Ginnungagap: An Essay on Norse Cosmogony

"The Norse view of the Universe, according to the Eddas, was an extremely complicated thing. It was seen as a natural unfolding of events, which were then forced into their present shape by the will of the Æsir. This essay, I hope, will aid the beginning student in their understanding of this strange and truly wyrd phenomena.

The first thing that both Eddas describe is the Ginnungagap, or primordial void. This is both an easy, and extremely difficult thing to explain. This void is not a lack of substance, but rather a lack of discernible shape. All things originally have the Ginnungagap as their origin. The best analogy I can think of is a good chicken soup stock; full of flavor, but no real form. This is akin to the "seed matter" in the Big Bang Theory (which further shows how logical the Norse view is."

Excerpt from Ginnungagap: An Essay on Norse Cosmogony By Brian Smith

AbyssMal

"Ginnungagap is the abysmal gap of origin which forms the border between (ie, at once separates and joins) the northern ice and the southern fire. It is out of this gap through the action of the giants and gods that the world is born - middle earth (Miðgarð).

As with the Greeks, the mystery lies in the joint of what belongs below (ice, north, night, giants) with what belongs above (fire, south, day, gods). It is the nature of human being, the creatures of Miðgarð, to be subject to this mystery and to the care and anxiety which follow from its difficult complexity."

Gigantomachia A fascinating site researching the theme of historic wars between gods and giants.

Einherjars´ End

It´s the end of the world and we know it
As we burst from the gates of Valhall;
With the war-lust of Wodan upon us,
Today for the last time we´ll fall.

Frost and Flame, which first became
The seed of Ginnungagap´s womb,
Unleashed now wreak havoc on Midgard´s plain,
Destroying all life in their doom.

We go with the Gods against giants,
We battle the hordes of Hel,
But the Ice-Jotnar kill with a deadly chill,
And neither side can prevail.

Thundering Thor to the thurses
Of fire deals furious death;
By a shattering blow, the Serpent´s laid low,
But he falls to her poisonous breath.

Heimdall and Loki, like Freyr
And Surt become each other´s bane;
Blood spills on the ice like a sacrifice
As Aesir and Etins lie slain.

Odin alone with grim laughter
Fights Fenrir that swallowed the sky;
I see Valfather fall, to the grief of all
Us Einherjar, who follow to die.

Then, stillness after the turmoil;
We´ve lost but we also have won;
Not in vain our toil on the blood-stained soil,
With the end something else has begun.

As the last crackling embers are dying
And we ghosts fade like smoke in the air,
A vision of future comes flying,
I behold it as though I was there -- :

Barren and burnt lie the lands, but see !
Muspelli´s ashes make fertile the earth;
Thawed from the Ice, rivers run free,
Green is the ground, again Jord gives birth.

A new sun is shining through twigs entwining
- Lo, runes I spy against the blue sky !
Over the plain, the Wind blows again
And whispers old lore to a new Age of Men.

© 2004 Michaela Macha
Common Domain License Document

"The woman who gave birth to Buddha Shakyamuni is called in the scriptures, Mahamaya, meaning Great Maya, or Mayadevi, the Goddess Maya. ... Not only the month but many other traditions attest to the great age and wide distribution of the Goddess Maya. She was more than the Maia who mothered Hermes; she was also Maga the Grandmother-goddess who bore Cu Chulainn's mother; and the Mandaean Christian's Almaya, called "Eternity," or "the World," or "Beings"; and Maga or Maj the May-maiden in Scandinavia. Like the Hindu Maya who brought forth earthly appearances at creation, the Scandinavian one personified the pregnant womb of chaos before the beginning: Ginnungagap."

From a fascinating multi-cultural essay called Buddha's Mother found at khandro.net ~ a "premier site unique in situating Tibetan Buddhism within a wider context". Lovely.

chaos?

"It is from the 1st century BC Roman poet, Ovid, that we are given more description of Chaos. Before the earth, sea and heaven (as well as the heavenly bodies, such as the sun, moon and stars), before even there was the deathless gods, Chaos existed as formless mass. It was lifeless matter, where all elements of creation were heaped together, so that nothing could be distinguished from one another." Timeless Myths

How is Ginnungagap different from chaos? Is it different?

