# Northern Mythology explained — Bulfinch’s Mythology > Chapter companion for Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch. ## What happens This chapter introduces the mythology of the Scandinavian peoples, as recorded in the Eddas. It describes the creation of the world from the body of the frost giant Ymir, the emergence of the gods Odin, Vili, and Ve, and the formation of the first humans from trees. The structure of the universe is explained through the ash tree Yggdrasil, with its roots extending into Asgard, Jotunheim, and Niffleheim. The chapter also details the realm of Asgard, the bridge Bifrost, Odin's throne and his ravens Hugin and Munin, and the Norns who dispense fate. ## Themes in this chapter ### Mortality and Immortality The creation myth involves the death of the giant Ymir, whose body is used to form the world, illustrating the theme of mortality giving rise to life. The gods themselves are not immortal in the Norse sense, as they face eventual doom at Ragnarok. ### Fate and Free Will The Norns (Urdur, Verdandi, Skuld) dispense fate, engraving runes on a metal shield, emphasizing the inescapable nature of destiny in Norse mythology. ## Character check-ins ### Odin Odin, the chief god, along with his brothers Vili and Ve, slays the giant Ymir and creates the world. He gives life and soul to the first humans, Aske and Embla, and later rules from Valhalla, receiving reports from his ravens Hugin and Munin. ### Ymir Ymir is the frost giant who springs from the melted ice. After being slain by Odin and his brothers, his body is used to form the earth, seas, mountains, and sky. ### Thor Thor is not explicitly named in the excerpts, but as a major Norse god, his presence is implied in the pantheon; however, no direct mention is made, so he is not included. ## Key lines > According to the Eddas there was once no heaven above nor earth beneath, but only a bottomless deep, and a world of mist in which flowed a fountain. The Eddas describe a primordial state with neither sky nor land, only an abyss and a misty realm containing a spring. _This sets the stage for the Norse creation narrative._ > They slew the giant Ymir, and out of his body formed the earth, of his blood the seas, of his bones the mountains, of his hair the trees, of his skull the heavens, and of his brain clouds, charged with hail and snow. After killing Ymir, the gods used his body to create the physical world: his flesh became earth, blood became seas, bones became mountains, hair became trees, skull became the sky, and brain became clouds. _This is a key creation myth detail._ > They therefore took an ash tree and made a man out of it, and they made a woman out of an elder, and called the man Aske and the woman Embla. The gods created the first humans from trees: a man from an ash tree named Aske, and a woman from an elder tree named Embla. _This explains the origin of humanity in Norse myth._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters/northern-mythology - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters