Yggdrasil - Nine Worlds of the Norse - Extra Mythology

Nine worlds the World Tree touches. Nine worlds for the races of gods and men and monsters. The tree is named Yggdrasil, whose roots are watered by nornes. Yggdrasil and whose roots the serpent lies Yggdrasil upon which all things live lays at the center of everything.This is the story of its worlds. Thanks again to the God of War team for sponsoring this episode and making this brief overview of the Norse world's possible When it comes to arranging the worlds of Norse myths there are a few different lists of realms which are debated among scholars. For today's overview we've chosen to run with the 9 that are by far the most commonly accepted. Now without further ado the realms of Norse myths. We must start with Asgard, the home of the Aesir, the gods themselves. Surrounded by an unfinished wall it is here that Valhalla lies. It is in these halls that Odin rules and the valiant dead gather for the final battle. And it is here in Asgard that Bifrost the great Rainbow Bridge that connects the realm of men and the realm of gods ends. The bridge that will crumble before the forces of Muspellheim on the last of days. It's in Asgard that Baldur the beautiful died. It's in Asgard that Fenrir the wolf that will slay Odin sits bound.It is here that Freya weeps for her husband as he is away on his travels.It is here that she rides in her chariot pulled by two great cats and it is here that Heimdall stands on his lonely vigil waiting for the fire giants to charge across the Rainbow Bridge and for Ragnarok to begin. After Asgard we have Álfheim land of the light elves it was these elves that inspired Tolkien. They are said to be fairer than the Sun to gaze upon They are often associated with the aesir But they are aloof and play a little part in the ancient tales. Then comes Muspelheim first of the created worlds. It is a rage of fire and heat. Lava flows across its baked plains and from its ruddy depths come the fire giants. At the head of their hosts is Surtur the bringer of flames that shall engulf the world. With his blazing sword he shall lead the fire Giants across the Bifrost bridge and their tread shall send it tumbling into the void below. And in the final days He shall slay Freyr and as they fight he will spark the conflagration that will burn away all things. For that is the fate of Surtur Second of the created worlds is Niflheim the land of snow and mist. It is the inversion of Muspelheim bitter cold covered in glaciers and ice, crossed by frozen rivers. It is here that Hvergelmir springs one of the pools that feeds the roots of the world tree. Yet Niflheim may not be just one world but two. For some sources say that this is where Odin cast Hél, daughter of Loki to make her abode for the damned. So the 5th world in our list is Helheim It is a hall long and dark, hidden by valleys of the blackest night. Accessible only by an old wooden bridge with a roof of gold. What is to be found in that hall and how hell functions is a mystery full of contradictions. To some it was a place of horrors where the wicked and those who died of old age, or sickness went. To others it was a strange imitation of life where the dead that were not swept up to Valhalla continued their existence in a way not too different from what they experienced on Earth. But there is one thing we know there is no coming back from Hell. Even when the gods tried to rescue Baldur from its depths their efforts were all in vain. Then comes Niðavellir the dark fields. The realm of dwarves and all of their works. These beings prefer the depths of the mountains and wrought wondrous marvels like Gungnir the spear of Odin. Gullinbursti, the glowing boar of Freyr who could run through the air and the water. And Mjölnir perhaps the most famous hammer of all. But the dwarves of Niðavellir were not always kind smiths. They were often wicked, greedy or violent. One particularly well known dwarf in another form is Fafnir. He was a dwarf who killed his brothers for riches and then transformed into a dragon to protect his gold. Next we have Jötunheim or giants' home. Broad and varied like the lands we know.Jötunheim is home to many of the giants. Located between the realm of gods and the realm of men, it is a land of adventure. Its landscape is dotted with the fortresses of giant kings. And it is a favored realm of Loki who loved going there and finding ways to lure Thor into the clutches of some giant or other. But perhaps its most important tale belongs to Odin because tangled in Yggdrasil's roots, just below this realm is a well that feeds the world tree. And at that well sits one of the wisest beings, an old man named Mímir who you may recall from the previous episode. Mímir became wise by drinking from the well, because its water contains wisdom and it is to this well that Odin went on one of his trips to seek a greater understanding of all things. He asked Mímir for a drink from the well. But the draught would not be free. Mímir asked that Odin pledge an eye in return for wisdom. This he did and dropped it in the well. Which is how he became known as Odin One-eye. And of course there's Midgard, the mortal realm. The realm we know. It is here that people fight and farm and wander. It is from here that the human heroes of the sagas spring But it's not quite like the world as we think of it today For around Midgard swirls a bounding ocean and around that ocean curls the great serpent Jörmungandr Encircling the world and when Ragnarök comes Jörmungandr will rise out of the waves to poison the ocean and the sky The serpent will end Midgard and then make its way to fight in the final battle with the gods Where it will be the death of Thor who will slay it but live for only nine steps before it's mighty poison fells him as well Finally of course we have Vanaheim. The mysterious realm of the Vanir, the gods that came before the gods Before the pantheon we know there was an older host; a more primeval host. Gods and goddesses of fertility and nature. Eventually they will be joined with the host of the Aesir and some of them will take their place in Asgard. But not before a great struggle between the two. A struggle you might remember from last time. The Aesir - Vanir war. I hope you have enjoyed this little romp through Norse mythology. We'll see you next time! Thanks again to the God of War team for sponsoring this video If you want to learn more about God of War before it drops on April 20th Check out the link in the description where you can read the lost pages and check out trailers, gameplay and more.

Channel: Extra Credits

Views: 1,279,647

Rating: 4.9384298 out of 5

Keywords: what is yggdrasil, nine worlds, extra mythology, daniel floyd, documentary, extra credits, james portnow, extra credits mythology, video essay, æsir–vanir war, norse mythology, norse myths, god of war, freya norse goddess, norse gods, mimir, nordic mythology, asgard war, nordic myths and legends, norse gods explained, viking mythology, yggdrasil

Id: HIL7TAO1cT4

Length: 6min 49sec (409 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 20 2018