The Nine Worlds: Niflheim

Niflheim literally means "The Home of Mists". In the norse mythology and cosmology this realm is depicted as being very cold, covered by snow, frost and ice. Niflheim is one of the two worlds that collided in the beginning of time, thus creating all the other worlds and life itself. Niflheim collided with Muspelheim - frost and fire.

As I have mentioned before, we speak of worlds not as actually seperate worlds but realms, nine realms of the norse cosmology, so vast that led people to believe (spirit-workers and shamans of old) that the nine realms were actually worlds because of the vastness of the landscape and the different types of weather, flora and fauna that exist in each of the nine realms.

Niflheim is a very ancient world/realm, and its glaciers and mountains were solidified long ago, duo to its famous river, the River Elivagar (Icy Waves). This great river crystallized all things into frost, this everything turned into ice and remained as such. When muspelheim collided with Niflheim, the ice of Niflheim began to melt away in the southernmost areas. It was when the first being was created/came to life, the great frost giant Ymir, born of ice and fire unified.

Unlike the other realms of the norse cosmology, its very hard to be aware of the seasonal changes in Niflheim, it seems to be always winter, similar to the artic regions of out own world. The days are long and the nights longer still at Winter, it seems that night never ends.

More than half of Niflheim is covered by snow and ice, and it will never melt. The weather is often cloudy and shrouded in mist on the low land. The sky is covered most of the time, so it is easy to get lost in here, the stars or the position of the sun and moon are of no avail, and everything in the landscape looks exactly the same thousands of miles in every direction. Closer to Svartalfheim the landscape turns more mountainous and the ice starts to melt by the shore, creating a sea of icebergs and snow-covered islands till it reaches the southern shores of Svartalfheim.

The most important geographical feature in Niflheim, is probably the sacred well named Hvergelmir. Hvergelmir is the largest well sacred well, and hot-spring of turbulent waters from which many rivers flow.

About the fauna and flore of Niflheim, those only exist in the northernmost parts near Svartalfheim. A few plants dotted the soils of the islands and the tundras. In the water there are seals and other cold-water mammals. There are also a few mammoths roaming in the tundras and a dire wolves to the north-east.

Niflheim II Part

I almost forgot, apart from the Frost Giants in Niflheim and some Duergar near the borders between this realm and Svartalfheim, there are a few herbs in this frozen realm, growing in the caves and on the islands. There are a few animals also, once again, near the watery regions, animals such as seals and other mammals who are used to cold water. Birds are seldom seen, but they come often to the islands of the Duergar which I have written in the previous post. Surprisingly, near the border between Niflheim and Helheim, Mammoths can be seen, near the area where the river Gjöll comes out of Niflheim and falls into a huge Waterfall with hidden caves behind it, where Loki once hid himself from the Aesir. Near this are, trees start to grow, and turf fro the Mammoths to feed on.

Niflheim

Niflheim is one of the two primal worlds that collided with each other and created the basis for all the other worlds, fire and ice, the beginning of life. This is the realm of mists, and most of it is frozen. Most of the realm, like I have said, is frozen, but because of a great river called Elivagar, a poisonous river with a particularity which is seldom seen in our own world and even the the other world. The river turned everything into crystallized frost. Ancient mountains lie beneath the frozen wastelands, glaciers can be seen all over the place and nothing grows wherever the river and its streams spread.

The myth goes, that when Muspellheim, the fire world, collided with Niflheim, the frost began to melt away in the southern parts of the realm, and from this event the frost giant Ymir was created.
Niflheim, or most of it, to this day is still frozen and very cold, for the river Elivagar still runs in the depths of the icy realm.

Think of Niflheim as an arctic area, where the changing of seasons is seldom noticed by the people who are not used to this kind of weather, unfamiliar with a snow and ice covered world. As nowadays everybody seems to say "Winter is Coming!" because of the Game of Thrones series, well... in Niflheim Winter isn't coming, Winter is always there!
The days are long but the nights are even longer and the skies are rarely clear, so this might give the impression that it is always dark, for those who are able to travel there.

As I have written, more than half of this realm is covered in ice and snow and it doesn't seem to melt, ever. It is a land with thick fogs, blizzards, snow storms, dense mists and occasional thunderstorms. Suffice to say, this is a very dangerous realm, the nature itself will deal with any traveler.

It seems that this realm and its ice melts where it comes near to Svartalfheim, where the terrain is more mountainous. Most of this part is water formed by the melting ice, so much that ancient mountains now look like islands scattered in the water till it reaches Svartalfheim. There are a lot of icebergs floating as you might imagine.

This is the only realm with no structures whatsoever, there are no buildings, exept in the border between Niflheim and Helheim. However, there are inhabitants in this frozen realm, the famous Frost-Etins, living underground in elaborated cave tunnels.

