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45-464: Jötunheimar are typically, but not exclusively, presented in Eddic sources as prosperous lands located to the north and are commonly separated from the lands inhabited by gods and humans by barriers that cannot be traversed by usual means. Old Norse : Jǫtunheimr is a compound word formed from Old Norse : ' jǫtunn ' and 'heimr' , meaning a 'home' or 'world'. When attested in Eddic sources,

90-441: A jötunn , out of the jötunheimar to the north and uses them to plough land out of Sweden , forming Zealand . Jötnar and gýgjar are also described as living in jötunheimar such as the father of Night , Narfi and Angrboða , the mother of Fenrir . Beings may also come out from Jötunheimar to interact with others, such as the wright who, with the help of his horse Svaðilfari , builds fortifications for

135-477: A compound formed from Old Norse : āss ("god") and garðr ("enclosure"). Possible anglicisations include: Ásgarthr, Ásgard, Ásegard, Ásgardr, Asgardr, Ásgarth, Asgarth, Esageard, and Ásgardhr. Asgard is named twice in Eddic poetry . The first case is in Hymiskviða , when Thor and Týr journey from Asgard to Hymir 's hall to obtain a cauldron large enough to brew beer for a feast for Ægir and

180-569: A hof named Glaðsheimr at Iðavöllr , in the centre of the burg, or walled city, with a high seat for Odin and twelve seats for other gods. It is described as like gold both on the inside and the outside, and as the best of all buildings in the world. They also built Vingólf for the female gods, which is described as both a hall and a hörgr , and a forge with which they crafted objects from gold. After Ragnarök , some gods such as Váli and Baldr will meet at Iðavöllr where Asgard once stood and discuss matters together. There they will also find in

225-411: A hall and tending to animals in the daylight, protected by a fence and dogs. Upon his return, Freyr asks in a stanza of the tidings from Jötunheimar , to which his servant replies that she will meet him in nine nights at Barri . In Þrymskviða , Loki uses Freyja 's fjaðrhamr to fly to Þrymr 's home in jötunheimar to find Thor's hammer . The jötunn tells the god that he will only return

270-531: A nut and flew away with her in his talons. Þjazi later finds out that Iðunn is gone and he chases after them as an eagle, but is killed as he reached Asgard when he flies into a fire that the gods made. Later in Skáldskaparmál, Odin rides to Jötunheimar on Sleipnir where he meets the jötunn made of stone Hrungnir and wagers that no horse there was as good as his. Angered, Hrungnir chases Odin back to Asgard on his horse Gullfaxi whereupon

315-599: A present to King Christian IV of Denmark , hence the name Codex Regius . For centuries it was stored in the Royal Library in Copenhagen but in 1971 it was returned to Iceland. The Prose Edda , sometimes referred to as the Younger Edda or Snorri's Edda , is an Icelandic manual of poetics which also contains many mythological stories. Its purpose was to enable Icelandic poets and readers to understand

360-469: A rage, revealing his identity as a jötunn. Thor then kills the builder with Mjöllnir , before any harm to the gods is done. The chapter does not explicitly name Asgard as the fortress but they are commonly identified by scholars. In Gylfaginning , the central cosmic tree Yggdrasil is described as having three roots that hold it up; one of these goes to the Æsir, which has been interpreted as meaning Asgard. In Grímnismál , this root instead reaches over

405-544: A start point in a number of distinct directions. In this model, the jötunheimar would not be located in these opposing directions, only the passageways by which they are reached. It has been further noted that in Eddic sources, it seems that jötnar are located to some extent in all directions and that they can be reached if one travels sufficiently far away from the area inhabited by people. From this, it has been suggested that it may be an intrinsic quality of jötnar as

450-474: A vertical axis, leading upwards towards the heavens. There is debate between scholars over whether the gods were conceived of as living in the heavens, with some aligning their views with Snorri, and others proposing that he at times presents the system in a Christian framework and that this organisation is not seen in either Eddic or skaldic poetry . The concept of attempting to create a spatial cosmological model has itself been criticised by scholars who argue that

495-574: A worldview in which Midgard is located centrally and that the jötnar dwell in the periphery, likely in contrast with how contemporary Icelanders would have viewed wilderness. Later in Gylfaginning, Thor journeys with Loki, Thjálfi and Röskva to jötunheimar which is located to the east and over the deep sea. They then travel through a great forest before eventually reaching the hall of Útgarða-Loki . Sometimes jötnar are positioned in specific geographical locations such as Ægir on

