Germanic Mythology: Part 2

by Hermann Göll

Hermann Göll provides an in-depth exploration of the Germanic creation myth, detailing how the world and its beings emerged from the primordial chaos.

This is an excerpt from Hermann Göll, Illustrierte Geschichte der Mythologie (Illustrated History of Mythology), 1884.

Read part one here.

The Creation of the World

Our ancestors conceived the origin of the world in the following way: From the CHAOS or ‘yawning abyss’, they believed that two worlds initially emerged: to the north, NIFFELHEIM (Mist-Home), and to the south, its opposite, MUSPELHEIM (Fire-Home). In the centre of Niffelheim, however, the well Hvergelmir opened, from whose fermenting cauldron twelve rivers of icy water flowed. The water froze into ice floes, and these moved towards the abyss and gradually filled it.

From Muspelheim, however, a hot wind blew and melted the ice. This caused life to emerge in the frozen mass, and from it grew the terrible giant Ymir or Oergelmir, from whom the frost giants or Hrimthursar descended. In the thawing waters, the cow Audhumla (the Richly Abundant) also came into being.