In the beginning nothing existed except for Ginnungagap. Neither sand, sea, heaven or earth had been
created. After a long span of time, a new realm emanated in the south called Muspell. It was made of
fire, glowing embers, and scorching heat. In the north a second region sprang forth called Niflheim. It
consisted of bitter winds, and of freezing ice and snow.

Ginnungagap was situated between these two realms, and the waters from the eleven rivers of
Hvergelmir flowed here. In the middle of the void all was mild, until one day the elements of fire and
ice collided. In the north Niflheim's cold breeze began to freeze the void, while the southern part was
thawed by the warmth emanating from Muspell. All was disorder. Life emerged from the drops of this
great chaos in the shape of a giant. His name was Ymir and the frost giants are his descendants.

While Ymir was asleep, the first man and woman were born from the sweat of his left armpit, and his
legs gave birth to a son. Meanwhile, the ice on Ginnungagap continued to melt, until Audumbla the
cow emerged. 

She fed the giant Ymir with her four teats. She sustained herself by licking the
ice. As Audumbla licked the salty ice blocks for three consecutive nights, another being appeared, named
Buri. Buri's son Bor married Bestla. They had three sons, Odin,Vili, and Ve.

Bor's sons had a raging hatred towards the giant Ymir, and they plotted his death. Ymir's corpse was
carried to the center of Ginnungagap and cut into many pieces. Odin, Vili, and Ve fashioned the world
out of Ymir's body.

From Ymir's flesh they made the earth, and the mountains from his unbroken bones. From Ymir's
shattered skeleton parts, teeth, and toes they created pebbles, boulders and rocks. Ymir's flowing blood
gave rise to the rivers, lakes, and sea. Maggots grew from Ymir's rotting carcass,and they were shaped
into dwarfs.

Odin, Vili, and Ve lifted Ymir's skull so high it reached the end of the earth's limits, and they called it the
sky. The sons of Bor placed a dwarf on each of the four corners to hold it over the earth. Their names
were: Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri.

Odin, Vili, and Ve snatched glowing embers from the realm of Muspellheim and fashioned the sun,
moon, and stars. These orbs were placed above the world to illuminate the earth. Some stars were given a
fixed point in the sky, while others were allowed to dance freely.

Odin, Vili, and Ve created the world in spherical form, and a body of water surrounded the earth.They
designated part of the world as Jotunheim for the race known as the frost and rock giants. Because of
the giants' malevolence towards humans, the brothers took Ymir's eyebrows to form a protective
wall/enclosure around the center of the earth. This sheltered area was called Midgard, and housed the
human race.

Odin, Vili, and Ve flung Ymir's brains up high in the sky, were they formed clouds.

One day the sons of Bor came across two fallen trees. One was an Ash and the other an Elm. From these
trees Odin created the first man and woman and gave them the essence of life. Vili gave them thought
and feeling, and Ve gave them the ability to hear, speak and see. Their names were Ask and Embla.

Odin, Vili, and Ve created the means to measure and record time. The light and dark phases of the earth
were ruled by Night and Day. Odin set them in the sky on chariots which circled
the world every two half days. Night's chariot was pulled by a horse named Hrimfaxi and Day's chariot
by a mare named Skinfaxi.

A man named Mundilfari had a son named Moon and a daughter named Sun. Theses two siblings were
said to possess radiant beauty. Sun and Moon were snatched away by Odin and were placed in the
sky to guide the orbs with these names. They drove chariots, and their horses were called Arvak (shining
mane) and Alsvid (early-walker and all strong). Moon follows the moon around and decides its phases.
The sun is chased by a wolf named Skoll, while a wolf named Hati Hrodnitnisson runs ahead of her
trying to catch the moon.. Both the moon and the sun will be devoured by the
wolves in the moment before Ragnarok -the end of the world.