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540-558: Is not mentioned at any point in the poem. Furthermore, Völuspá references Iðavöllr , one of the most common meeting places of Æsir gods, which in Gylfaginning , Snorri locates in the centre of Asgard. The Prose Edda 's euhemeristic prologue portrays the Æsir gods as people that travelled from the East to northern territories. According to Snorri, Asgard represented the town of Troy before Greek warriors overtook it. After

585-508: Is portrayed as being a city in Asia or Troy , however in other accounts that likely more accurately reflect its conception in Old Nordic religion , it is depicted as not conforming to a naturalistic geographical position. In these latter accounts, it is found in a range of locations such as over the rainbow bridge Bifröst , in the middle of the world and over the sea. The word Ásgarðr is

630-433: Is presented in a vague and often contradictory manner when viewed from a naturalistic standpoint. Snorri places Asgard in the centre of the world, surrounded by Midgard and then the lands inhabited by jötnar , all of which are finally encircled by the sea. He also locates the homes of the gods in the heavens. This had led to the proposition of a system of concentric circles, centred on Asgard or Yggdrasil, and sometimes with

675-555: The galdr and the shard remained lodged in Thor's head. Jötunheimar , along with other lands such as Hel , constitute "the otherworld" in Eddic sources that is either journeyed to or from, often leading to a confrontation that forms the basis for the narrative. There is no single location that jötunheimar are found in Nordic cosmology however, instead being travelled to by a number of different directions and often separated from

720-697: The Prose Edda and an older collection of poems (without an original title) now known as the Poetic Edda . The term historically referred only to the Prose Edda , but this usage has fallen out of favour because of confusion with the other work. Both works were recorded in Iceland during the 13th century in Icelandic , although they contain material from earlier traditional sources, reaching back into

765-676: The Prose Edda , the Poetic Edda is the most expansive source on Norse mythology. The first part of the Codex Regius preserves poems that narrate the creation and foretold destruction and rebirth of the Old Norse mythological world as well as individual myths about gods concerning Norse deities . The poems in the second part narrate legends about Norse heroes and heroines , such as Sigurd , Brynhildr and Gunnar . It consists of two parts. The first part has 10 songs about gods, and

810-518: The Viking Age . The books provide the main sources for medieval skaldic tradition in Iceland and for Norse mythology . At least five hypotheses have been suggested for the origins of the word edda : The Poetic Edda , also known as Sæmundar Edda or the Elder Edda , is a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic medieval manuscript Codex Regius ("Royal Book"). Along with

855-467: The creation and foretold destruction and rebirth of the Norse mythical world; Skáldskaparmál , a dialogue between Ægir , a Norse god connected with the sea, and Bragi , the skaldic god of poetry; and Háttatal , a demonstration of verse forms used in Norse mythology. Asgard In Nordic mythology , Asgard ( Old Norse : Ásgarðr ; "enclosure of the Æsir ") is a location associated with

900-405: The hone that the jötunn was fighting with, shattering it. One of the pieces flies into Thor's head, becoming stuck. To remove it, he went to the völva Gróa , who began a galdr to loosen it. While she was singing, Thor told her that he had carried her husband Aurvandil as he travelled southwards out of Jötunheimar and that he would soon be with her. In her excitement, she forgot

945-521: The pagan poems Snorri quotes in his book. When the Codex Regius was discovered, it seemed that this speculation had proven correct. Brynjólfur attributed the manuscript to Sæmundr the Learned , a larger-than-life 12th century Icelandic priest. While this attribution is rejected by modern scholars, the name Sæmundar Edda is still sometimes encountered. Bishop Brynjólfur sent the Codex Regius as

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990-408: The "other" that they cannot be restricted to a single location, however, not all these lands inhabited by jötnar are explicitly described as being jötunheimar . Eddic " Edda " ( / ˈ ɛ d ə / ; Old Norse Edda , plural Eddur ) is an Old Norse term that has been applied by modern scholars to the collective of two Medieval Icelandic literary works: what is now known as

1035-692: The 2011 film Thor . After that, Thor becomes a regular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reappears in several films, including the Avengers series. Asgard becomes the central element of the film Thor: Ragnarok , where it is destroyed following the Old Norse mythos. These and other Norse mythology elements also appear in video games, TV series, and books based in and on the Marvel Universe, although these depictions do not closely follow historical sources. Asgard

