The world was created into a immense tree, Yggdrasil, on this tree are located the nine worlds, Yggdrasil's roots and branches spread throughout the planes of existence, the gods travel down Bifrost the Rainbow Bridge everyday for their daily meetings. The branches of Yggdrasil extend far into the heavens, and the tree is supported by three roots that extend far away into other locations; one to the well Urðarbrunnr in the heavens, one to the spring Hvergelmir, and another to the well Mímisbrunnr, at the base of the tree is the Well of Urd (little white bowl) guarded by the Norns. These three roots are broken in three levels in wich are divided the worlds, in the upper level are:
Asgard, the world of the Aesir,
Vanaheim, the world of the Vanir, and
Alfheim, the world of the light elves.
In the middle level are:
Midgard (Middle Earth), world of men where we humans live, Midgard is connected to Asgard by Bifrost “The Rainbow Bridge”.
Jotunheim, world of the giants
Svartalfheim, world of the Dark Elves.
Nidavellir, world of the Dwarfs.
And in the lower level are:
Niflheim (the dead, the lowest level) to the north, inside somewhere under the ground were Helheim home of the dead. and
Muspelheim (fire, a bright, flaming, hot world) to the south, it is the world of the fire Giants and Demons.
All held together by the world tree, Yggdrasil. But the nine worlds and Yggdrasil were not there in the beginning.
World of Fire and Ice
Originally there was a chasm, Ginnungagap, bounded on either side by fire (from the world known as Muspelheim) and ice (from the world known as Niflheim). When fire and ice met, they combined to form a giant, named Ymir, and a cow, named Audhumbla (Auðhumla), who nourished Ymir. She survived by licking the salty ice blocks. From her licking emerged Bur (Búri), the grandfather of the Aesir. Ymir, father of the frost giants, employed equally unusual procreative techniques. He sweated a male and a female from under his left arm.
Odin Kills Ymir
Odin, the son of Bur's son Borr, killed Ymir. The blood pouring out of the giant's body killed all the frost giants Ymir had created, except Bergelmir. From Ymir's dead body, Odin created the world. Ymir's blood was the sea; his flesh, the earth; his skull, the sky; his bones, the mountains; his hair, the trees. The new Ymir-based world was Midgard. Ymir's eyebrow was used to fence in the area where mankind would live. Around Midgard was an ocean where a serpent named Jormungand lived. He was big enough to form a ring around Midgard by putting his tail in his mouth.
From Ymir's body grew an ash tree named Yggdrasil
Whose branches covered the known world and supported the universe. Yggdrasil had three roots going to each of the 3 levels of the world. Three springs supplied it with water. One root went into Asgard, the home of the gods, another went into the land of the giants, Jotunheim, and a third went to that primeval world of ice, darkness, and the dead, known as Niflheim. In Jotunheim's spring, Mimir, lay wisdom. In Niflheim, the spring nourished the adder Nidhogge (darkness) who gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil.
The Three Norns
The Norns are female goddesses who rule the destiny of gods and men, there are many norns but the most importat are these three
Urdur (the past)
Verdandi (the present), and
Skuld (the future).
The spring by the Asgard root was cared for by the 3 Norns, according to Snorri Sturluson's interpretation of the Völuspá, the three most important norns, Urðr (Wyrd), Verðandi and Skuld come out from a hall standing at the Well of Urðr (well of fate) and they draw water from the well and take sand that lies around it, which they pour over Yggdrasill so that its branches will not rot.
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Niflheim: World of Fog
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Niflheim “Mist home” was the darkest and coldest region. Niflheim was the first of the nine worlds; Niflheim was placed in the northern region of Ginnungagap. In Niflheim there was located the eldest of the three wells, called Hvergelmir “bubbling boiling spring” protected by the dragon Nidhug. Hvergelmir it is said that all cold rivers come from here, and it was said to be the source of the eleven rivers. Hvergelmir was the origin of all living and the place where every living will go back. Elivagar “ice waves” are the rivers which existed in Niflheim at the beginning of the world. They were the streams floating out of Hvergelmir. The water from Elivagar flowed down the mountains to the plains of Ginnungagap, where it solidified to frost and ice, which gradually formed a very dense layer. That was the reason there was very cold in the northern plains. As the world tree Yggdrasil grew up, it stretched one of its three large roots well into Niflheim, and drew water from the spring Hvergelmir.
Muspelheim: The Land of Fire
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Muspelheim was found far to the south of the world. Muspelheim was a burning hot place, filled with lava, flames, sparks and soot. Muspelheim was the home the of fire giants, fire demons and ruled by the giant Surt. He was a sworn enemy of the Aesir. Surt will ride out with his flaming sword in his hand at Ragnarok “the end of the world” Surt will then attack Asgard, “the home of the gods” and turn it into a flaming inferno.
Asgard: Home of the Gods
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In the upper side of the world, high up in the sky is Asgard. It was the home of the gods and goddess. The gods in Asgard, are called Aesir. Odin is the ruler of Asgard, and the chief of the Aesir. Odin is married to Frigg; she is the queen of the Aesir. Inside Asgard is Valhalla; it's the place where the Vikings that died in battle would go for the afterlife.