"In Norse mythology, the yawning chasm that existed at the beginning of the universe. The ‘Voluspa', a poem in the ‘Poetic (or Elder) Edda' whose name means “Sybil's Prophecy,” describes a land “at the beginning of time, when nothing was; sand was not, nor sea, nor cool waves. Earth did not exist, nor heaven on high. The mighty gap was, but no growth.” This was Ginnungagap.

Ginnungagap was not featureless or devoid of topography. Within it, to the north, lay Niflheim, a grim, mist-filled, icy wasteland. In the center of Niflheim the great spring Hvergelmir, the source of all rivers, churned and bubbled. The northernmost part of Niflheim was frozen solid. Its immense mountains of ice had been formed from Elivagar (or Élivágar, which means “icy waves”), a primordial river so ancient that its origins could never be known.

Some type of a poisonous flow had accompanied these waters from their indeterminable source. When the water had turned to ice, the vapor rising from the poison froze on top of it and turned to rime, and increased, layer upon layer. The northern part of Ginnungagap became filled with the weight and heaviness of ice and rime.

In the south of Ginnungagap lay Muspelheim, a region of fire, bright and hot, burning and impassible. A fire-giant, Surt, stood at the border of Muspelheim, ready to defend it, armed with a flaming sword.

Sparks and molten particles came flying out of Muspelheim up toward the center of Ginnungagap as the poisonous frost of Niflheim encroached from the north. Ginnungagap itself was as mild as a windless sky. Where the warmth met the ice and poisonous mist, the ice thawed and dripped, and the shape of a man formed. This was Ymir, whom the frost-giants called Aurgelmir (Mud Seether), and from him all the generations of frost giants descended. The next being to form was a great cow, Audhumia, who licked the ice and formed the progenitor of the gods, Buri. Buri's grandsons, the first gods, killed Ymir and brought his body to the center of Ginnungagap, and created heaven and Earth from it.

Niflheim and Muspelheim were not destroyed when Earth and heaven were created; they were realms that continued to exist in Norse cosmology. The Vikings believed that at the end of the world—Ragnarok—the fire-giant Surt would leave Muspelheim to engage in the battle and, with his flaming sword, would burn the whole world." Britannica Student Encyclopedia

"Long ago, before the Kings of Norway and Sweden and Denmark lived, before the Althing came to session every year, before the great Vikings found Vinland, before the Great Raids began, there were no men nor animals. There was no earth, no life, no water. Only a great and massive void, an eternal, an abyss called Ginnungagap. Out of the Ginnungagap came a terrible land shrouded in mist eternal, darkness everlasting. It was to the north, and it was known to all as Niflheim. In the midst of this dark and misty land burst forth a fountain known to the world as Hvergelmir, which was the beginning of twelve rivers which sprouted from it to travel throughout the void. To the south was the land of fire and brimstone, a land of heat unsatiable, of death and horror, Muspellsheim. Guarding the entrance to Muspellsheim was Surtur, who had a flaming sword. From this land came rivers of fire, containing poison the little by little gathered into solid mass. The ice flowing down from Niflheim and the solid poison from Muspellsheimm met whereupon the ice froze the poison. The heat from Muspellsheim melted the ice and borne from the poison was Ymir, the Father of the Frost Giants."

Not credited, but well written.

"Hel's womb in the earth ..."

"Hel was the Nordic Crone Goddess of the Afterlife whose abode was Niflheim. As Queen of the Underworld, it was said that she received the spirits of the dead, housing them in the elder tree until it was time for them to be reborn. In Denmark, she was worshipped as Hyldemoer, that is, Elder Mother. She was also seen as the Mountain Mother, dwelling in the earth where fire and ice meet. According to an Icelandic creation myth, in the beginning only a great chasm existed, called Ginnungagap, which was the opening to Hel's womb in the earth. On one side were the fiery volcanoes and on the other side, the ice and waters." In reference to the painting "Hel" by Sandra M. Stanton.

I've been a big fan of Ms. Stanton's work for a few years now ... beautiful Goddess images from every culture. Her full color prints are very reasonably priced and truly inspired. Highly recommended!

The Goddess In World Mythology

The Beguiling Of Gylfi

Gangleri asked: "How were things wrought, ere the races were and the tribes of men increased?"