1080-714: The Viking as a frozen wasteland dominated by the Halls of Valhalla on a high plateau. In the film the Æsir are depicted as spoilt children Thor first appeared in the Marvel Universe within comic series Journey into Mystery in the issues #83 during August 1962. Following this release, he becomes one of the central figures in the comics along with Loki and Odin. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe , Thor and Loki make their first appearance together in

1125-521: The defeat, Trojans moved to northern Europe , where they became a dominant group due to their "advanced technologies and culture". Eventually, other tribes began to perceive the Trojans and their leader Trór ( Thor in Old Norse) as gods. In Gylfaginning , Snorri Sturluson describes how during the creation of the world, the gods made the earth and surrounded it with the sea. They made the sky from

1170-463: The gods grow desperate as it becomes apparent that the jötunn will construct the burg on time. To their surprise, his stallion contributes much of the progress, swiftly moving boulders and rocks. To deal with the problem, Loki comes up with a plan whereupon he changes his appearance to that of a mare, and distracts Svaðilfari to slow down construction. Without the help of his stallion, the builder realises he cannot complete his task in time and goes into

1215-566: The gods invite him to drink with them. Becoming drunk, he boasts that he will perform a number of acts including carrying Valhall to Jötunheimar and abduct both Sif and Freyja . When the gods tired of his bragging, they called for Thor . Hrungnir claimed that as he was unarmed, Thor would gain no honour from killing him and so challenged him to a fight in Jötunheimar , at his home Grjótúnagarðar . Thor later meets him there and kills him with Mjölnir , which on its way to Hrungnir, hits

1260-405: The gods to protect them from jötnar . Skáldskaparmál tells of how Loki was once coerced into helping the jötunn Þjazi abduct Iðunn who carried her northwards, back to his home in Jötunheimar named Þrymheimr . Using Freyja's fjaðrhamr , Loki became a hawk and flew to Þjazi's home while the jötunn was away, having rowed out to sea. Upon reaching Iðunn, Loki turned her into

1305-502: The gods. The second instance is in Þrymskviða when Loki is attempting to convince Thor to dress up as Freyja in order to get back Mjölnir by claiming that without his hammer to protect them, jötnar would soon be living in Asgard. Grímnismál contains among its cosmological descriptions, a number of abodes of the gods, such as Álfheim , Nóatún and Valhalla , which some scholars have identified as being in Asgard. Asgard

1350-489: The gods. It appears in several Old Norse sagas and mythological texts , including the Eddas , however it has also been suggested to be referred to indirectly in some of these sources. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir gods and is often associated with gold imagery and contains many other locations known in Nordic mythology such as Valhöll , Iðavöllr and Hlidskjálf . In some euhemeristic accounts, Asgard

1395-640: The golden grove Glasir . It also records a name for Thor as 'Defender of Ásgard' ( Old Norse : verjandi Ásgarðs ). In the Ynglinga saga , found in Heimskringla , Snorri describes Asgard as a city in Asia, based on a perceived, but erroneous, connection between the words for Asia and Æsir. In the opening stanzas of the Saga of the Ynglings, Asgard is the capital of Asaland, a section of Asia east of

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1440-441: The grass the golden chess pieces that the Æsir had once owned. Later, the section describes how an unnamed jötunn came to the gods with his stallion, Svaðilfari and offered help in building a burg for the gods in three winters, asking in return for the sun, moon, and marriage with Freyja . Despite Freyja's opposition, together the gods agree to fulfill his request if he completes his work in just one winter. As time goes on,

1485-518: The hammer in exchange for Freyja's hand in marriage. When she refuses to go to jötunheimar , Thor goes in her place, disguised in a wedding veil, with Loki as his handmaid. In this account, Þrymr's estate is presented as wealthy, with him holding dogs on golden leashes and telling that has cattle with golden horns in his stables and many jewels, with Freyja being the only thing he lacked. Jötunheimar are referenced throughout Gylfaginning such as when Gefjun takes four oxen, who were her sons with

1530-431: The island of Læsø . It has been proposed that rather than being conceived of as a physical land that can be located geographically relative to the regions of the world inhabited by humans, jötunheimar should be seen as connected to other realms by a number of passageways that cannot be traversed by ordinary means, and may seem contradictory from a naturalistic viewpoint in that a single location could be reached from

