The Nine Worlds
See also Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology, universe is divided to nine worlds. Different figures live in different worlds. Many names have "heim" -word in them. This word means home.
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Asgard
Main article: Asgard
Home of the dominating gods and goddesses known as the Aesir. In Asgard, all the gods and goddesses had magnificient mansions.
Vanaheim
Main article: Vanaheim
Home of the old branch of gods called the Vanir. The Vanir were masters of sorcery and magic, and they had incredible talent to predict the future. Three of the Vanir gods came to live at Asgard as a result of the war between the Aesir gods and Vanir gods. These god were Freyja, her twin brother Freyr and their father Njord. Freyja mastered sorcery better than anyone else and she was the one who taught Odin the secrets of magic.
Jotunheim
Main article: Jotunheim
Home of the giants, the Jotuns. Jotuns lived in the mountains and were the sworn enemies of the Aesir. In Norse mythology, the world was created from the corpse of the first Jotun, named Ymir. Although Jotuns and the Aesir were enemies, they had also love affairs. Odin and his son Thor both had lovers among Jotuns and Freyr and his father Njord even married Jotuns - though Njord didn't do it by choice. Loki was a Jotun commonnly accepted by the Aesir. He lived in Asgard but in the end he shows his true nature by turning against the Aesir.
Niflheim
Main article: Niflheim
Home of the dead. This was the dark land of mist and cold in the far north. Hel ruled Niflheim, in which all humans who had died of old age or illness were sent in their afterlife. One of the three roots of Yggdrasil ended in Niflheim. The serpent named Nidhogg gnawed on the root of Yggdrasil and also took pleasure in eating corpses. Niflheim was the lowest of all the nine worlds.
Alfheim
Main article: Alfheim
Home of the light elves. Alfheim was right by Asgard in the heaven. Light elves were beautiful and auspicious creatures, and were considered the "guardian angels" in Norse mythology.
Svartalheim
Main article: Svartalheim
Home of the dark elves. Svartalheim situated under the ground. Dark elves were hideous and nothing but trouble, an a they could be a great nuisance to the humans. They were believed to be responsible of nightmares. These dark elves were called mare, and they would sit on a sleeping person's chest and whisper bad dreams to haunt the poor souls. They haunted also animals, especially horses, but could not be exposed to sunlight. If the sun's rays reached them they immediatly turned into stones.
Nidarvellir
Main article: Nidarvellir
Home of the dwarfs. Living under rocks, in caves and underground, they were masters of craftmanship. The Aesir gods received many fabulous gifts from the dwarfs, including Thor's hammer Mjolnir. Like the dark elves, they could not be exposed to the sun either or they would turn into stones. They had outstanding talent of craftsmanship, but could not always be trusted. They could be trouble to the gods and the giants.
Midgard
Main article: Midgard
See also: Midgard Serpent
Home of the humans. Mostly populated by the Sons of Heimdall. The humans were constantly exposed to the gods, goddesses and creatures from the other worlds. Humans were created by Odin and his two brothers. Midgard was connected to Asgard by a rainbow bridge called Bifrost. Humans frequently travelled across Bifrost.
Muspelheim
Main article: Muspelheim
The land of fire, ruled by the giant Surt, sworn enemy of the Aesir. Muspelheim was located in the far south, and was the first land of existence. Surt was said to ride out with his flaming sward at Ragnarök, the end of the world. He would kill Freyr and set fire to Asgard.
