A reconstruction of norse cosmology in the form of a mandala

granpa

Member
A reconstruction of norse cosmology in the form of a mandala .
Midgard (a sort of ark floating on the waters of Khaos) bears a striking resemblance to Atlantis.

http://religion.wikia.com/wiki/Norse_cosmology#Creation
In the beginning, there were two regions: Muspellsheimr in the south, full of fire, light and heat; and Niflheimr (cf. "unfallen" nephilim) in the north, full of arctic waters, mists, and cold. Between them stretched the yawning emptiness of Ginnungagap. From Muspelheim flowed rivers of fire, called hellwaves, that eventually cooled and hardened into ice in Niflheim. Between these two extremes, in the center of Ginnungagap, the river was mild and hospitable to life and it was here that arose the evil giant Ymir. From his left armpit, a man and woman were born and from his legs a son was born. From these come the races that are called Hrimthurs.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Prose_Edda/Gylfaginning

...as soon as the streams, that are called the Elivogs, had come so far from their source that the venomous yeast which flowed with them hardened, as does dross that runs from the fire, then it turned into ice. And when this ice stopped and flowed no more, then gathered over it the drizzling rain that arose from the venom and froze into rime, and one layer of ice was laid upon the other clear into Ginungagap.
"Harr" in Gylfaginning by Snorri Sturluson



At some point, after these things, there arose the [warm-blooded] cow Audhumbla.

The next thing was that when the rime melted into drops, there was made thereof a cow, which is called Audhumbla. Four milk-streams ran from her teats, and she fed Ymir...She licked the salt-stones that were covered with rime
"Harr" in Gylfaginning by Snorri Sturluson

Over the course of three days, Audhumbla, by licking the ice, managed to release Buri (the hibernating "bear"?) who had somehow become buried in the ice. Buri's son Bor had three sons, the Æsir gods Óðinn, Vili and Vé.


The sons of Bor slew the giant Ymir, but when he fell, there flowed so much blood from his wounds that they drowned therein the whole race of frost-giants; excepting one, who escaped with his household. Him the giants call Bergelmir. He and his wife went on board his lúðr and saved themselves in it. From there are come new races of frost-giants

R. D. Fulk notes that Snorri's Prose Edda account "conflicts with the poetic version, as the [Prose Edda] presents a Noah-like figure, while the latter has Bergelmir laid (lagiðr) in the lúðr, implying he is an infant, as in the Scyld story.

Fulk continues that "the key word here is lúðr, which ought to refer to a flour-bin. To be precise, the object is a box or wooden trough, perhaps on legs, in which the stones of a hand-mill sit [...]. It is true that most glossators assume some meaning other than 'flour-bin' in Vafþrúðnismál and Snorra edda [an alternate name for the Prose Edda], suggesting instead something in the range of 'coffin (or cradle), chest, ark (i.e. boat)'."

High says that the trio took the body into the middle of Ginnungagap and from his flesh fashioned the Earth, from his blood the sea and lakes, from his bones rocks, scree and stones his teeth, molars, and bones. Just-As-High adds that from his gushing wounds they created the sea that surrounds the Earth.

The earth is round, and without it round about lies the deep ocean, and along the outer strand of that sea they gave lands for the giant races to dwell in; and against the attack of restless giants they built a burg within the sea and around the earth. For this purpose they used the giant Ymer's eyebrows, and they called the burg Midgard.

Then asked Ganglere: What is the path to heaven from earth (lit. "til himins af jörðu"), High answered, laughing: Foolishly do you now ask. Have you not been told that the gods made a bridge from earth to heaven, which is called Bifrost? You must have seen it. It may be that you call it the rainbow.​

http://religion.wikia.com/wiki/Bifrost
http://religion.wikia.com/wiki/Jord



In front of the sun
does Svalinn stand,
The shield for the shining god;
Mountains and sea
would be set in flames
If it fell from before the sun.​




A cosmic ash tree, Yggdrasil, lies at the center of the Norse cosmos.