1575-472: The lands of humans and gods by a barrier that is difficult to cross such as bodies of water , fells , fire or forests. Jötnar are typically found in the North and East, with explicit references to jötunheimar locating them in the North, however in Gylfaginning, Snorri Sturluson writes that after the killing of Ymir , the gods gave the shores around the world to the jötnar to settle, suggesting

1620-416: The middle of the world a city which is called Ásgard; men call it Troy. There dwelt the gods and their kindred; and many tidings and tales of it have come to pass both on earth and aloft. There is one abode called Hlidskjálf , and when Allfather sat in the high-seat there, he looked out over the whole world and saw every man's acts, and knew all things which he saw. After Asgard is made, the gods then built

1665-415: The oral traditions did not form a naturalistic, structured system that aimed to be internally geographically consistent. An alternative proposal is that the world should be conceived of as a number of realms connected by passages that cannot be typically traversed. This would explain how Asgard can be located both to the east and west of the realm of men, over the sea and over Bifröst. It has been noted that

1710-461: The prose prologue Skírnismál , while sitting on Hliðskjálf , Freyr sees Gerðr , the daughter of Gymir , in Jötunheimar and falls in love with her. A further prose section then describes that he gives his servant Skírnir his horse and sends him to her home at Gymisgarðar in Jötunheimar , which he reaches after travelling through wet mountains, a flickering flame and darkness. After his journey, Skírnir meets Gerðr and her family living in

1755-614: The realm of men. The bridge Bifröst is told to span from the heavens to the earth and over it the Æsir cross each day to hold council beneath Yggdrasil at the Urðarbrunnr . Based on this, Bifröst is commonly interpreted as the bridge to Asgard. Asgard is mentioned briefly throughout Skáldskaparmál as the name for the home of the Æsir, as in Gylfaginning . In this section, a number of locations are described as lying within Asgard including Valhalla, and in front of its doors,

1800-594: The river Tana-kvísl or Vana-Kvísl (kvísl is "arm"), which Snorri explains is the river Tanais (now Don), flowing into the Black Sea. Odin then leaves to settle in the northern part of the world and leaves his brothers Vili and Vé to rule over the city. When the euhemerised Odin dies, the account states that the Swedes believed he had returned to Asgard and would live there forever. Cosmology in Old Nordic religion

1845-529: The second one has 19 songs about heroes. The Codex Regius was written in the 13th century, but nothing is known of its whereabouts until 1643, when it came into the possession of Brynjólfur Sveinsson , then the Church of Iceland 's Bishop of Skálholt . At that time, versions of the Prose Edda were well known in Iceland, but scholars speculated that there once was another Edda —an Elder Edda —which contained

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1890-607: The skull of Ymir and settled the jötnar on the shores of the earth. They set down the brows of Ymir, forming Midgard , and in the centre of the world they built Asgard, which he identifies as Troy : Þar næst gerðu þeir sér borg í miðjum heimi, er kölluð er Ásgarðr. Þat köllum vér Trója. Þar byggðu goðin ok ættir þeira, ok gerðust þaðan af mörg tíðendi ok greinir bæði á jörðu ok í lofti. Þar er einn staðr, er Hliðskjálf heitir, ok þá er Óðinn settist þar í hásæti, þá sá hann of alla heima ok hvers manns athæfi ok vissi alla hluti, þá er hann sá. Next they made for themselves in

1935-490: The subtleties of alliterative verse , and to grasp the mythological allusions behind the many kennings that were used in skaldic poetry . It was written by the Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson around 1220. It survives in four known manuscripts and three fragments, written down from about 1300 to about 1600. The Prose Edda consists of a Prologue and three separate books: Gylfaginning , concerning

1980-506: The tendency to link Asgard to Troy is part of a wider European cultural practice of claiming Trojan origins for one's culture, first seen in the Aeneid and also featuring in Geoffrey of Monmouth 's Historia regum Britanniae for the founding of Britain . Both Asgard and Valhalla have been portrayed many times in popular culture Asgard is depicted in the 1989 film comedy film Erik

2025-451: The word is typically found in its plural form, Jǫtunheimar (' jǫtunn -lands'). Jötunheimar are mentioned in three poems of the Poetic Edda . In the beginning of Völuspá , the coming of three women out of Jötunheimar marks the end of the Age of Gold for the gods. Towards the end of the poem, in the section describing the onset of Ragnarök , they are mentioned as follows: In

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