The great well called Hvergelmir lies here in Niflheim and it isn't like the other two sacred wells. Hvergelmir is an enormous hot spring with white waters, with very turbulent waters, from which many rivers flow. This great well is the source of most rivers in the Nine worlds, unlike the regular physics of how a river flows (southwards) these rivers flow upwards, it is natural, we do have some rivers in our own world that do this, flowing through the mountainous terrain and their only escape is due north. However, here in Niflheim, it is uncertain whythe rivers flow upwards, it is an high realm indeed, the very mountains are beneath the snow and ice.
The major rivers that flow from Hvergelmir are so named: Svol, Gunnthra, Fiorm, Fimbulthul, Hrid, Sylg and Ylg, Vid, Leiptr, Sid, Vid, Sekin, Ekin, Gipul, Gopul, Gomul, Geirvimul, Thyn, Vin, Tholl, Boll, Grad, Gunnthrain, Nyt, Not, Nonn, Hronn, Vina, Veg, Svinn, Thiodnuma, Slidr and the great river Gjöll that flows into Helheim.

The watery area of Niflheim is filled with many small islands, like small mountaintops protruding up from the waters. Sometimes they are almost indistinguishable from the icebergs that also float around, sometimes the icebergs collide with them. In this area, as it is closed to Svartalfheim, osome duergar, who have wandered from their native land made their home here and the islands they inhabit actually have the names of the duergar who own them. The most famous is Lyngvi Island, which is claimed by a dwarf named Lyngvi (as it might be expected), in the middle of a small lake called Amsvartnir. This island is used by the Aesir, with Lyngvi's permission, to house the most famous current prisoner in the Nine Worlds, Fenris the Great Wolf, son of Loki. The water on the eastern side of the island is red colored.

Svartalfheim & Nidavellir - 4th part

The Hall of Durin - Those it sound familiar? Tolkien did not choose this name for a very important Dwarf, from whom the great dwarvish kingdoms came, for no reason.
In the Norse mythology, Durin is one of the oldest fathers of the Duergar (dwarves). Many were the deeds of this great dwarf along with his friend Dvalin. Durin was chosen as the first chieftain of the Duergar, and his memory is still loved and revered. His hall is one of the grandest cavern-mazes in Nidavellir, but rather than keeping it as a private hall or passing it along to the next chieftain, his relatives decided instead to open it to the public as a place of respite and peace. His hall is one of the few places were one might find peace of mind and spirit in Nidavellir.

As I have already mentioned it, Durin had a powerful companion, Dvalin, one of the most powerful Duergar there is. His father was the famous Mimir and his mother Lovar. Both had four children, Dvalin, Alfrik, Berling and Grer. These are the brothers who made the famous necklace Brisingamen, the same that Freyja wears.
It is said that he (Dvalin) is one of the four deers that guard Yggdrasil and the way to the spirit world, shapeshifted along with the other three, a Jotun, and Alf and a Man.

One of the few surface areas of Svartalfheim where Duergar can be found, is in Joruvellir, in a particular area called Aurvangar, where a great grave mound was built and where Lovar and her Duergar lover, Svarin, rest in peace. This place also has underground areas of course, but it is unique because of the grave mound that towers above the flat plain. This place isn't hard to find, for it lies near the only wetlands in Svartalfheim.

The mountains in Svartalfheim hide many secrets, one of those is Byrgir, an empty well standing on a mountaintop. It is said that from this well at one time it poured forth magical waters that gave the gift of poetic power and ecstasy, but Ivaldi magically emptied it, which stopped its flow and ensured that it was in limited supply, and thus more valuable. Ivaldi's brothers, Fjalar and Galar, came to him with Kvasir's blood, Ivaldi lent them enough water to mix the blood and thus creating the Mead of Poetry, intending on a share of it. However,they fled with the Mead of Poetry and Ivaldi's cursed them, that they would not live another six turns of the Moon. It would  be true, as Sutting hunted them down and killed them soon after for the murder of his parents.

Svartalfheim & Nidavellir - 3rd part

As I have written in the first part of this post about Svartalfheim, Nidavellir isn't a location nor the name of the entire realm of the Duergar (Dwarves) and Dokkalfar (Dark Elves), nor is it a city. Nidavellir is in fact a labyrinthic complex of underground territores. There are thousands of corridors that lead somewhere, into houses, villages, halls, etc from Duergar that may or may not belong to a specific group.

