This article is about the realm of Norse Mythology. For other uses of the names Asgard, Asgaard and Asgård, see Asgard (disambiguation).

This article is part of the Nine Worlds series
The Nine Worlds of Germanic Paganism
Álfheimr Asgard Jötunheimr Midgard Muspelheim Niðavellir Niflheim Svartálfaheim Vanaheimr
Connected by
Yggdrasil
Aspect of
Norse cosmology

In Norse mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: Ásgarðr; meaning "Enclosure of the Æsir"^[1]) is the country or capital city of the Æsir surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Alfheim redirects here For other uses see Alfheim (disambiguation Álfheimr or Alfheim ( Elf-home) is the abode of the Jötunheimr (often anglicized Jotunheim) is the world ( Heim 'home homeland' of the Jötunn (two types rock (or hill giants and frost (or Midgard (an Anglicized form of Old Norse Miðgarðr) is an old Germanic name for our World, the places inhabited by humans, Muspelheim ("Flameland" also called Muspel ( Old Norse Múspellsheimr and Múspell, respectively is the realm of Fire In Norse mythology, Niðavellir ( Dark fields) is a land inhabited by the dwarves. Niflheimr or Niflheim (" Mist Home" the "Abode of Mist" or "Mist World" Nifl being cognate with the Old English In Norse mythology, Svartálfheimr is the underground domain and home of the Svartálfar (meaning the ' Black elves ' and possibly referring to Norse dwarves For the imprint see Aardvark-Vanaheim. For the Norwegian metal band see Vanaheim (band. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World In Norse Cosmology the World Tree Yggdrasil unifies nine worlds ( Old Norse: níu heimar) that represent all that exists Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal In Norse mythology, hrímthurs ("rime giant" though commonly translated as "frost giant" is any one of the particular tribe of giants who are In Norse mythology, Svadilfari ( Old Norse "unlucky traveler" is a stallion, owned by an unnamed Hrimthurs ( Rime giant Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi (c 20000 words is the first part of Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda after Valhalla is located within Asgard. See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Valhalla (from Old Norse Valhöll "hall of the slain" is a majestic enormous

Sources

In the Prose Edda, Gylfi, King of Sweden before the arrival of the Æsir under Odin, travels to Asgard, questions the three officials shown in the illumination concerning the Æsir, and is beguiled. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an Gylfi, Gylfe, Gylvi, or Gylve was the earliest king in Scandinavia present in Norse mythology. In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. Note that the officials have one eye, a sign of Odin. One of his attributes is that he can make the false seem true. 18th century Icelandic manuscript.

The primary sources regarding Asgard come from the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by icelandic Snorri Sturluson, and the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from a basis of much older Skaldic poetry. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval Manuscript Codex Regius. The skald was a member of a group of Poets whose courtly poetry (Icelandic dróttkvæði) is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic

Poetic Edda

Völuspá, the first poem of the work, mentions many of the features and characters of Asgard portrayed by Snorri, such as Yggdrasil and Iðavöllr. Völuspá ( Prophecy of the Völva) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World

Prose Edda

The Prose Edda presents two views regarding Asgard. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda ( Snorra Edda) or simply Edda, is an

Prologue

In the Prologue Snorri offers an euhemerized and Christian-influenced interpretation of the myths and tales of his forefathers. As-gard, he conjectures, is the home of the Æsir (singular Ás) in As-ia, making a folk etymological connection between the three "As-"; that is, the Æsir were "men of Asia", not gods, who moved from Asia to the north and some of which intermarried with the peoples already there. Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. Snorri's interpretation of the 13th century foreshadows 20th century views of Indo-European migration from the east.

Snorri further writes that Asgard is a land more fertile than any other, blessed also with a great abundance of gold and jewels. Correspondingly, the Æsir excelled beyond all other people in strength, beauty and talent.

Snorri proposes the location of Asgard as Troy, the center of the earth. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or About it were 12 kingdoms and 12 chiefs. One of them, Múnón, married Priam's daughter, Tróán, and had by her a son, Trór, to be pronounced Thor in Old Norse. In Greek mythology, Priam ( Greek Πρίαμος Priamos) was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and youngest son Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age The latter was raised in Thrace. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe At age 12 he was whiter than ivory, had hair lighter than gold, and could lift 10 bear skins at once. He explored far and wide. His son, Odin, led a migration to the northern lands, where they took wives and had many children, populating the entire north with Aesir. One of the sons of Odin was Yngvi, founder of the Ynglingar, an early royal family of Sweden. Yngvi, Yngvin, Ingwine, Inguin are names that relate to an older theonym Ing and which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr Ynglings were the oldest known Scandinavian dynasty It can refer to the following clans: The Scylfings ( Old Norse: Skilfingar) the "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.

Gylfaginning

A depiction of the creation of the world by Odin, Vili and Vé. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. For other meanings of Ve, see Ve (disambiguation. For other meanings of Vili, see Vili (disambiguation. Illustration by Lorenz Frølich.

