#Norse realms series#

The magical elves were described as ‘more beautiful than the sun’ and were said to have inspired the arts and music. AlfheimĬlose by to Ásgard was Alfheim, the realm of the elves. A rainbow bridge known as the Bifrost joined the two together. Ásgard was connected to another realm, Midgard, the world of humanity.

The other half went to the heavenly meadow of Fólkvangr, ruled over by the Vanir goddess Freya. Odin was said to rule over Valhalla, welcoming half of those who died in battle and feasting with them in the giant hall. The gigantic and imperious hall of Valhalla was also located in Ásgard. The Vanir had their home in Vanaheim whilst the Æsir settled in Ásgard, a celestial fortified realm surrounded by a great wall and protected by Thor and his famous hammer, the Mjollnir.

Read more about: Vikings The legendary adventures of Thor in Norse mythology Although Loki the trickster god was often associated with the gods of the Æsir, he was neither Æsir nor Vanir. The Vanir, who were often at war with the Æsir, consisted of Njörðr, Freyr, Freya, Gullveig and Nerthus. The Æsir were considered the main pantheon in Norse mythology and consisted of Odin, the King of the Æsir, Thor, Frigg, Balder, Höðr and Týr. The Norse gods were separated into two main groups, the Æsir and the Vanir. Odin killed Ymir and in doing so created the nine realms that came to encompass the Norse cosmology.

#Norse realms series#

These creatures triggered a series of events that saw the birth of Odin, ‘the father of all gods’. The flames of Muspelheim began to melt the ice of Niflheim leading to the creation of two entities known as Ymir the giant and Audhumla the cow. The Yggdrasil grew from the void of Ginnungagap, which was enclosed on one side by the fiery Muspelheim and the other side by the frosty Niflheim. Read more about: Vikings Seven of the most important gods and goddesses in Norse mythologyĪccording to legend, the nine realms surrounded and spread out from the Yggdrasil, a sacred cosmic tree at the centre of the universe.