It isn't hard to find and visit Nidavellir, there is a huge trading area where one will certainly find members of each race of the Nine realms of the Norse cosmology, doing trading with the Duergar. However, one should not venture further than that, the trading area is easily memorized after a few times there in the company of a guide, but beyond it, as I have written, Nidavellir is a labyrinthic complex and it is easy to be lost there and even harder to find the way back.
Most come to Nidavellir to shop the many things that other races may also have and make them, but the Duergar make them even better. The underground territories of the Duergar is filled with the shops of all tpe of crafts and the Duergar are masters of whatever craft in existence.
They are a very skillful and talented race, and the thought of them making poor work, less skilled and cheaper, or trying to cheat someone, will be easily vanished as soon as one is able to see this race working and competing with each other to see who makes the best piece of a specific order. You may be certain that whatever you see being sold at their shops, is of high quality.

Svartalfheim & Nidavellir - 2nd part

Little is known about the conflicts and the great war between the elven kind, but it is certain that a group of elves were exiled and came to Svartalfheim when they were expelled from their homeland in Ljossalfheim. It appears that this race of elves weren't welcomed anywhere else, only in the dark lands of the Duergar (Dwarves).
The Duergar granted shelter to these elves and since today, a tenuous peace and reasonable harmony lingers. The dark elves, or Dokkalfar as I have written on the previous post, couldn't live any other way, the Duergar outnumber them and control most of their homeland. There are many terms and conditions for both races to live in the same realm, however, none knows for sure which of those are.
As it would be expected, there is trade between the two races, but not as much as anyone might think.

Few are the deities that live in this dark land, one of those deities is the goddess Niorun, the goddess of dreams. Despite from being a goddess little-known to many, both the Duergar and the Darkelves honor her a great deal. As I have written on the previous post, Svartalfheim is a dangerous place to travel into or dwell during the day, and at night its impossible to be safe. However, the hall of this goddess, Niorun, is one of the few places (if not the only one) that a travel might take shelter, be safe and not being bothered by any of the outside realm. Apart from being a relatively safe place, it isn't beautiful, the very sight of it often makes people uncomfortable and the sense that it isn't safe at all.

Svartalfheim & Nidavellir

Svartalfheim or Svartheim is a dark, inhospitable and cold land, the atmosphere itself is grey and gloomy. The Duergar are the inhabitants of this realm. Most of them live far below under the mountains, underground caves and rocky grounds. They claim ownership over this realm. Above live the dark elves, dark Alfar so called Dokkalfar or Svartalfar. Their origins are not from this realm, as such, they are considered immigrants.

There was a great deluge that broke many lands apart. This was the realm where the Duergar made their home and excavated their realms below.
This mountainous, dark and windy realm has woodlands, but the Duergar care little for them. Instead, they made amazing and great halls under the earth, carved on rock. The Svartalfar invaded their homeland, but these two races made a truce deal and both live in this realm to this day, in separate territories of course.
Some times people get confused and call this realm Nidavellir. That is a very common mistake, because the territories of the Duergar are so vast, that it looks like a different realm. Nidavellir is in fact the name given to the territories of the Duergar, but the realm is Svartalfheim. Most of Svartalfheim is Nidavellir, the rest is just territories controled by the dark elves.

As I have written, this is a very dark world and there is little variation between summer and winter, and there isn't spring or autumn at all. It rains as much as it snows during winter. That kind of weather lessens with the coming of summer, which is more windy at that time. Days are slow, slower than any other realm of the Nine Worlds. However, the sun is barely seen in Svartalfheim, even during Summer. The inhabitants of this realm have a nocturnal existence, such as the fauna. Although, the Duergar venture out of their tunnels during the daylight only, it is safer. But their lives are spent underground in their cavernous cities.

Svartalfheim unlike the other realms, is very easy to enter. The Duergar care little about the business of wanderers and travelers, and it is likewise with the Svartalfar, however, the latter, are more difficult to persuade (but still, easier than the elves of Ljosalfheim). Once you are in Svartalfheim, few are those who will bother you, perhaps it is because they might think in isn't worth to bother with adventurers, if they entered Svartalfheim, they must know what they are doing (or not) it is a very dangerous place to wander about, there are few shelters and it gets dark too fast, so people are on their own.

Jotunheim Part V

I may have forgotten a few places of Jotunheim, but the posts are getting too long and this is already the V (5th) part and I intend to finalize the Jotunheim chapter here. So enough of writing about the places, for it is a large continent/realm and lets move on to the type of fauna.

All over the nine worlds of the norse cosmology there are a lot of creatures that have been seen by those who do spiritual work. There are many accounts since times immemorial, that still run in the folk tales from generation to generation. Of these animals, somo are known and exist in our own world, others have existed in our world and gone extint, others are exclusive of these realms. But Jotunheim has the largest and the most deversity of animals so far known. As you can probably imagine, most of Jotunheim is untouched by the hands that aren't nature's ones. Ancient creatures still lurk within this realm, primal fauna such as cave lions for example, sabertooth tigers and such creatures of the Ice age. There are a lot of wolves that run in packs all over the place.
There are many insects, mostly in the swamp areas, but during summer they tend to spread a lot because the weather cools off a bit, enough for these creatures to come about. Most forests and are to be avoided if one does not know the way in and out of them, there are fierce creatures there, but also the trees themselves are dangerous, very ancient and the roots are large and very long, one might trip over them and fall into unknown and deep holes, ancient caves, or be trapped and lie there waiting for a large predator to appear and eat you whole.