In Gylfaginning, Snorri presents the mythological version taken no doubt from his sources. Gylfaginning, or the Tricking of Gylfi (c 20000 words is the first part of Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda after Icelanders were still being converted at that time. He could not present the myths as part of any current belief. Instead he resorts to a debunking device: Gylfi, king of Sweden before the Æsir, travels to Asgard and finds there a large hall (Valhalla) in Section 2. See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Valhalla (from Old Norse Valhöll "hall of the slain" is a majestic enormous

Within are three officials, whom Gylfi in the guise of Gangleri is allowed to question about the Asgard and the Æsir. A revelation of the ancient myths follows, but at the end the palace and the people disappear in a clap of thunder and Gylfi finds himself alone on the plain, having been deluded (Section 59).

In Gylfi's delusion, ancient Asgard was ruled by the senior god, the all-father, who had twelve names. He was the ruler of everything and the creator of heaven and earth (Section 3). During a complex creation myth in which the cosmic cow licked Buri free from the ice, the sons of Buri's son, Bor, who were Odin, Vili and Vé, constructed the universe and put Midgard in it as a residence for the first human couple, Ask and Embla, whom they created from driftwood trees in Section 9. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. For other meanings of Ve, see Ve (disambiguation. For other meanings of Vili, see Vili (disambiguation. Midgard (an Anglicized form of Old Norse Miðgarðr) is an old Germanic name for our World, the places inhabited by humans, In Norse Mythology, Ask and Embla ( Old Norse: Askr ok Embla) were the first two humans created by the gods

Consistency is not to be expected from the myth. The sons of Bor then constructed Asgard (to be identified with Troy, Snorri insists in section 9) as a home for the Æsir, who were divinities. Odin is identified as the all-father. Asgard is conceived as being on the earth. A rainbow bridge, Bifröst, connects it to heaven (Section 13). Bifröst ( Old Norse bifrǫst, literally the "tremulous way" from bifask "to tremble" and rǫst "a distance" in In Asgard also is a temple for the 12 gods, Gladsheim, and another for the 12 goddesses, Vingólf. In Norse mythology, Vingólf is one of the buildings of the gods The plain of Idavoll is the centre of Asgard (Section 14).

The gods hold court there every day at the Well of Urd, beneath an ash tree, Yggdrasil, debating the fates of men and gods. Wyrd is a concept in Old English and Old Norse culture roughly corresponding to fate or Karma. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World The more immediate destinies of men are assigned by the Norns (Section 15). The Norns ( Old Norse: norn, plural nornir) are a kind of Dísir, numerous female beings who rule the fates of the various races of Norse

Long descriptions of the gods follow. Among the more memorable details are the Valkyries, the battle maidens whom Odin sends to allot death or victory to soldiers. In Norse mythology the valkyries ( Old Norse Valkyrja "Choosers of the Slain" are Dísir, minor female deities Section 37 names 13 Valkyries and states that the source as the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál. Grímnismál ( Sayings of Grímnir) is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. Odin's residence is Valhalla, to which he takes those slain in battle, the Einherjar (Section 20). See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Valhalla (from Old Norse Valhöll "hall of the slain" is a majestic enormous In Norse religion, the Einherjar ( Old Norse "lone fighters" are spirits of warriors who had died bravely in battle. Snorri quips: "There is a huge crowd there, and there will be many more still . . . . " (Section 39). They amuse themselves every day by fighting each other and then going to drink in the big hall.

Toward the end of the chapter Snorri becomes prophetic, describing Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods. In Norse mythology, Ragnarök (rɑgnɑrɔk Old Norse "Final destiny of the gods" refers to a series of major events including a great battle foretold Much of it sounds like the Apocalypse, by which Snorri, a Christian, can hardly fail to have been influenced. It will begin with three winters of snow, with no summers in between. Wars will follow, then earthquakes and tidal waves. The sky will split open and out will ride the sons of Muspell intent on universal destruction. Muspelheim ("Flameland" also called Muspel ( Old Norse Múspellsheimr and Múspell, respectively is the realm of Fire They will try to enter heaven but Bifröst will break (Section 55). Heimdall will blow his mighty horn Gjöll and the Æsir and Einherjar will ride out to battle. Heimdall ( Old Norse Heimdallr, the prefix Heim- means home, the affix -dallr is of uncertain origin is one of the Æsir Most of the Æsir will die and Asgard be destroyed. Snorri quotes his own source saying: "The sun will go black, earth sink in the sea, heaven be stripped of its bright stars;. . . . " (Section 56).

