| Ymir | |
|---|---|
 Ymir sucks at the udder of Auðumbla as she licks Búri out of the ice. | |
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Other Names |
Ymir, Aurgelmir, Brimir, or Bláinn |
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First Appearance |
Norse Myth |
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Created by |
Norse Myth |
Origin[]
In Norse mythology, Ymir is the ancestor of all jötnar. Ymir is a primeval being who was born from atter, yeasty venom that dripped from the icy rivers called the Élivágar, and lived in the grassless void of Ginnungagap. Ymir gave birth to a male and female from his armpits, and his legs together begat a six-headed being.
The grandsons of Búri, the gods Odin, Vili and Vé, fashioned the Earth (elsewhere personified as a goddess, Jörð) from his flesh, from his blood the ocean, from his bones the mountains, from his hair the trees, from his brains the clouds, from his skull the heavens, and from his eyebrows the middle realm in which mankind lives, Midgard. In addition, one stanza relates that the dwarfs were given life by the gods from Ymir's flesh and blood (or the Earth and sea).
According to the Prose Edda, after Ymir was formed from the elemental drops, so too was Auðumbla, a primeval cow, whose milk Ymir fed from. The Prose Edda also states that three gods killed Ymir; the brothers Odin, Vili and Vé, and details that, upon Ymir's death, his blood caused an immense flood.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All published appearances of Ymir from before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Poetic Edda
- Prose Edda
- Poetry of Skalds