There are also a lot of herbs unknown to us, or at least to those who aren't able to go there, or even for those who can, most don't have the time to linger and study these herbs and other plants. Some grow on the very bark of the trees, among the moss and lichens, others on the ground and in few cases on stone. Speaking of stone, one might come across a few mounds made of stone with smoke coming out of them, these are dwellings of the Jutnar folk, not all are like these, it varies from tribe to tribe, even place. If you aren't certain if they are friendly or not, don't come any closer.

Jotunheim Part IV

There is no doubt that the source of magical power in Jotunheim, is the famous Iron Wood. From the distance it might look like a common thick forest, but its magical energy causes great transformations in every living organism there. Those who born inside this forest will certainly have strong magical powers but also great physical deformities. No wonder why the children of Loki and Angrboda, Jormundgandr, Hela and Fenris, born in the Iron Wood, have the physical aspect that we all know.
As I have mention in the previous post, Angrboda is the chieftess of the wold clan and also the seer of the nine clans of this place. She gained the title of Chief of Chiefs after many battles between the tribes. All clans have still have chieftains, but lets put it in this way, Angreboda is the "King" and the other chieftains are the nobles that govern in each place that belong to the realms of the "king" they are like the Jarls (since we are speaking of themes related to the Norse, a Jarl was a nobleman/chieftain of the Norse people, rulling over one place).
But since this post is about the places of Jotunheim and not those who live there, lets continue with that matter. Angrboda's halls lie inside Iron wood as it is expected. Huge gates with lots of bones and skulls hanged, a terrible sight that turns many away.

Outside Iron Wood, high on a mountain, lies the fortress of Gymir, the father of Gerda, Freyr's wife. 
There is a hut and a mill, a very small village with only two sister as residents, it is called Grotte and the sisters Fenja and Menja. Whatever is going on there, it is dangerous, and not much is known about the place.
Hyndla lives in the northern mountains of Jotunheim, deep within a cave, the same Hyndla who guarded the mead of poetry in Svartalfheim.

Jotunheim Part III

Continuing with the posts about Jotunheim, I star this one with Gastropnir, not so well known by those who practice/follow/study the Norse cosmology, because most of the time, Jotunheim is left aside and the major concern is with Asgard and Vanaheim only.
Glastropnir is the "castle" of Mengloth, the most known healing deity of Jotunheim. The dwelling lies in the westernmost part of Jotunheim, only a few miles to the shore where the Vanaheim ocean meets Jotunheim on top of a mountain. It lies on the top of the tallest mountain of the western mountain chain as I have written in the privious post.
It is rather hard to follow the poorly carved road on the rocks that leads to the "castle" and that might be on purpose, because to get here one have to rely on his/her own determination. Once at the top, it is said that the castle gates are enormous and made of Iron and guarded by two hounds called Gif and Geri.
The gatekeeper is called Fjolsvid. As I have said, the journey here is perilous and climbing to get to the home of Mengloth is even worse. Even so, many are those who seek her, for she is the best healer in all of Jotunheim, and possibly of all the Nine worlds, if it wasn't so, those who seek healing, would seek somewhere else safer and easier to get. Even Eir, the healer of Asgard, seeks Mengloth's wisdom.
Oddly enough, Mengloth is married with a mortal man called Svipdag. 
Like most deities or spirits of a great importance, Mengloth also has handmaidens, they are so named, Hlifthrasa, Thjodvara, Bjort, Bleik, Blid and Frid.

I have not mention it before, but as I have written on the previous post about Utgard and the ruler of it (Utgardens-Loki) you might had the impression that he is the ruler of all Jotunheim, the King. It isn't true and that is why I left this part to this post. To the northeastern mountain chain, there lies Thrymheim, the royal court of the folk of Jotunheim. The king lives here, and he is called Thrym. All of Jotunheim might be divided into many tribes and each one has a chieftain, and after the conflicts between tribes, Angreboda became the chief of all tribes, Jotunheim still has a King.

