Welcome to Top10Archive! As we continue through
our journey into the world of mythology, we stop to take a look at one of our all time
favorites, the Norse. Warrior Vikings, and endless battles before the feast in Valhalla.
So grab some mead, and swill it down while we journey through the talse of the Northmen.
10. Gullinbursti Meaning "Gold Mane" or "Golden Bristles",
Gullinbursti was a boar gifted to the god Freyr by Eritrea, after his brother Brokkr
and Loki made a wager claiming the brothers couldn't make items to match the quality of
gifts Loki had bestowed onto Freyr, Thor and Odin. Taking the wager, the brothers would
go on to create Draupnir, the golden ring for Odin, Mjölnir, the famed hammer of Thor,
and lastly Gullinbursti, the golden boar for Freyr. To make such a gift as the latter,
Eitri used a pig's skin and gold in the furnace, as broker worked the bellows. Together they
would create the boar Gullinbursti, which had a glorious mane that glowed in the dark.
The brothers won the bet, and Loki almost lost his head. Aside from being made from
gold, Gullinbursti was said to be able to traverse any terrain, including traveling
over oceans and even fly. According to ancient tales, Freyr rode Gullinbursti to attend Baldr's
funeral. 9. Ratatoskr
Ratatoskr is a squirrel who runs up and down Yggdrasil, the world tree, delivering messages
between the eagle perched atop Yggdrasil, and the Wyrm Níðhöggr, who dwelt beneath
one of the trees three roots. Sometimes called "drill-tooth" or "bore-tooth", Ratatoskr's
name contains two fundamental parts: rata- and -toskr. Rata- meaning "the traveller"
and -toskr meaning, tusk. According to Rudolf Simek, "the squirrel probably only represents
an embellishing detail to the mythological picture of the world-ash in Grímnismál".
Ratatoskr is described in the Prose Edda's Gylfaginning 's chapter 16,
in which High, of High, Just-as-High and Third; pseudonyms used by Odin, in which he states
that, "An eagle sits at the top of the ash, and it has knowledge of many things. Between
its eyes sits the hawk called Vedrfolnir. The squirrel called Ratatosk runs up and down
the ash. He tells slanderous gossip, provoking the eagle and Nidhogg."
8. Huginn and Muninn Two ravens, Huginn, meaning "thought" and
Muninn, meaning "memory" or "mind" are the pair of ravens that fly across the nine realms,
bringing information and delivering messages to and from the alfather, Odin; and are just
two of his many sources of prodigious wisdom. Both ravens, yet semi-autonomous are still
projections and manifestations of Odin's own being. To the exact extent, or to ask what
part of his being they derive from is speculation, but is considered to be that of his mental
states, hence the derivative of their names. In a brilliantly poetic manner, Odin himself
speaks of his sleeping mind by referencing his ravens. The Eddic poem, Grímnismál,
describes it as such; Huginn and Muninn
Fly every day Overall the world;
I worry for Huginn That he might not return,
But I worry more for Muninn. 7. Auðumbla
During the forging of the worlds, two primordial creatures were spawned from the key fields
in Niflheim, Ymir the frost giant, and Auðumbla the giant calf. Both sprung forth from the
melting ice in Ginnungagap; the void between Niflheim and Muspelheim. Saving Ymir from
starvation, Auðumbla would allow him to drink from her teet, while she herself fed from
the blocks of salty ice, as there was no foliage to eat. As she continued to eat, some strange
happenings would occur beneath the ice; first locks of hair would emerge on the first day,
followed by an entire head on the second, and lastly on the third day, the rest of the
body would emerge; belonging to that of the first got Buri; father of Odin.
