon, Nithogg, was entrenched there, biting the huge tree roots that extended into the spring day and night. The black dragon was born as a demon and attempted to eventually bite off the giant root of the cosmic tree and destroy the world.
The spring leading to the kingdom of giants is guarded by the wise giant Mimir, so this spring is called Mimir Spring. Mimir is the son of the pair of giants born under the arms of Ymir, the ancestor of the giants. He has been extremely smart since he was a child. While he was guarding the spring, he had become an old giant. The spring water of Mimir Spring is full of knowledge and wisdom. The knowledge about everything happening in the whole world and the nine worlds is melted in this clear and transparent spring water. Therefore, no matter who it is, whether it is gods, elves, giants, dwarfs or humans, as long as they drink the water from Mimir Spring, they will become both knowledgeable and wise.
The giant root leading to the kingdom of gods is also connected to a spring. This spring is called Wuda Spring, but it is much larger than the other two and looks like a lake. Wuda Spring is always as beautiful as poetry and picturesque, and the surface of the spring is as level as a mirror. The spring water of Uda Spring can emit pleasant light, illuminating the Kingdom of God and the entire Cosmic Tree. Its spring water is also extremely holy, and the animals living on the water are all white. When the world first opened, two mountain birds flew to perch by the spring and played in the water. The holy spring water made their feathers become as white as snow. Later, people called this animal swan.
There are three goddesses of fate living next to Uda Spring. Their names are Urd (past), Verdanti (present) and Skuld (future). They allocate life to humans and designate the fate of all living beings. The three sisters of the Goddess of Destiny are the guardians of the Universal Tree. They irrigate the roots of the Universal Tree with holy Uda spring water every day to make it evergreen. When there was a crack in the World Tree, they used the white soil from the Uda Spring to repair it. Under the diligent irrigation and careful care of the three goddesses of destiny, the tree of the world, Yugatrasi, has lush branches and leaves and is evergreen all year round.
On the top of Yugatrasi, the tree of the world, stands a rooster with snow-white feathers called Jirenkama. This white rooster is ordered by the sisters of Fate to calculate time for all things in heaven and earth. When all creatures in heaven and earth need sleep, the white rooster starts counting. After it had counted sixty times sixty times twelve, it sang loudly on the top of the World Tree. At the same time, the day and the sun also rushed into the sky from the Palace of Dawn and the Palace of Dusk respectively.
In addition to the white rooster Jirenkama, there is also a huge eagle perched on the highest branch of the world tree. This is a very majestic giant eagle. When it flaps its wings, it is when strong winds blow in the world. This giant eagle and the poisonous dragon that lives in the ice world under the tree roots are a pair of old enemies, especially because Rattusk, the squirrel jumping between the branches, is constantly sowing discord and stirring up trouble between them. In addition, there are four beautiful deer running in the woods beside Wuda Spring. It symbolizes the four directions of wind blowing the branches.
4. The Nordic Gods
In Nordic mythology, there are two gods representing light and justice. They are the Asaphs who live in Asa Garden. and the Vanir who live in Vanaheim. Most of the gods mentioned in Norse mythology refer to the Asaphids, and Odin, the king of the gods, belongs to the Asaph clan. As an ancient and mysterious existence, the Warner Protoss is rarely mentioned. Some scholars believe that the Asaphites represent the orthodox gods of ancient Northern Europe, while the Vanir represent alien gods from religions other than Norse mythology.
A protracted war broke out between the Asaph and the Vanir in myths and legends. The cause of the war was that a female Warner named Gervick came to the Asaph Garden with the mission of the Warner Protoss. She came to argue with the Asaph about which of the two major gods should be worshiped by humans. This was the first large-scale and tragic war since the beginning of chaos in the world. The warriors of the two gods fought bravely and fearlessly on the battlefield, and the spearheads of the gods were stained with the blood of the enemy. As the two sides were evenly matched, the war lasted for many years, and both protoss suffered huge sacrifices. Finally, all the gods were tired of this protracted war and senseless fighting. As a result, peace talks began between the gods.
