Test yourself! Take this Norse Mythology Quiz | Mythology & Legends

Answer: Ymir

In the beginning was an emptiness called Ginnungagap. In the north, a cold land called Niflheim, ultimately the land of the dead, was formed. In the south, a hot land called Muspell came into being. Where heat and cold met in between, thawing ice melted into Ymir, the first frost-giant, and eventually a huge cow, Audumla, whose milk Ymir fed upon. Audumla licked the frost and eventually uncovered Buri. Buri begat Bor. Bor married Bestla, a frost-giantess. Bor and Bestla had three sons: Odin, Vili and Ve.

The rest is history.

Answer: Glamnir the bear

Yggdrasil supports all the nine worlds. It has three roots: one in Vanaheim, in the Well of Wyrd where the Norns Urd ('that which has become'), Verdandi ('that which is becoming') and Skuld ('that which should become') make their {home;} one in Jotunheim, in Mimir's {Well;} and one in Niflheim, the land of the dead, in the Well of Hvergelmir. Aside from the worlds themselves, Yggdrasil is home to many creatures. Ratatosk the squirrel runs up and down, communicating insults between an unnamed (but see below) eagle at the top and Nidhogg the serpent (the name is usually translated as 'corpse-sucker') coiled around Yggdrasil's Niflheim root. The hawk Vedfolnir hangs out on the eagle's head. There are in addition four harts called Dain, Dvalin, Duneyr and Durathror, as well as the goat Heidrun, and others of lesser importance.

There is a jotun in eagle form in Norse mythology, identified in the Vafthruthnismal as Hraesvelg, who sits at the end of the skies beating his wings and producing the world's winds. Hraesvelg is sometimes identified with the eagle that sits in the crown of Yggdrasil, but this identification is not confirmed in the Old Norse sources.

Answer: Loki

Loki convinced his fellow Asir to make a high-stakes bet with a builder that he could not build a fortress for the gods in a short period of time. The builder turned out to be a giant, and his horse Svadilfari a prodigious worker. It looked like the Asir were going to lose the bet, and they were going to kill Loki for it. Loki actually saved the day by assuming the shape of a lovely mare, and luring Svadilfari away.

The ploy was effective, but Svadilfari was a little faster than Loki might have hoped... Freya, the Vanir deity of beauty, love, and dead heroes, was a mother but not of any monsters. Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent and another child of Loki, was mother to no one. Angerboda, an evil giantess, assumed the form of Thor's wife and mothered a child by him.

In addition, she was the mother of Loki's monstrous offspring Jormungand, Fenris, and Hel. But not of Sleipnir.

Answer: Ears licked clean by a magical serpent so that he understood the speech of animals.

It was Melampus, from Greek myth, whose ears were so licked (except the serpents were not particularly magical). ...The tree Odin was bound to was, of course, Yggdrasil, and from this experience Odin learned the secret of runes, among other things. The severed head was that of Mimir, who spoke hard counsel.

The giantess was Gunnlod and her father Suttung, who had extorted the mead from the dwarves who brewed it. (The serpent form was how Odin entered Gunnlod's bedchamber, not necessarily how he seduced her.) Odin also had two ravens, Hugi and Muni, respectively thought and memory, who brought him news.

Answer: The lovely Thor

I am afraid it was the lovely Thor. With a veil. The scene makes for some of the highest comedy in the Edda, when Thrym attempts to compliment his blushing bride and, to his horror, gets close enough to catch a glimpse of Thor's horrible, bloodshot, piggy eyes. The Norse did NOT idealize their gods.

Answer: molten silver coins

For the record, Fenris was too strong to be bound by any normal chain, no matter how heavy. So the dwarves were called to fashion something special. Gleipnir was made of the sound of a cat's footfall, a woman's beard, a mountain's roots, a bear's sinews, a fish's breath and a bird's spittle.

Answer: Adam and Eve, from Judeo-Christian belief

Ask and Embla (Ash and Elm in English) were created (out of the trees that are their namesakes) by Odin. Odin's brothers Vili and Ve gave them intelligence and sensory perception, respectively. They are the ancestors of all humans.

Answer: The return of frost-giant Ymir with an army of the dead.

The Norse eschaton will follow a sequence of events roughly thus: first comes the terrible Fimbulwinter, three winters without summer. Fenris breaks his chains and Jormungand poisons the world. Loki appears at the helm of Nagelfara, the nail-ferry, a ship made from the fingernails of dead men (trim the nails of corpses or you risk hastening the end of the world).

The wolves Skoll and Hatti devour the sun and moon. The fire-giant Surt appears with his flaming sword. Heimdall blows his horn, and everyone kills each other.

The only survivors are two mortals, who repopulate the earth. Two lucky Asir come back to life: Balder and Hider.

Answer: Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent

Thor kills Jormungand, steps back nine paces, and then succumbs to the beast's venom.

Answer: Fenris, the Wolf

Odin is killed by Fenris, who is in turn killed by Vidar, a son of Odin. For the record, Loki and Heimdall kill one another. And all the other gods and giants die too.