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The Viking warrior is on the brink of death after a great battle, but awakens in the halls of Valhalla. Norse mythology describes the creation of the nine realms from the melting together of the primordial lands of fire and ice. The cosmos was then formed from the giant Ymir's body. The nine realms are divided into three levels and located within the world tree Yggdrasil. Ragnarok, the doom of the gods, is prophesied to be the final battle that destroys the gods and the cosmos, after which everything will be recreated to restart the cycle.

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Essay

The Viking warrior is on the brink of death after a great battle, but awakens in the halls of Valhalla. Norse mythology describes the creation of the nine realms from the melting together of the primordial lands of fire and ice. The cosmos was then formed from the giant Ymir's body. The nine realms are divided into three levels and located within the world tree Yggdrasil. Ragnarok, the doom of the gods, is prophesied to be the final battle that destroys the gods and the cosmos, after which everything will be recreated to restart the cycle.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Bruised from the great battle the Viking cannot hold on much longer.

He clenches on to life but is


unsure if he will make it. He can feel the blood making a path down his back and above it an ax halfway
through his spine. Tears rain down the mans face as he finally comes to realize the truth of what will
come to be. He closes his eyes to hide himself from his unfortunate event, but when the Viking opened his
eyes he was bewildered. The Viking awoke to find himself in the halls known as Valhalla. Back around
the 8th and 11th centuries Vikings were known to be ruthless warrior that pillaged and raided, but they had
a religion that they believed in. The Religion is now known as Norse mythology. There are many
questions about this religion relating to the beginning of the cosmos, the nine realms, and the gods that
made up Norse mythology.
To even begin to understand anything about Norse mythology, one must know the beginning and
how it all started. Before there was soil, or sky, or any green thing, there was only the gaping abyss of
Ginnungagap (McCoy). This empty spaced rested between the fiery land of Muspelheim and the frozen
tundra called Niflheim. These two separate lands never contacted each other, until Frost from Niflheim
and billowing flames from Muspelheim crept toward each other until they met in Ginnungagap
(McCoy). The fire melted the ice creating a giant known as Ymir. Time pasted and there was three
brothers known as Odin, Vili, and Ve. These brothers ventured and defeated Ymir to use his body for the
creation of the Cosmos.
For a more in-depth description of the events that created the Cosmos, check this website out:
http://www.viking-mythology.com/theCreation.php
The Nine Realms are a very crucial part of Norse mythology and the tales relating to them. The
Nine Realms play an important role in every Norse tale. In Norse Mythology, there are nine worlds, and
these are divided into three levels (Hjbjerg). The Nine realms are all located on Yggdrasil as known as
the tree of life. There stands an ash called Yggdrasil, A mighty tree showered in white hail. From there
come the dews that fall in the valleys. It stands evergreen above Urds Well (McCoy). The first level is
known to be home of the gods, because it contains Asgard, Alfheim, and Vanaheim. The middle layer is
known as Middle Earth, which contains Midgard that is connected to Asgard by the Bifrost known as the
rainbow bridge for its color. The other realms located on the middle level are Jotunheim realm of the
giants, Svartalfheim realm of the dark elves, and Nidavellir realm of the dwarves. On the lower level
there is Niflheim and Muspelheim. The difference between the Nine Realms are what cause most tales in
Norse mythology.
The Doom of the Gods also known as Ragnarok is the end of the gods in Norse mythology. The
name the pre-Christian Norse gave to the end of their mythical cycle, during which the cosmos is
destroyed and is subsequently re-created (McCoy). This Battle is what ends the gods and restarts their
cycle of life and death. These gods know that the battle will happen and that is why they have Vikings go
to Valhalla, because all the warriors go there and they want their help for the battle. It starts with the god
Loki and his son Fenrir break free from their chains. Loki and the other realms attack the gods until both
sides are all wiped out. After the battle the cosmos is reset and everything starts over again.
For a more in-depth view of the nine worlds and Ragnarok, check these websites out: http://www.vikingmythology.com/theNineWorlds.php
http://norsemythology.org/tales/ragnarok/
http://www.vikingmythology.com/ragnarok.php

There are many questions about this religion relating to the beginning of the cosmos, the nine
realms, and the gods that made up Norse mythology. There is many tales about the gods that have subtle
differences, because most of the knowledge was lost ages ago. Luckily they were still able to preserve
many of the tales and stories of the gods. Even though it is not a major religion and most people have not
heard about it, it is still very important religion that has many connects.

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