In order to maintain the peace between the two major gods for a long time and prevent the war from igniting again in the world of gods, the gods finally decided that both sides would send hostages to each other. The ones the Asair sent to Vanaheim were Haina and the wise giant Mimir, while the ones the Vanir sent to Asagard were the most outstanding Vanir god Nord and his twin children, Frey and Freya. . They are also the only Vanirs to appear in Norse mythology. Here are some of the main gods that often appear in Norse mythology:
Odin, the father of the gods: is the main god of the Arthur clan, equivalent to Zeus in Greek mythology and Jupiter in Roman mythology. special. Legend has it that he is a tall man about fifty years old, missing one eye, cold and serious. He is the god of battle, poetry, wisdom and death. Since most of the gods come from him, he is also called the "Father of the Gods". He wore a dark gray cloak on his shoulders, with shining stars on the edge, and a broad-brimmed hat as blue as the clear sky, reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun in the sky. A single, penetrating eye penetrates the mystery of life and death. Holding a spear that never misses the target - the Gignur gun, wearing a Drapunir ring, riding the eight-legged god Masleipnir, with two crows perched on his shoulders, one One is called Hu Jin (meaning thought), and the other is named Muning (meaning memory); he is followed by two wolves: Gerry "Greed" and Fletcher "Gluttony". Odin was not originally one-eyed. When he wanted to drink from the fountain of wisdom under the World Tree to gain ultimate wisdom, he dug out his right eye and threw it into the Mimir Spring. That eye fell steadily to the bottom of the spring, and opened upward in the spring of knowledge and wisdom. Through the clear spring water, it can see everything that has happened in the universe and everything that will happen in the future. Then Odin also drank a lot of water from the Mimir Spring as he wished, and he became more knowledgeable and wise. Although he lost one eye as a result and was often called "One-eyed" or "One-eyed Old Man", he was also called "Odin the Wise" because of his superior wisdom. The martial Nordic warriors believe that if they can receive Odin's blessing during war, they will be able to obtain a power with the spirit of a bear and the bravery of a wolf, and become invincible on the battlefield and become a "berserker". Odin dominates the outcome of the war in the "Atrium" where humans live, and orders the maids Valkyrie to select the bravest death warriors and bring them back to the "Hall of Valor", and these heroes will be killed in "Twilight of the Gods". Fight side by side with the gods in the disaster.
Frigg, the goddess of marriage: Odin’s wife, queen of the gods. Therefore, he enjoys the privilege of sitting on Odin's throne, and Frigg has the power to know everything in the universe. She is also a wise prophet, knowing everything about the future, but she is silent and never tells what she knows. This is because Nordic people believe that women are mystics and prophets who hold secrets. She is the mother of Baldur, the god of light, and Hodr, the god of darkness. Although she is able to interpret the nightmare of her beloved son Baldur's death shadow, and arranges for it to protect Baldur from harm by all things in the world. However, even if they are separated, the two sons still cannot escape death. Fate is still irresistible. Frigg is described as a beautiful and dignified woman. Wearing the goshawk feather, which is a symbol of silence. Wearing snow-white clothes with a gold belt around her waist and a bunch of keys, this is another image of a housewife. So she is also the patron saint of the family.
Thunder God Thor: Thor is the eldest son of Odin. He is the strongest warrior among the gods and has the ability to control wind and rain. The chest-length red beard often flutters in the air, possessing huge strength and amazing appetite. Because he is so huge, he cannot walk on the Rainbow Bridge to avoid crushing it. He is the sworn defender of Asaph Garden. However, Thor is the natural enemy of the giants. He often goes to the giant kingdom in the east to fight against the giants, so he is rarely in Asagard. Thor has three strange treasures: The first is the thunder hammer (Mjollnir), which can break open rocks and has terrible power. This treasure has a magical function and can be thrown back to the hand automatically. When Thor appeared in the sky, the frost giants and mountain giants recognized the hammer immediately. This hammer has shattered the heads of many frost giants and mountain giants like eggshells in countless battles against giants. No matter for the gods or giants, there is nothing more terrifying than Thor's thunder hammer. The second piece is a power belt (belt) that can double Thor's divine power. The third is the iron glove he wears while wielding the hammer. When Thor swings the hammer, a terrifying light flashes in the air and is reflected in the eyes of people on the ground.
His chariot has heavy iron wheels that make a terrible sound, and are pulled by two sheep whose hair is whiter than snow. When Thor gallops in the sea of ??clouds, the wheels will spin sharply, echo, and roar in the wind. This is The rumbling "thunder".