Afterwards, the earth rises again from the sea, is fairer than before, and where Asgard used to be a remnant of the Æsir gather, some coming up from Hel, and talk and play chess all day with the golden chessmen of the ancient Æsir, which they find in the grass (Section 58). See also Death in Norse paganism In Norse mythology, Hel, the location shares a name with Hel, a female figure associated with the location

Skáldskaparmál

The 10th century Skald Þorbjörn dísarskáld is quoted in Skáldskaparmál as stating:

"Thor has defended Asgard and Ygg's [Odin's] people [the gods] with strength. Þorbjörn dísarskáld is a 10th or 11th century Icelandic Skald. The second part of Snorri Sturluson 's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" (c Odin ( Old Norse Óðinn the chief god of Norse mythology, was referred to by more than 200 names in the Skaldic and Eddic traditions "^[1]

Heimskringla

Ynglinga Saga

By the time of the Ynglinga Saga, Snorri had developed his concept of Asgard further, although the differences might be accounted for by his sources. The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. In the initial stanzas of the poem Asagarth is the capital of Asaland, a section of Asia to the east of the Tana-kvísl or Vana-Kvísl river (kvísl is "fork"), which Snorri explains is the Tanais, or Don River, flowing into the Black Sea. Tanais ( Greek: Τάναϊς Tánaïs) is the ancient name for the River Don in Russia. The Don (Дон is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 Kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The river divides "Sweden the Great", a concession to the Viking point of view. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas It is never called that prior to the Vikings (Section 1).

The river lands are occupied by the Vanir and are called Vanaland or Vanaheim. Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. It is unclear what people Snorri thinks the Vanes are, whether the proto-Slavic Venedi or the east Germanic Vandals, who had been in that region at that time for well over 1000 years. The Vistula Veneti (alternatively also called the Baltic Veneti) were an ancient Indo-European people living in contemporary Poland, along the rivers of He does not say; however, the Germanic names of the characters, such as Njord, Frey and Vanlandi, indicate he had the Vandals in mind.

Odin is the chief of Asagarth. From there he conducts and dispatches military expeditions to all parts of the world. He has the virtue of never losing a battle (Section 2). When he is away, his two brothers, Vili and Vé, rule Asaland from Asagarth. For other meanings of Ve, see Ve (disambiguation. For other meanings of Vili, see Vili (disambiguation.

On the border of Sweden is a mountain range running from northeast to southwest. South of it are the lands of the Turks, where Odin had possessions; thus, the mountains must be the Caucasus Mountains. This article is about the terrestrial Eurasian mountain range On the north are the unihabitable fells, which must be the tundra/taiga country. Apparently the Vikings did not encounter the Urals or the Uralics of the region. Riphean redirects here For the time period see Riphean stage The Ural Mountains (Ура́льские го́ры Uralskiye Snorri evidences no knowledge of them.

There also is no mention of Troy, which was not far from Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine empire and militarily beyond the reach of the Vikings. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Troy cannot have been Asagarth, Snorri realizes, the reason being that the Æsir in Asaland were unsettled by the military activities of the Romans; that is, of the Byzantine Empire.

As a result, Odin led a section of the Æsir to the north looking for new lands in which to settle. They used the Viking route up the Don and the Volga through Garðaríki, Viking Russia. Garðaríki (Anglicized Gardariki or Gardarike) or Garðaveldi is the Old Norse term used in medieval times for the states of Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending From there they went to Saxland (Germany) and to the lands of Gylfi in Scandinavia (Section 5). Gylfi, Gylfe, Gylvi, or Gylve was the earliest king in Scandinavia present in Norse mythology. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The historical view, of course, is mainly fantastical. The Germanics were in Germany and Scandinavia during earliest mention of them in Roman literature, long before the Romans had even conquered Italy. To what extent Snorri's presentation is poetic creation only remains unclear.

Demoted from his position as all-father, or king of the gods, Odin becomes a great sorcerer in the Ynglinga Saga. He can shape-shift, speaks only in verse, and lies so well that everything he says seems true. He strikes enemies blind and deaf but when his own men fight they go berserk and cannot be harmed. He has a ship that can be rolled up like a tablecloth when not used, he relies on two talking ravens to gather intelligence, and he consults the talking head of a dwarf for prophecy (he carries it around long since detached from its body) (Section 7).

As a man, however, Odin is faced with the necessity to die. He is cremated and his possessions are burned with him so that he can ascend to - where? If Asgard is an earthly place, not there. Snorri says at first it is Valhalla and then adds: "The Swedes now believed that he had gone to the old Asagarth and would live there forever" (Section 9). Finally Snorri resorts to Heaven, even though nothing in Christianity advocates cremation and certainly the burning of possessions avails the Christian nothing.

Other spellings

• Alternatives Anglicisations: Ásgard, Ásegard, Ásgardr, Asgardr, Ásgarthr, Ásgarth, Asgarth, Esageard, Ásgardhr
• Common Swedish and Danish form: Asgård
• Norwegian: Åsgard (also Åsgård, Asgaard, Aasgaard)
• Icelandic, Faroese: Ásgarður

References

Bibliography

• Snorri Sturluson: Heimskringla on Wikisource
• Snorri Sturluson: Prose Edda on Wikisource
• Unknown: Poetic Edda on Wikisource