Valhalla and Folkvangr are in Asgard: Home of the fallen Vikings
Valhalla is located in Asgard, where there are 540 doors. The doors are so wide that through every door, can 800 warriors walk side by side. The roof is covered with golden shields, and the walls around Valhalla are made from wooden spears shafts. This is the place where half of the Vikings who died in battle would come for their afterlife. The other half of the Vikings was given to Freya; she always had the first choice.
Every morning the Vikings in Valhalla would take their weapons and armor and then walk out to the big plains in Asgard and fight. It did not matter if they got their arms, legs or head cut off. Because when the great dinner in the evening came they would all be restored to normal.
In the evening they would return home to Valhalla and sit down and eat and drink. Saehrimnir “A giant pig” the pig is a magical pig. When the cook Andhrimnir cut steaks from the side of the pig, it would grow back immediately. There is a goat named Heidrun, it's standing on the roof of Valhalla, and eats from the branches of the tree of life “Yggdrasil” While from its udder floats lots of mead, down to a huge tub, big enough to make everyone in Valhalla drunk each day. The Valkyries would serve the Vikings, pork and mead.
Fólkvangr is also located in Asgard, it's a field ruled over by the goddess Freyja, there is located Freyja's hall Sessrúmnir where half of those that die in combat go upon death, while the other half go to the god Odin in Valhalla.
Vanaheim: Home of the Vanir
Freyja, Njord and Freyr
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Vanaheim is the home of the Vanir gods. The Vanir gods are an old branch of gods. The Vanir are masters of sorcery and magic. They are also widely acknowledged for their talent to predict the future. Nobody knows where the land, Vanaheim lies, or even how it looks like. When the war between the Aesir and the Vanir ended, three of the Vanir came to live in Asgard, Njord and his children Freya and Freyr.
Alfheim: Home of the Light Elves
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Alfheim is right next to Asgard in the heaven. They are beautiful creatures. They're considered the “guardian angels” The god Freyr, are the ruler of Alfheim. The Light elves are minor gods of nature and fertility; they can help or hinder humans with their knowledge of magical powers. They also often delivered an inspiration to art or music.
Midgard: Home of the Humans
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Midgard “middle earth” is placed in the middle of the world, below Asgard. Midgard and Asgard are connected by Bifrost the Rainbow Bridge. Midgard is surrounded by a huge ocean that is impassable. The Ocean is occupied by a huge sea serpent, the Midgard Serpent. The Midgard serpent is so huge that he encircles the world entirely, and biting his own tail. Odin and his two brothers Vili and Ve, created the humans, from an Ash log the man, and from an elm log the woman.
Jotunheim: Home of the Giants
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Jotunheim is the home of the jotuns, and the giants. They are the sworn enemies of the Aesir. Jotunheim consisted mostly of rocks, wilderness and dense forests, so the giants live from the fish in the rivers, and the animals in the forest, because there is no fertile land in Jotunheim. The whole world was created from the corpse of the first Jotun, named Ymir. It was Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve, who killed Ymir. The Jotuns and the Aesir are constantly fighting, but it also happened from time to time, that love affairs could occur. Odin, Thor and a few others, had lovers who were Jotuns. Loki also came from Jotunheim, but he was accepted by the Aesir and lived in Asgard. Jotunheim is separated from Asgard by the river Iving, which never freezes over. It lies in the snowy regions on the outermost shores of the ocean. Mimir's well of wisdom is in Jotunheim, beneath the Midgard root of the ash tree Yggdrasil. The stronghold of Utgard was so big that it was hard to see the top of it. And there the feared Jotun king Utgard-Loki lived. Utgard was carved from blocks of snow and glistening icicles.
Svartalfheim: Home of the Dark Elves
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Svartalfheim is the home of the dark elves. The dark elves hate the sun so they live in the murky underground. They are hideous and can be a great pain in the neck to the humans many described them as being extreme annoying. The dark elves are nothing but trouble. Many thought that dark elves are also responsible for nightmares. These dark elves are called mare. A mare would sit on a sleeping person’s chest and whisper bad dreams to haunt the person. A mare can also haunt animals, particularly horses. The dark elves can not be exposed to the sun, if the sun’s beams of light reached them they will instantly turn into stones.
Nidavellir: Home of the Dwarves
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The dwarves live under the rocks, in caves and underground, at a place called Nidavellir. Hreidmar is the king of Nidavellir, Nidavellir means Dark fields. The dwarves are masters of craftsmanship. The gods of Asgard, the Aesir received many powerful gifts. Like Thor's hammer, the magical ring Draupnir and also Gungnir, Odin’s spear.
More about Dwarves http://freya.theladyofthelabyrinth.com/?page_id=21
Of Dwarfs and Men - Hidden Knowledge in Old Norse Myths pt. 24
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Sources:
http://www.viking-mythology.com/theNineWorlds.html
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/creationmyths/a/11083199Norse.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%B3lkvangr
