Chapter 8

Gangleri answered, ‘What did Bor’s sons do next, if you believe they are gods?’

High said, ‘It is no small matter to be told. They took Ymir and they moved him into the middle of Ginnungagap and made from him the world. From his blood they made the sea and the lakes. The earth was fashioned from the flesh, and mountain cliffs from the bones. They made stones and gravel from the teeth, the molars and those bones that were broken.’

Then Just-as-High said, ‘With the blood that gushed freely from the wounds, they made the sea, and by fashioning that sea around, they belted and fastened the earth. Most men would think it impossible to cross over this water.’

Then Third added: ‘They also took his skull and from it made the sky. They raised it over the earth and under each of the four corners they placed a dwarf. These are called East, West, North and South. Then they took the embers and sparks shooting out from Muspellsheim and flying randomly. These they placed in the middle of the Ginnung Sky, both above and below, to light up heaven and earth. They fixed places for all these burning elements. Some were placed up in the heavens, whereas for others, which had moved about under the heavens, they found places and established their courses. It is said in the old sources that, from then on, times of day were differentiated and the course of years was set. So it is said in The Sibyl’s Prophecy:

Sun did not know where she had her home. Moon did not know what strength he had. The stars did not know where their places were. (*The Sibyl’s Prophecy. 5*)

‘This was before the earth was created,’ Third added.

Then Gangleri said, ‘I hear of great happenings. It was wondrous work and skilfully done, but how was the earth set in order?’

Then High answered: ‘It is circular around the edge and surrounding it lies the deep sea. On these ocean coasts, the sons of Bor gave land to the clans of the giants to live on. But further inland they built a fortress wall around the world to protect against the hostility of the giants. As material for the wall, they used the eyelashes¹ of the giant Ymir and called this stronghold Midgard² [Middle Earth]. They took his brain, threw it up into the air, and from it they made the clouds. As is said here:

From Ymir’s flesh was the earth created, from the bloody sweat, the sea, cliffs from bones, trees from hair, and from the head, the heavens;

And from his eyelashes the gentle gods made Midgard for the sons of men; and from his brains all the oppressive clouds were formed.’

(The Lay of Grimnir. 40–41)