This ash is the best and greatest of all trees; its branches spread over all the world, and reach up above heaven. Three roots sustain the tree and stand wide apart; one root is with the asas and another with the frost-giants, where Ginungagap formerly was [but which is now flooded]; the third reaches into Niflheim; under it is Hvergelmer, where Nidhug gnaws the root from below. But under the second root, which extends to the frost-giants, is the well of Mimer, wherein knowledge and wisdom are concealed...The third root of the ash is in heaven, and beneath it is the most sacred fountain of Urd. The asas riding hither every day over Bifrost, which is also called Asa-bridge.

On one of the boughs of the ash sits an eagle, who knows many things. Between his eyes sits a hawk that is called Vedfolner. A squirrel, by name Ratatosk, springs up and down the tree, and carries words of envy between the eagle and Nidhug. Four stags leap about in the branches of the ash and bit the leaves. Thier names are: Dain, Dvalin, Duney and Durathro. In Hvergelmer with Nidhug are more serpents than tongue can tell

The dew which falls on the earth from this tree men call honey-fall, and it is the food of bees. Two birds are fed in Urd's fountain; they are called swans, and they are the parents of the race of swans.

It is said that to the south and above this heaven is another heaven, which is called Andlang. But there is a third, which is above these, and is called Vidblain, and in this heaven we believe this mansion (Gimle) to be situated; but we deem that the light-elves alone dwell in it now.

—"Harr" in Gylfaginning by Snorri Sturluson​

 
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granpa

Member
In the beginning, there were two regions: Muspelheim in the south, full of fire, light and heat; and Niflheim (cf. "unfallen" nephilim) in the north, full of arctic waters, mists, and cold. Between them stretched the yawning emptiness of Ginnungagap. From Muspelheim flowed rivers of fire, called hellwaves, that eventually cooled and hardened and formed layer after layer of ice in Niflheim. Between these two extremes, in the center of Ginnungagap, the river was mild and hospitable and it was here that life arose. Eventually a race of fire giants, called the sons of Muspell (cf. Mazda), arose that were capable of living in Muspelheim.

The fire giants then began melting the layers of ice in Niflheim and freeing people that had become frozen in it. One of these prehistoric icemen was called Ymir. From Ymir's left armpit, a man and woman were born and from his legs a son was born. From these come the races that are called Hrimthurs.


The next thing was that when the rime melted into drops,
there was made thereof a cow, which is called Audhumbla.
Four milk-streams ran from her teats, and she fed Ymir
...She licked the salt-stones that were covered with rime
—"Harr" in Gylfaginning by Snorri Sturluson

Over the course of three days, Audhumbla, by licking the ice, managed to release Buri (the hibernating "bear"?) who had somehow become "buried" in the ice. Buri's son Borr had three sons, the Æsir gods Óðinn, Vili and Vé. The three "slew" Ymir, and all of the frost giants except Bergelmir were drowned in the deluge of blood that flowed from Ymir's wounds. This may or may not be the war known as the Æsir–Vanir War. There is no hint anywhere in Norse mythology that the fire giants were in any way involved in this war. Zoroastrian mythology however makes it perfectly clear that this was a full-blown war between the ice giants led by Angra Mainyu and the fire giants led by Mazda.

From Ymir's body, the Æsir (cf. Os-iris and Er-os, "many-eyes") made the world of humans: his blood the seas and lakes, his flesh the earth, his bones the mountains and his teeth the rocks. From his skull they made the dome of the sky, setting a dwarf at each of the four corners to hold it high above the earth.

The world will end during the events of Ragnarök when the fire giants led by Surtr destroy heaven and earth. The palace Gimle (or Grimle) in the third heaven called Vidblain, however, shall stand even when both heaven and earth shall have passed away. In this hall the good and righteous shall dwell through all ages.
 
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