Ymir's World - Norse Mythology Quiz

Answer: his hair

Ymir was killed by his brothers Odin, Vili, and Ve, who used portions of his body to build the world. His blood created the oceans, his bones made the mountains, his hair made the trees and plants, his skull created the heavens, his brains made the clouds, and his eyebrows made the land.

As one of the poems in the "Poetic Edda" the "Grímnismál", or "Song of the Hooded One," words it:

From Ymir's flesh the earth was created,
And from his sweat [or, in some versions, blood] the sea,
Mountains from bone,
Trees from hair,
And from his skull the sky.

And from his eyebrows the blithe gods made
Midgard, home of the sons of men
And from his brains
They sculpted the grim clouds."

Answer: True

The Norse believed that humans occupied the land (Midgard) in the middle of a giant sea. Midgard is one of nine worlds of Norse mythology. It represents the inhabited world, and is in between Asgard, the world of the Aesir gods and goddesses, and the underworld.

The most remarkable feature of Midgard is its central position. This strategic location signifies the role humans play as a bridge between the divine and mortal realms.

Answer: Ask and Embla

The term Odinism is another word for the Old Norse religion. It focuses on the worship of the gods Aesir and Vanir, the two main pantheons in Norse mythology. Odinism can vary widely in practice and interpretation, depending on the community or individual. It emphasizes the values of honor, bravery, ancestral heritage and the natural world.

Ask and Embla were created by Odin, Vili and Ve. Ask was created from an ash tree, while Embla was created from an elm. This story signifies the relationship between humans and nature and the importance of the natural world.

Answer: Sweden

"Sviourr", meaning wisdom or the wise one, is the root word that forms the name Sweden. "Sviourr" is also one of over 200 aliases attributed to Odin. Odin was king of Asgard, the realm of the gods. In addition to being king of the gods, Odin was also the god of wisdom, royalty, healing, poetry, and others realms.

Odin had so many names in Norse mythology because of his complex and multifaceted nature. Each name reflected a different aspect of his character, within the pantheon. Different regions and tribes within the Norse and Germanic world had their own local traditions and names for deities. Odin's various names reflect the local variations and adaptations of his worship. Odin sought knowledge and magic. His numerous names often had mystical or symbolic meanings, each representing a different aspect of his search for wisdom and his connection to the mystical realms.

The use of multiple names also reflects the rich oral tradition of Norse mythology, where different stories and poems might refer to Odin by different names to fit the story being told.

Answer: eight

Sleipnir was actually Loki's son made in the image of a horse. The eight-legged horse as a means of transportation was used by shamans in their travels throughout the cosmos. The eight legs of Sleipnir symbolize his exceptional speed and ability to traverse all realms of existence, including the heavens, earth, and the underworld.

Yule was the biggest and most anticipated festival of the year. Yule was a pagan festival until the Vikings converted to Christianity. It occurred around the winter solstice. The festival celebrated family. All of the Norse gods were celebrated, especially Odin, who was the Yule father.

Sleipnir had eight legs, which are said to correspond to the eight reindeer that eventually pull Santa's sleigh. Odin, like Santa Claus, also sports a long white beard. Another similarity between Yule and Christmas was that the Vikings had a Yule tree which they adorned with small statues of the gods, food, clothes, and an infinite number of other things.

Answer: it was traded for a drink of magical water

Odin, king of the gods. traded one of his eyes with Mimir for a drink from the Well. Mimir was the guard of the Well of Wisdom. The Well of Wisdom contained magical water which was known to contain knowledge and insight, and by giving up his eye, Odin was granted greater understanding and knowledge.

Odin also hung himself from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, for nine nights. During this time, he received the knowledge of the runes, which were powerful symbols with magical and divine significance.

Odin sought out knowledge from various seeresses and sources of prophecy. His quest for understanding often involved seeking out hidden or archaic knowledge that could foretell events and provide deeper insight into the cosmos.

Answer: Queen of the gods

Freyja was Odin's wife and queen of the gods. Freyja was also the goddess of beauty, fertility, love and death. Freyja brought the practice of magic to all the gods. Some Old Norse literary sources present some evidence that Freyja and Frigg are two distinct goddesses, but there are also similarities. Ultimately, it appears that they are one goddess. No one really knows why they are sometimes presented as two.

Answer: Thor

Thor, well-known to readers of Marvel comics, carried a magic hammer named Mjolnir and a staff named Grioarvoir. He also wore iron gloves called Jarngreipr. Thor was married to Sif, goddess of marriage and family. Despite being married to Sif, Thor had a lover named Jarnsaxa, who bore Thor's son, Magni.

Odin, the All-Father and ruler of the Aesir gods, is Thor's father, while Thor's mother is Jord, a personification of the Earth itself. This divine parentage endows Thor with his immense strength and his crucial role in protecting the gods and humans from various threats.

Answer: True

The two families were AEsir and Vanir. Odin, Thor, Frigg, Loki, Baldur and Tyr belonged to the former. Freyja, Freyr, Ullr and others were members of the latter. They lived in Vanaheimr and were associated with the sea.

The AEsir were primarily associated with war, power, and governance. They were often depicted as being more aggressive and military in nature. They were associated with order, law, and the cosmic structure, and were frequently involved in conflicts, particularly with the giants (Jotnar) and with the forces of chaos. The AEsir were also involved in a notable conflict with the Vanir, which eventually led to a truce and exchange of hostages.

The Vanir are associated with fertility, prosperity, and nature. They are more connected to the Earth. The Vanir are generally depicted as more peaceful and nature-oriented compared to the AEsir. They are associated with wealth, fertility, and abundance.

The Vanir and AEsir were involved in a significant conflict, known as the Aesir-Vanir War. This war ended in a truce, leading to an exchange of hostages and a joining of the two pantheons. Following the war, several Vanir gods came to live among the AEsir in Asgard, and the two groups began to cooperate more closely.

Despite their differences, both the AEsir and Vanir played crucial roles in the mythology, and their interaction illustrates the joining of various aspects of existence, from war and order to fertility and nature.

Answer: Folkvangr or Valhalla

In Norse mythology Valhalla is an awesome giant palace ruled over by Odin. The warriors ate and drank and fought for sport. In Valhalla the warriors prepared for doomsday, or Ragnarok, when they will go in to battle with Odin against the giants.

Freyja, the most important of all Norse goddesses, was given the right to choose which half of those slain in battle were to come with her to Folkvangr. Folkvangr was said to be a giant field or meadow. There is nothing in the known Norse sources that say anything about what Folkvang was like, or what the dead did while they were there.