Then said Hárr: "The streams called Ice-waves, those which were so long come from the fountain-heads that the yeasty venom upon them had hardened like the slag that runs out of the fire,--these then became ice; and when the ice halted and ceased to run, then it froze over above. But the drizzling rain that rose from the venom congealed to rime, and the rime increased, frost over frost, each over the other, even into Ginnungagap, the Yawning Void."

Then spake Jafnhárr: "Ginnungagap, which faced toward the northern quarter, became filled with heaviness, and masses of ice and rime, and from within, drizzling rain and gusts; but the southern part of the Yawning Void was lighted by those sparks and glowing masses which flew out of Múspellheim."

And Thridi said: "Just as cold arose out of Niflheim, and all terrible things, so also all that looked toward Múspellheim became hot and glowing; but Ginnungagap was as mild as windless air, and when the breath of heat met the rime, so that it melted and dripped, life was quickened from the yeast-drops, by the power of that which sent the heat, and became a man's form. And that man is named Ymir, but the Rime-Giants call him Aurgelimir."

From Gylfaginnin, The Prose Edda

Creation Myth

"In the beginning there was the void. And the void was called Ginnungagap. What does Ginnungagap mean? Yawning gap, beginning gap, gap with magical potential, mighty gap; these are a few of the educated guesses." Nicole Cherry, Author

Norse Mythology Homepage

Eva Ryn Johannissen

I recently came across the works of Eva Ryn Johannissen. She is a Swedish contemporary artist who creates beautiful abstract paintings.

Here she discusses her Nordic Mythology collection:

"These abstract paintings were all, to some extent, inspired by the old Nordic mythology. Like all great mythologies (and all great art) the colourful sagas of my Nordic ancestors were an expression of man's constant struggle to make sense of the world and ourselves. In their imaginative interpretations of the beginning and the end of the world and the birth, life and death of the gods these ancient stories contain a wealth of wisdom. As a contemporary artist I'm interested in their timeless aspects. Amidst all the contemporary belief in our own superior thinking and the ever-escalating pace of scientific progress, these myths are a poignant reminder that deep down man himself remains the same: a creature with a possibility to do good, and a tragic tendency to cause death and destruction." Eva Ryn Johannissen


Check out all her amazing work at evaryn.com

Ancient Nordic Spirituality: A Quest for Wisdom and Balance

"In seeking to develop a personal philosophy that is both emotionally and intellectually satisfying, many of us shallow-rooted European-Americans have been drawn to the world views expressed by Native Americans or peoples of the Far East. Appealing as this approach may be, it is very difficult for most people to become completely attuned to a cultural heritage that is not their own. While one can respect and admire "the Other," most of us will always remain to some extent an outsider, a visitor in someone else's culture. The sense of truly belonging that we all crave continues to elude us.

Fortunately for people of Nordic descent, there is an ancient world view that is ours to claim by right of heritage -- a philosophy as noble and earth-healing as those of the Far East or Native America." Douglas "Dag" Rossman, Author

Exactly! A wonderful article.

{ Link from evaryn.com }

Not much about Ginnungagap, but a fun telling of the Norse creation myth:

"With its bounty of brawny, barrel-chested gods and buxom goddesses, the ancient Norse religion of the Scandinavian and Germanic countries is truly the creation myth for fans of both pro wrestling and heavy metal music.

According to Norse lore, before there was Earth (Midgard), there was Muspell, a fiery land guarded by the fire sword-wielding Surt; Ginnungagap, a great void, and Niflheim, a frozen ice-covered land. When the cold of Niflheim touched the fires of Muspell, the giant Ymir and a behemothic cow, Auohumla, emerged from the thaw.

Then, the cow licked the god Bor and his wife into being. The couple gave birth to Buri, who fathered three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. The sons rose up and killed Ymir and from his corpse created from his flesh, the Earth; the mountains from his bones, trees with his hair and rivers, and the seas and lakes with his blood. Within Ymir's hollowed-out skull, the gods created the starry heavens.

What can we say: Pure metal magic!!"

Spinneyhead

Ginnungagap by Therion, a Swedish black metal band


[In the beginning there was a void, a big gap of darkness, filled with the primal forces of creation. The heat of Muspel and the ice of Nifel made the essence of life come forth from the void. The first living being, The Giant Ymer, was born out of darkness and he is the ancestor of the creatures of the universe. The world was formed from his slaughtered body. Ginnungagap is the black hole from which everything came out and into which everything will return in the end.]