Tyr, God of War: Tire, the son of Odin, is the bravest Asaph and one of the leaders of the high-ranking gods in the Asaph Garden. Precisely because of his bravery and invincibility, he became the patron saint of all wars in the world, always giving victory to the brave in battle. Warlike Norsemen often prayed to Tire before going into battle. Tyre's weapon is the sword. The sword is sacred to the Nordic warriors, and they often swear in the name of the sword. The warriors of Northern Europe used their swords closely connected to form a wheel, with their leader (the bravest) standing on top, and then carried them in the procession; they also raised their swords to form a sharp mountain, and the brave men jumped over it. Tyr was the only god who had the courage to put his hand into the mouth of the giant wolf Fenril, but he lost his right hand forever.
Brachi, the God of Poetry: Brachi, another son of Odin, is a rather gentle god. Brachi has a long beard and drooping chest, and is eloquent. He is especially a great poet and can sing long poems in unison. Therefore, Brachi is the god of poetry. Because of his beautiful beard and chest, he was sometimes called Asaph the Bearded.
Idun, the goddess of youth: Idun is one of the most beautiful goddesses in the Asa Garden. She is the daughter of the famous dwarf Iverdi, and later married Odin's son, the god of poetry. Brachi became his wife and became the goddess of youth in the Asaph Garden. The goddess Idun is not only stunningly beautiful, but also very generous and enthusiastic. She is kind and friendly to all gods, elves and dwarves. At the banquets of the Asaph gods, she always enthusiastically poured wine for the magnificent gods together with Freya and Sif. Idun is also the master of the evergreen garden in the "Kingdom of the Gods". Everything that grows in the garden will never decay and will always be young and beautiful. When she leaned over the water's edge and called to the white bird in the pond, even the soulless fish would stop paddling their fins, unwilling to disturb the shadows reflected on the water. Idun possesses a golden box filled with apples of youth, rare in the world. Whenever the gods feel old, they come to Idun's garden and taste an apple to regain their lost youth. And the magic is that there is an endless supply of apples in the box, so the gods can stay young forever.
Sun God Frey: Frey is not the Arthur clan, but the Warner clan. These two clans of gods fought in ancient times, with no winner or loser. After the final reconciliation, the two parties exchanged hostages, so Frey and his sister Freya followed their father Nord to the "Kingdom of the Gods". He is the son of Nord. He is handsome and tall, and his status among the Asaphs is also very prominent. Frey lived in the land of elves and was the ruler of all elves, as well as the ruler of rain, sunshine, and the fruits of the earth. What he bestows upon mankind is usually peace and good harvests. He has a treasure that is comparable to Odin's eight-hoofed horse and Thor's hammer, which is a treasure ship called Skid Plattney. Like Thor's hammer, this treasure ship was carefully crafted by the most capable dwarves and given to the Asaph. Skid Platne is the most incredible treasure ship in the world, capable of carrying all the Aesir gods and all their weapons. Moreover, when the sail is raised and sailing, no matter which direction it is traveling, there will be strong tailwind blowing, making it sail fast and stable. The even more amazing thing about this treasure ship is that once it is not in use, Frey can fold it into a piece smaller than a handkerchief and put it in his pocket; and Frey can put it away anytime and anywhere. Open it up into a big boat and sail to the sea. Additionally, he has a sword of victory. Like Thor's Thunder Hammer, it is a very terrifying weapon for the giants. No matter who masters this sword, the sword will fly alone on the battlefield and kill enemies according to the wishes of the sword holder. But once this sword is lost, it is not easy to recover, which is different from the Thunder Hammer. In the end, Frey lost the sword for his true love!
The name of the explanation reads: "Garuda" is a large bird with various solemn and precious colors on its wings. There is a large tumor on its head, which is a wish-fulfilling pearl. This bird's song is sad, and it is named after a dragon. For food. According to the ancient texts, Yue Fei is the reincarnation of the "Garuda", and Garuda is the Garuda. It eats one dragon and five hundred dragons every day. When it died, the dragons vomited poison and could no longer eat it, so they flew up and down seven times and flew to the top of the Diamond Wheel Mountain to die. Because it feeds on dragons (venomous snakes) throughout its life, it accumulates a lot of poisonous gas in its body, and it burns itself when it is about to die. Garuda is obviously Jumozhi.
Jiumo Zhibaoxiang is solemn; he is an enemy of Dali Tianlong Temple, and has trouble with the "Dragon God" Duan Yu throughout the book; he eventually becomes possessed, and his pain is like self-immolation. But Jiumozhi is a lucky Garuda. He finally returned the "poisonous energy" (internal power) in his body to the dragon (Duan Yu), and thus became enlightened and became a "Garuda" like Yue Fei.
. "Garuda" alludes to Jiumozhi. "Mohu Luojia" alludes to You Tanzhi