Jotunheim Part II

There are a few cities and villages in Jotunheim, that one might reach following the roads, although these might be dangerous, it is better to wander off of them. The most famous city of Jotunheim, is Utgard, the single biggest Jotun settlement in all the Nine realms, and not at all safe. However, there is a lot of trading in it. The main area of Utgard is surrounded by a great stone wall. Once through the gates, the narrow, crowded, noisy roads slope upwards to the highest central point, where Utgardens-Loki keeps his hall. There are also many settlements outside this wall. Inside, Utgard is crowded with markets where almost anything produced in the Nine Worlds can be bought. There are a lot of taverns, inns, and such. There are yards where people can play competitive games with each other.
The lord of Utgard is Utgard-Loki, a name he took to distinguish himself from Laufey's son (The god Loki). He is both warrior and sorcerer, and is a brilliant, canny leader who invokes deep respect from his people. He is known to be generous to visitors if he wants to impress them, he is a faultless and courteous host.

The Guard of Utgard is an elite body with a great reputation. Unlike most other Jotun warriors, they are actually drilled and trained with a great deal of precision. They patrol the roads outside of the city and keeping the trade routes safe for merchants. They also patrol the city itself. Like all Jotun warrior bands, the Guard has both male and female soldiers, including some warrior-couples who are shieldmates. Suffice to say, Utgard isn't a safe place, unless one is often alongside the Guards.

Probably one of the most famous places in all of Jotunheim is Mímisbrunnr, or mostly known as Mimir's well. The well lies inside a great cave and it is filled with skulls, probably offerings to Mimir.

Jotunheim Part I

Contrary to what people might think, Jotunheim is actually a beautiful land and not at all covered with ice and snow, but it is a very dangerous realm and forbidden to most. Everything in this realm is quite big, everything is larger than usual. Jotunheim was created to be the new home of all the Jotnar race.

The days in Jotunheim are a little shorter than the days in Midgard, and sunset and sunrise happen more quickly. Usualy the sky there is very light, but storms often fall from it and there is a great deal of rainfall, especially near the coast line and during spring time. During these storms, it is common to see a fire getting started in the forest due to the lightning strikes. When the storms don't cover the land, this is a very bright realm as long as one keeps a distance from the forests, for those there are very thick and block out most of the light. This is one of the reasons why those who have traveled there, had the idea that this was a very dark and gloomy world, it is covered with thick forests and high mountains that block the light of the sky. Most of Jotunheim is under thick and vast forests and huge mountains, but of course there are parts with meadows, but these are very few compared to the rest of the realm.

There are three major mountain chains in Jotunheim, one on the eastern side turning Northward, a cold part of Jotunheim, almost as cold as Niflheim itself. There other one is right at the middle of Jotunheim, dividing this realm in two, a natural barrier that descends to the south, and finally, the mountain chain that goes along the western coast, called Nidfjoll mountains.
The famous Iron Wood lies in the southernmost area of Jotunheim. Suprisingly, this is the place where the trees are shorter and rather twisted. The southeastern area of Jotunheim is hot and steamy, with rainforests and multiple small rivers. The widest river in Jotunheim is called Elivagar, which in fact
 is filled with salt water coming from the ocean. This river makes a natural barrier between the southern part of Jotunheim and the Northern part of Midgard, since Midgard lies to the Southwest of Jotunheim. The north border of Jotunheim is the great Thund Thvitr, the second-largest river and the line between Jotunheim and Asgard. It is filled with small fortresses and other settlements as outposts. Another famous river is the Slith, with very agitated waters, that make the southern border of the Iron Wood.

In the northwest corner, near to the Thund Thvitr, is the forest of Galgvid, where Eggther stands watchful in his encampment along with many guards. This might be one of the few safe places to be, as long as no one speaks about the Aesir or shows any affiliation with them. Eggther is the keeper of Volund's, the sword of revenge. His assistant is Fjalar, not the duergar (dwarf) of the same name, but a giant.

Just off the coast of the western sea, the coastline is broken and many small islands are scattered all over the waters. Furthest out lies the island of Allgron, a midway-trading-point between Vanaheim and Jotunheim. It is owned by a giant called Fjolvar.

Vanaheim Part IV

The great giant Billing, Gilling's brother and Rind's father.. or better say, Vali's grandfather, also has an Hall in Vanaheim. He might be of Jotun blood, but one of his wifes is a Vanir, so he is one of the Jotnar that helps the ties between Vanaheim and Jotunheim stay strong. His Hall is located in the eastern side by a port where sailing to Jotunheim is possible.

Somewhere just off the coast of Vanaheim, probably between the North-east and the South-east, lies the underwater palace of Aegir the sea god, the palace is so named Aegirheim, the underwater palace. This great underwater palace lies near an Island called Hlesey.

Vanaheim Part III

In this part, I will continue writing about the places of interest in Vanaheim. Starting with Freyja's Hall.

