The Realms of Norse Cosmology Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ginnungagap

Ginnungagap was envisioned as a "gaping abyss" that preceded all things and from which the cosmos emerged. This void is described in "Völuspá", a poem of the "Poetic Edda": "That was the age when nothing was; There was no sand, nor sea, nor cool waves, No earth nor sky nor grass there, Only Ginnungagap."

In the north of Ginnungagap appeared a place of intense cold represented by Niflheim, while in the south there appeared the intense heat of Muspelheim. The process of creation began when the two began to meet in the middle of Ginnungagap. The remaining realms were created later through a complex series of events leading to the emergence of the gods and the giants.

Answer: Niflheim

Niflheim, one of the two primordial realms, means "Mist home" or "Mist World", and is the darkest and coldest region of all the realms. It contains the first spring, "Hvergelmir", from which all cold rivers come, and it is said to be the source of all living things.

When the world-tree Yggdrasil began to grow, it stretched out a great root far into Niflheim to draw water from Hvergelmir. No-one lives there, not even the frost giants, although Hvergelmir is said to be guarded by a huge dragon called Nidhug.

Answer: Muspelheim

Muspelheim, the second of the two primordial realms, is a burning hot realm, filled with lava, flames, sparks, and soot, inhabited by fire giants, who are ruled by Surtr, a sworn enemy of the Aesir, the gods of Asgard. The sun, moon, and stars were formed when sparks from Muspelheim first met the ice extending southward from Niflheim in Ginnungagap.

The "Prose Edda" foretells that during Ragnarök, a future apocalyptic event that will destroy the world, Surtr will lead the fire giants in an attack on the Aesir, in which the heavens will be "rent in twain," and Bifröst, the rainbow bridge that connects the world of humans with Asgard, will be destroyed.

Answer: Asgard

A celestial city located high in the heavens and surrounded by a great wall, Asgard is the realm of the gods. Actually, the Norse believed that there were two main races of gods, the Aesir and the Vanir, who once warred with each other, but later made peace. Asgard is the home of the Aesir, who make up the majority of Norse gods, although three of the Vanir moved there as a gesture of peace. It is ruled by Odin, who the Norse called Allfather, along with his wife Frigg. Other well-known Norse gods, such as Thor and Loki, also live there, although Loki was born in Jotunheim.

Within the gates of Asgard lies Valhalla, an enormous hall where half of those who die in battle go (the other half go to a field called Fólkvangr ruled over by the goddess Freyja). The residents of Valhalla spend their days variously playing games, drinking, or fighting each other in single combat, and their nights feasting with Odin (those who are killed in combat in Valhalla are resurrected in the evening so they can join in the festivities!). These dead warriors are not just there for fun though; during Ragnarök they will accompany Odin into battle in his final war against the giants - a war he is fated to lose and in which all the gods will die!

Answer: Midgard

Midgard, which is sometimes translated as "middle earth" (sound familiar?), although it more literally means "middle yard," was created by Odin and his brothers Veli and Ve as a place for the first man and woman to live, whom they had created from two tree trunks. Knowing that humans would be easy prey for the giants, the gods built a fortress wall around the human realm to protect them.

The Norse envisioned Midgard as a vast flat disc surrounded by an impassable ocean, which in turn was encircled by a titanic sea serpent named Jörmungand, which was one of Loki's monstrous children. According to the legends recounted in the "Völuspá," during Ragnarök, Jörmungand will violently thrash onto the land, spraying poison into the air and water, and will join the fire giants in their confrontation with the gods, destroying Midgard in the process!

Answer: Jotunheim

Jotunheim was the realm of the giants, known as "jötnar". It was considered a chaotic place, associated with magic and untamed wilderness consisting of rocks, dense forests, and snowy regions. Loki, the trickster god of mischief, originally came from Jotunheim, although he joined the Aesir and lived in Asgard, until they finally had enough of his devious ways and imprisoned him beneath the earth. Although the jötnar were the sworn enemies of the Aesir, they were occasionally known to have love affairs, and there are stories of gods travelling to Jotunheim, not always with good results.

