The nine worlds of Viking myth

The Vikings believed that there were nine worlds containing the various creatures and gods of their universe. As with a lot of the information from this period the sources can sometimes be confusing and there is no total agreement on what the nine worlds were called. The mythology of the Norse has heavily influenced such writers as JRR Tolkein.

The following paragraphs present a brief description of the worlds and associated items such as the tree of life.

Asgard - This was the home of the gods known as the Aesir and contained lots of important halls and temples. Chief among these were:

• Valhall - The 'hall of the slain' was where Odin gathered together the souls of warriors who had fallen in battle. These souls were collected from the battlefield and brought to the hall by the Valkyrie.
• Gladsheim - This is the location of the thrones of the Aesir excluding that of Odin.
• Hlidskjalf - Either the throne on which Odin sits, or the palace in which his throne is located.
• Vingolf - The souls of the fallen in battle came to here as well as Valhall. This was also the sanctuary of the goddesses.
• Idavoll - This is a plain somewhere in or near Asgard. It is referred to both as the place where the Aesir meet to determine the destinies of men, and as the location where the survivors of the last great battle (Ragnarok) will meet.

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Midgard - Also referred to as the Middle World (or Middle Earth) this was where the human race dwelt. It was fortified by a wall that ran round its edge.

Jotunheim - This means 'giant home' and was the land gifted to the giants by Odin after the creation. Exactly how it was separated from Midgard varies, with both rivers and woods mentioned.

Niflheim and Hel - It is unclear whether these two are separate worlds or part of a single world. They are both located in the underworld with Hel being the place where the dead who do not die in battle go. Hel also refers to a goddess who was banished to Niflheim by Odin, with the term Niflhel also appearing as a 'basement' of Hel where the dead of Hel reside. Niflheim appears at the start of the Viking myth of creation and is the land of ice and snow to the north of the nothingness called Ginnungagap.

Muspell - Another part of the underworld this was the land of fire that was to the south of Ginnungagap in the Viking myth of creation.

Vanaheim - This was the home of the peaceful gods known as the Vanir who enjoyed the quieter pursuits of life. At one stage they were at war with the Aesir of Asgard, and when peace was declared most of the Vanir moved to Asgard with the result that this world is not mentioned as much in the myths and legends.

Alfheim - The land of the light elves. This was generally held to be in the heavens and could not be entered by dark elves or dwarves.

Svartalfheim - An underground world where the dark or black elves dwelt. It is unclear whether these were actually elves or another name for dwarves.

As well as these worlds there are some other key objects within the Viking myths. These are as follows:

• Ragnarok - The final battle (analagous to Armageddon).
• Bifrost - This was the rainbow bridge that connected the worlds of the Aesir and men. Is is guarded at the Asgard end by Heimdall, the watchman of the gods. It was also said that the hostile hordes of Muspell would storm over this bridge at Ragnarok, breaking it with their weight.
• Gjallarbru - The bridge that connected Midgard to the underworld. It is guarded by the goddess Modgud.
• Yggdrasil - This is the world tree and is an ash. According to Snorri Sturluson it is the placed where the Aesir hold their daily courts. A squirrel continuously runs up and down it and a hawk and an eagle sit in its branches.