Such as her brother, Freyja also has two Halls. Her most famous Hall is Sessrumnir in Asgard. But her Hall in Vanaheim people will find often four of her eight sisters (Njörd, her father, has other children with other women aside from Nerthus). 
The eldest of her eight sisters is Eir, she is Frigga's handmaiden in Asgard, and she is also a goddess of healing. Her hall in Vanaheim is simply referred to as Freyja's Home. It seems that Freyja's hall in Vanaheim is where the female children of Njörd come together, at least some of them.
Such as I have written in the previous post about Vanaheim, Freyja is also a hostage ,like her brother, for the continued peace between the two tribes of deities, the Aesir and the Vanir. Freyja is also allowed to come home, but only when her father and brother are absent.

I have been writing about Njörd's family leaving behind his own father, Frodi, an etin linked to the night. He lives in Vanaheim in a small wooden Hall surrounded by orchards.

The goddess of vegetation and also linked to the sea, Nehallenia, also has a Hall in Vanaheim near the ocean at the same coast line as Njörd's hall is. 

Something very interesting came across a few spirit-workers, the fact that the Germanic goddess Holda also has a home in Vanaheim, apart from the one she already has and was known to all, but few knew that she also spent some time in Vanaheim. There it lies in the middle of vast fields of beautiful flowers, her cottage.

Vanaheim Part II

Continuing with the theme of the previous post, now it is time to write about the places of interest in Vanaheim, at least those most run in to.
Njord might be the most famous deity ofthe Vanir, as well as his children, Freyr and Freyja of course. After the war between the Aesir and the Vanir came to an end with a draw, the two tribes of deities exchanged members of their own tribes end sent them to the oposite side to ensure that peace was kept. Njord was one of the Vanir who was sent to the Aesir, however, he still visits his homeland and has a home in Vanaheim. Its name is Noatun, a white arched and very tall building that lies on the north-eastern bay of Vanaheim.

Njord is married with Nerthus, even if it was only a ceremonial wedding, but she is the mother of Freyr and Freyja. She is the high priestess of Vanaheim. As their wedding was only for ceremonial purposes, they do not live together. She lives on an island in the exact center of Vanaheim, where her house, sacred grove and temple are.

Freyr, being a Vanir, of course he has a home in Vanaheim, although, he also has many other homes in other places, for he is a very important god and is needed in many places. Strange as it might sound, he does not have a home in Asgard, while there, he stays at his sister's hall, Sessrumnir, the hall of Freyja. Half of the year he goes to Asgard, the other half he returns to Vanaheim, however, while he must spend his time in Asgard due to the after-war peace arrangments, he seldom is there, he passes most of the time in Alfheim in his own house. His hall in Vanaheim lies in the Borri woodland which I have written about in the previous post. There he lives with his wife Gerda, in the hall with the roof made of golden corn and woven straw.

Vanaheim

Vanaheim is the realm of the Vanir deities of the Norse Pantheon. This race of deities and spirits are linked to agriculture, their main focus is the fertility of both the earth and living creatures. Their connection with magic and Seidr is exclusive, it was they who taught the other deities and mortals, how to work with this kind of magic.
Vanaheim lies to the West, below Alfheim and Asgard. It is unknown the origin of the Vanir race, they came before the Aesir, however, they have only established their settlements and lives in Vanaheim after the Aesir already had their home in Asgard.

As I have told you before, in my point of view, these worlds are in fact one huge world, and a shaman in his/her journey doesnt actualy go on foot, he appears in a place and travels, and then in an other journey in trance or an out of the body expirience, he will appear in a completely different place, which lead people to believe, they are actually traveling into other worlds, but in truth, they visit realms in that same world, so Vanaheim is no exception. There is a feeling that the world is below Alfheim and Asgard, because the best fields for agriculture, are plain fields, in woodlands etc. below the mountains, and because the way to Alfheim is up, it gives that feeling that Alfheim is a vast world above Vanaheim and on the other hand, Asgard is up into the mountains on the other side. So now that I have given you my point of view, you can understand this better, lets get back to the subject.

Vanaheim is indeed a perfect realm for agriculture, it has the four seasons perfectly balanced, and the weather is propitious for the growth of whatever someone might plant in order to harvest it later. Suffice to say that Vanaheim has the best weather and climate of all the nine realms.

Vanaheim is a smaller continent compared with the others, a giant island in the middle of the ocean, not linked by land to Alfheim or any other continent. The central area of Vanaheim is filled with hills, meadows and pastureland. There is a lot of woodland, but not vast areas of it, small woodlands "sprinkled" throughout the land. The coastal areas vary, depending on the zone, some are open beaches, others are rocky cliffs, to the north the snowy mountain chain sinks into the ocean and the beaches there are covered in snow.
The main profession in Vanaheim is Fishing and Agriculture in this green continent with the most fertile soils of all the Nine realms. It is from Vanaheim that most agriculture products come from, Vanaheim has a few ports to trade with all the ther realms.

The Vanaheim inhabitants are scattered and organized into small villages, there are no cities, nor a place where all the Vanir deities live all together. However, the gathering of the deities and the representatives of each village (when these aren't Vanir deities) happens from time to time, in different places, to discuss different subjects concerning all. Villages are built around a sacred grove, small houses and halls are usually the type of villages built in these areas, some of them have buildings for respective religious purposes.

The largest woodland is called Barri and lies to the east of Vanaheim, closed to Jotunheim. Filled with trees of golden leaves, that grow higher than anyother tree in those parts. Some say that these trees came from Jotunheim, which isn't strange because as a matter of fact, there aren't anyother trees like these in all of Vanaheim. This is the very woodland where the god Freyr met his bride Gerda.

Ljossalfheim 2nd Part

Continuing with Ljossalfheim, I will write in this 2nd part the places of great importance within this realm. I shall start with the Hall of Freyr.

Freyr is the Vanir deity of fertility, of both the earth and living creatures, the god of love, magic, light. He is the brother of Freyja and he is also the Lord of Ljossalfheim / Alfheim. Freyr may not be the ruler of Ljossalfheim, the different elven races may have others to rule over them, but it is Freyr that speaks for them in the council of the gods in Asgard.

Like I have written in the previous post, everything changes in this realm, but Freyr's Hall is always in the same place, in fact the place itself doesn't change much. His hall is great and it is the only hall of a deity that people might come in even if Freyr isn't there. Visitors may enjoy the cosy atmosphere of Freyr's hall, be fed and rest, as long as no one breaks any rule of hospitality.

The realm of the elves may be wonderful and of such beauty that is seldom seen in any other realm, but it's lands have a bloody history. The elven folk fought against each other at some time, which ended up with two groups being split. One of the groups was forced to abandon Ljossalfheim and went south to live in the realm of the Duergar (Dwarves), there elves are so known as the Dark Alfar or Dokkalfar that live in Svartalfheim.

Ljossalfheim

Another world/realm of the Norse cosmology is Ljossalfheim, or most commonly known as Alfheim. It is located next to Asgard to the West and Southwest. This continent is known to be one of the faery realms. There have been reports from the people who do spiritual work in the many European religions, that this realm also contains other realms of the faery folk. However, it is not clear where the boundaries of each realm withing this continent are, nor is it possible to see the difference between the geography of one with another, perhaps they are all conected, but still, there are many differences between the faery folk and elven folk of the different realms. But lets keep with the realm of the Norse cosmology and its elven folk.

It seems that this realm is the one easier to travel to, if you have read and know about the Celtic tales for example, it is filled with stories about this realm, how people enter it and dwell there for a time, but when they return, unfortunately their visit to this realm has disastrous results and everything back home changes.

There aren't reports that tell us specifically how time flows in this realm, the seasons and the weather itself. It seems that in Ljossalfheim, all of these natural factors randomly change. This is a world/realm filled with magic, and everything goes acording to what the inhabitants want. So uncertain is the weather and the seasons, that in some places it might be summer and in others winter. It seems that each area of this realm has its own season, a different cycle.

It is easy for one to be lost in here, the very earth is constantly changing, not major changes, but enough to get lost and everything around seems a different place. These are the reports of the people who can travel there, it isn't something that is done often, so that is why everything seems different everytime some one returns to this realm.

There are many villages in Ljossalfheim and thousands of houses for its inhabitants. It isn't clear how the elven folk got there, because we do know that they are not native to this land unlike many other races I have spoken about here. From whatever land they came, the Aesir gave them Ljossalfheim to be their new homeland.

Asgard - Home Of The Aesir - 9th Part

This is the last part of Asgard (finally) and the places of great importance.

Breidablik

The hall of  the deities Baldr/Baldur and of Nanna his wife, was called Breidablik and it was given to them as a wedding gift. As you know, Baldr was killed and Nanna comited suicide after this tragic event, as such the goddess Frigga sealed all the entrances to the Hall so it might stay as it was by the time Baldr and Nanna lived there. No one is allowed to enter it and it is guarded to keep away anyone who tries to go in.

Landvidi

This is the hall of the god Vidar, which is one of the Norse deities that is seldom heard. Landvidi is where he lives with his mother called Grid. She is one of Odin's lovers, it was she who gave Thor his magical iron gloves and his famous belt of strength. Like some of the halls in Asgard, the name Landvidi also refers to the land around the Hall. A place with deep green woods, tall trees with permanent leaves the entire year and vast fields with tall grass.