In one tale, Thor and several companions travel to the stronghold of Utgarda-Loki, a jötnar ruler. There they undergo a series of contests, at which they all appear to fail miserably. For example, Thor cannot complete a drinking contest despite taking three mighty sips; challenged to lift a grey cat off the ground, he fails to do so, and only manages to lift one of its paws briefly; demanding to fight someone, he ends up having to wrestle an old woman, who, despite his mighty efforts, brings him down to one knee. Upon their departure, Utgarda-Loki reveals that none of these challenges were what they seemed and that the giants were actually terrified by what Thor achieved! Thor's drinking horn actually reached the ocean - he swallowed so much that he lowered the ocean's surface, causing the tides. The grey cat was actually the Midgard serpent Jörmungand - when Thor lifted the cat's paw he raised the world-serpent to the sky! Finally, the old woman was really old age, whom no-one can overcome. Hearing this angered Thor, who tried to attack Utgarda-Loki with his hammer, but he and his castle immediately vanished into thin air!

Answer: Vanaheim

Vanaheim is the home of the Vanir, a rather mysterious race of gods who were masters of magic, had the ability to predict the future, and were associated with fertility. Why the Aesir and the Vanir went to war is unknown, although the "Poetic Edda" (an anonymous collection of Norse poems) states that the Vanir broke the walls of the stronghold of the Aesir and describes them as being "indomitable, trampling the plain." The war concluded in a truce and the Vanir sea god Njord and his two children Freyr and Frejya went to live in Asgard as a sign of trust.

Another old Norse poem recounts that Odin asked a wise giant about where Njord came from, as he was not raised among the Aesir. The giant replies that Njord was created in Vanaheim by "wise powers," who are not otherwise explained. The giant adds that after Ragnarök, Njord "will return to the wise Vanir." Vanaheim itself is not described in any old Norse sources, but considering the nature of the Vanir, it was likely a fertile and pleasant place.

Answer: Alfheim

Alfheim means "home of the elves." The light elves were minor deities, whom Snorri Sturluson described as "fairer to look upon than the sun." They have magical powers that they can use to help or hinder humans, and inspired the arts, music, and creativity. Alfheim was located in the heavens near Asgard and was ruled over by the Vanir god Freyr, who, according to one poem, was given the realm by the gods as a "tooth gift" (a gift given to an infant on the cutting of the first tooth) "in ancient times." Snorri contrasts the light elves of Alfheim with the "dark elves" who "dwell down in the earth" and are "blacker than pitch" and even more unlike the light elves in nature than they are in appearance.

Answer: Svartalfheim

Svartalfheim, which means "home of the swarthy elves", was originally home of the dark elves in older sources, but Snorri Sturluson seems to have blended it with Nidavellier, which means "dark fields," and was home of the dwarves. In Snorri's account, the dwarves dwelt in a realm below Midgard, deep beneath the earth, in a dark smoky place lit only by the fires of their forges.

According to his account of their origin, "The dwarves emerged first, finding life in Ymir's flesh. They were maggots at that time, but by a decision of the gods they acquired human understanding and assumed the likeness of men, living in the earth and the rocks." The dwarves were skilled and magical craftsmen who forged many gifts for the gods, including Thor's hammer, Odin's spear, and a magic ship belonging to the god Frey that could be folded up and carried in his pocket.

Answer: Helheim

Helheim, was ruled by Hel, the daughter of Loki, and her name was also used to refer to her realm itself. The Norse word "hel" is related to the word hall; it is also the origin of the modern English Hell, although the Norse realm Hel was envisioned as a cold, misty place of perpetual twilight rather than a pit of fire as in the popular Christian conception (which sounds more like Muspelheim). According to legend, when Loki's children were born, Odin decided to place them where they would do the least harm, so he cast Hel down into a dark realm below the deepest root of the world-tree Yggdrasil. Hel herself was described as a glum giantess and it was said that she would play an important role in Ragnarök.

According to Snorri Sturluson, those who died of disease or old age would be sent to Hel, who would give them lodging in a great dwelling with enormous walls and gates. Considering this, it seems odd that when Odin's beloved son Balder died due to Loki's chicanery, he went to Hel, despite that he had died neither of old age nor disease, and was considered a brave hero. The goddess Frigg entreated Hel to release Balder from her realm, and she agreed to do so on the condition that all beings, alive and dead, would weep for him. Unfortunately, a single giantess (who is thought to have been Loki in disguise) refused to mourn him. Therefore, he was fated to remain in Hel's realm until after Ragnarök, when it was prophesied that he would emerge to rule over the new earth that would appear after the old one was destroyed.