Fall deep into Void
(in the) black hole of Nothing

[Soprano:]
Hail, Flow of Vergelmar
Hail, Flow of Vergelmar
Hail, Flow of Vergelmar
Hail, Old Void!

[Alto:]
Hail, Flow of Vergelmar
Heat of creation
Hail, Flow of Vergelmar
Hail, Old Void!

[Tenor/bass:]
Spark in the Nothingness
Heat of creation
Make the ice start to melt
life wake up in the void.

Ymer is born, fire and ice
Chaos will form, Megin will rise

Fader Ymer drack fran urkon
En strom av mjolk som gav oss liv.

Oppna gapet i ryndend mitt
Floda av blod fran Ymers kropt
Varldar skapas utav hans kott
Nio (till) antal pa Yggorasil.

Ymers gap - Ymers runa
Ymers ond - Ymers urlag



"Some things don’t translate very well and that’s why we kept them in Swedish. That’s why the first song is beginning in English and ending in Swedish, these lines translated to English wouldn’t make any sense." Christofer Johnsson, Therion

(quote from Metalbite)

"Ginnungagap (Scandianvian Norse). The "cup of illusion" literally; the abyss of the great deep, or the shoreless, beginningless, and endless, yawning gulf; which in esoteric parlance we call the "World’s Matrix", the primordial living space. The cup that contains the universe, hence the "cup of illusion".

...

The gaping void of Norse mythology; space as an unimaginable abstraction, without form and void. The formless void that preceded creation, and the abode of the gods during the long night of nonbeing. The prefix "ginn" is found only in conjunction with such words a ginnheilog (the supreme divine essence), ginnregin (the highest gods, superior to the aesir and even the vanir). Ginnungave represents the "most holy sanctuaries" -- the universe. Odin in his loftiest aspect is referred to as ginnarr, connoting the aether or Sanskrit akasa. The verb ginna also means to delude or play a trick on.

According to the Edda's poetic description, before the existence of worlds, there was naught but Ginnungagap. All matter was frozen in a state of nonbeing, for in the absence of the energizing impulsion (the gods) nothing moved, no atoms existed, hence no matter. This state of non-existence was portrayed as the frost giant Ymir, which resulted when heat from the fiery world, Muspellsheim (home of flame), met the vapors from the world of mists, Niflheim (home of nebulae), creating fertile vapor in the void."

From A Wisdom Archive on Ginnungagap

From a fabulously verbose review in Stylus Magazine of the heavy metal band Ginnungagap:

"Ginnungagap is THE Void—the one that predated all the let-there-be performative polysyllabic spew; the selfsame chasm as Hesiod’s chaos, as the Pre-Socratic void-as-some-sort-of-gap principium sapientiae, as a pinprick of a point affixed to a Euclidean Plane where matrices decide its transformation in an axis wholly arbitrary. Pre-universe, pre-particular, pre-pre’s basement’s basement, there was the neuroscience drenched Nordic yawn, the reaction involuntary to a Boredom disseminated from the Gape of Nothingness. Whilst reading the Eddas, one’s clued into cosmology’s state pre-cosmology: there was once this boundless boundlessness; a period of no heaven nor earth placed at the end of a declarative sentence devoid of syntax, or judgment—logical or illogical. There was only Space. —Space w/out top nor bottom. Space populated only with a mist/fog that flew from a central fountain; an origin that originated twelve rivers that ran upon one another; and in the grip of the Great Cold, froze, filling the void as water weighs its well. Contra Newton’s notion of Space as absolute, as the great Unchanging Unchangeable, the Nordic Void altered out of alteration itself; boundary belted across the waist of the Primordial. — Hence Ginnungagap. Thus Ginnungagap, once keeping Muspell (flame’s locus) and Niflheim (mist’s locus) seemingly contained, loosened its grasp: warm winds wore down ice and birthed Being: Ymir. Like the Christians’ Christ, Ymir was ‘blood ransom’: for the Earth to be rendered extant, he was slain. Ymir’s body became terra firma; bones broke into ranges of mountains; blood slipped into seas; hair hardened into trees; his skull split into the clouds and became the heavens. Common dictum: To make, one must have material."