6. Níðhöggr Níðhöggr, living within Náströnd, or
the corpse shore of Hel, in the roots of the world tree Yggdrisil that stretched therein,
Níðhöggr would gnaw at the roots and corpses therein. It is believed that the root was
placed over Níðhöggr to trap it beneath the world. During Ragnarok, or the end times,
when Yggdrisil is to become shaken apart, Níðhöggr will leave its prison underneath
the tree to take its place over the battle field, to feast upon and consume the corpses
of the fallen warriors. 5. Surtr
Surtr, meaning "black" in Old Norse, was a Jötunn, sometimes called the "devil giant"
and the demon ruler of muspelheim; the land of fire. Prior to the years of Ymir, and Auðumbla,
Surtr is foretold as being a major figure during the events of Ragnarok, forging his
deadly fire sword able to strike down the gods. Additional information is given pertaining
to Surtr in a book from Prose Edda, stating that; he is stationed, guarding the frontier
of the fiery realm Muspelheim, that he will lead "Muspelheim's sons" to Ragnarok, and
he will fall the god Freyr in battle. 4. Fafnir
Son of the dwarf king Hreiðmarr and brother of Regin, Fafnir was said to have a powerful
arm, and fearless soul. He was guardian of his father's house of glittering gold and
flashing gems, as well as the strongest and most aggressive of the three brothers. He
would later be cursed by Andvari's ring due to the trickery of Loki. When Odin, Loki and
Hœnir were traveling, they came across Ótr, whom during the day took the form of a regular
otter. Killing the otter with a stone, they would skin their catch before coming across
Hreiðmarr's dwelling, and were pleased to show off their new pet. Recognizing their
brother, the dwarf king and his remaining sons captured the gods and held them until
Loki could gather their ransom; to stuff the otter's skin with gold and cover its fur with
red gold. Loki would go about fulfilling this task with the cursed treasure of Andvari,
as well as the ring, The golds curse would grasp Fafnir firmly, as he killed his father
to secure all the gold for himself. Becoming violent, greedy and hostile in nature, he
departed into the wilderness to hide his fortune; turning into a serpent or dragon - or the
symbol of greed - to guard his treasure. He would be later slain by the hero of legend,
Sigurd. 3. Ymir
Ymir is a primeval being, born of primordial elemental poison and forefather to all Jötunn,
or frost giants. Taken together, several stanzas from four poems collected in the Poetic Edda
refer to Ymir as a primeval being who was born from the venom that dripped from the
icy rivers of Élivágar and lived in the grassless void of Ginnungagap. Ymir birthed
a male and female from the pits of his arms, and his legs together began a six-headed being.
Ymir would meet his end by the hands of Odin and his two siblings, as they feared how fast
the frost giant multiplied. Waiting for Ymir to rest, Odin and kin would make their moves
against him. A hard fought battle ensued, the result being the creation of the world
from the pieces of Ymir's corpse; Out of his flesh the Earth was fashioned, from his bones
the mountains. The frost giant's skull filled the sky, as his blood would pool to create
the oceans. 2. Jörmungandr
Known as the Midgard serpent, he was said to be so massive in size he could coil his
entire body around the planet. Harboring an insatiable appetite, Jörmungandr would consume
everything in sight to increase his size. That is until Odin stopped him by forcing
his tail into his mouth. Thor would have three encounters with the beast, the last of which
prophesied that the two of them would do great battle with one another, during the time of
Ragnarok. Thor would manage to slay the great serpent using his mighty hammer, Mjolnir,
after the serpent would rise from the ocean to spread his poison throughout the sky. Even
though the great thunderer would overcome the fell beast, Thor would also meet his demise,
falling over dead after he had walked just nine short paces, having been poisoned by
the serpent's venom during the battle. 1. Fenrir
As one of the sons of Loki, Fenrir was a massive wolf and wild creature, whom the gods knew
would cause massive havoc during the time of Ragnarok. Odin would task Tyr to find a
way to bind Fenrir; after two failed attempts with colossal cans, he would visit the dwarves
to see if they could fashion something stronger. Tyr would return with the rope Gleipnir, or
the "open one", forged from six impossible things to find. The sound of a cat's step,
the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the breath of a fish, spittle of a bird and
the sinews of a bear. Though just as thin as a ribbon, Gleipnir was stronger than any
iron chain. Tyr then challenged Fenrir to see if he could break free of the rope, to
make sure it was no trick; Fenrir had Tyr place his hand inside his mouth. If he wasn't
released, he would lose his hand... Tyr sacrificed his hand to bind the beast until the days
of Ragnarok; where Fenrir would break free and devour Odin in one bite. Seeing his father
consumed, Viðarr would slay the giant wolf by using his Greatest Boot to stomp down on
the lower jaw of the wolf, while pushing against his upper jaw, causing enough force to rend
the great beast's jaw, ending his terror.