Glitnir

The hall of Forseti the god of justice is called Glitnir. This hall is seen from a great distance, not because it is a large hall, but because the roof as the color of silver and it shines like a lighthouse, the porch pillars are made out of gold with beautiful carvings. Forseti is the son of Baldr and Nanna and he is the god of not only justice but also laws, arbitration, judgment, oaths, honor and alliances. If there is any kind of conflict, or law breaking or anyother thing concerning such subjects, the problems are brought to his hall, because it is here that peaceful solutions can be arranged to avoid bloodshed.
Every kind of problem that is fit to have judgement, can be presented in the court of Forseti's hall, even if it is a grievance between a mortal and a deity.

Brimir

In Asgard there is a land called Gimle which has a large lake, and right at the center of the lake there is an island called Okolnir which has a hall called Brimir. This hall might seem empty, but in it lives the giant with the same name of the hall, who won the land in a game of chance with Odin. It was Brimir who built the hall after he won the land, or at least the island.

Gimle

 As mentioned above, in the land called Gimle, there is also an Hall with the same name. It is devoided of any denizens.

Isle of Counsel

The name of this island is unknown, at least for me, but this place lies where the Thund Thvitr river meets the ocean. In the small island lives a mortal man (or once mortal) called Hildolf, who has his own hall in this island. For some reason, many of the Einherjar come here to visit him, so he must be a man of great importance, and to own a hall in Asgard, he must really be of great importance to Odin himself.

Urdabrunnr 

Beyond the forests of Ydalir and passing the small mountain range, there lies a great mountain which is in fact one of the roots of Yggdrasil, covered with small trees which are actually the sprouts of the root, this creates a large grove.
Below the curve of the great root, lies Urdabrunnr, the well of fate. A large spring with bubbling water which feeds the root of the world tree. Near the well its keepers live there and guard it, the Norns.
Beyond the great root and the spring there is a small hall called The Hall of Fate. No one has ever got in, only those who work with the Norns.

Asgard - Home of the Aesir - 8th Part

Noatun

In the previous post I wrote about Freyja's hall, and as she is one of the Vanir also living in Asgard, now it is time to also write about her father, another Vanir deity that has a hall in Asgard.


Njörd's hall in Asgard is called Noatun and it is located outside the walls of the realm in the coastal zone to the west and southwest. In this coast his hall stands in a small bay and ships from the distance can see the hall of Njörd, a white structure with a few ships anchored in the bay below it. This structure is filled with open windows and the ceilings are different from the ones of all the other halls in Asgards, these are arched, resembling the bottom of a ship. 
There are fishing tools all over the place even hanged on the walls, and a salty wind blows inside. There are many seabirds around the area and often fly to the insides of the structure. Most of the furniture is made out of parts of ships, even the tables, and there are many colums that were once masts.

In this hall along with Njörd, others live there, most of them are sailors. Apart from the hall and the docks, there are also workshops behind the hall and all manners of sea working is made there, such as woodcarving, shipbuilding, net-mending, barrel-making and so on.

As you might imagine, this is the harbour where many ships from different lands take rest after great voyages, the many denizens of the Nine norse worlds come here, and others as well. This is a haven for those who love the sea and everything connected to it.

Sokkvabek

There is a goddess that few know, she is called Saga, the goddess of lore and knowledge through learning from the lore and study. This goddess also lives in Asgard by the sea. Her hall is called Sokkvabek. This is also a place of learning while relaxing at the same time, for those who love the sound of waves and seabirds and the whales during the night, and of course, refreshing the body and the soul in the waters which are near the hall, in fact, the hall is so close to the water, that there isn't sand or rock to place the feet, the hall goes directly into the water.
Inside this hall, there are many written memories such as poetry, songs, tales of old and so on. This goddess keeps the records of the past, some important, some irrelevant.

Thrymheim II

The tale of Skadi is one that people have heard so often, but summarizing it, there was a giant called Thjatsi who married an Aesir woman, by doing so he inherited all that was hers when she died. Thjatsi was slain by the Aesir but he had a daughter called Skadi who came all the way from Jotunheim to demand her inheritance and have her vengance upon the Aesir for killing her father.
She also wanted a husband of Aesir blood, so she could be accepted quickly into the Aesir tribe. She was married with Njörd but it didn't work out, but she still owns and lived in her father and stepmother's hall. Being a goddess who loves winter and can't stand another type of weather, during the summer of Asgard (which is quite long) she leaves the mountains of Asgard and goes back to her halls in Jotunheim.
Her hall in Asgard is called Thrymheim in honor to the giant Thrym the king of Jotunheim. Her hall in Jotunheim is also called by this name.
Her hall, is found in the great mountain chain of Asgard to the north and all the way to the east. There weather there is cold and snowy, but in lighter proportions, nothing compared to the weather of the mountains of Jotunheim where her other hall is placed.

Ydalir

Ydalir is the home of the god Ullr, the god of winter and hunting and also skiing. It is more like an hunting lodge in a grove surrounded by trees.


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