The Norse Creation Myth
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- An Old Norse specialist looks at what the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda have to say about how the world and living beings were made.
Dr. Jackson Crawford is Instructor of Nordic Studies and Nordic Program Coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder (formerly UC Berkeley and UCLA). He is a historical linguist and an experienced teacher of Old Norse, Modern Icelandic, and Norwegian. Visit JacksonWCrawford.com
Music © I See Hawks in L.A., courtesy of the artist. Visit www.iseehawks.com/
Logo by Elizabeth Porter (snowbringer at gmail).
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Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: www.amazon.com...
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This video from 2018 mentions a Discord channel connected to my community of Patreon supporters. That was a short-lived experiment, and was discontinued not long after this video debuted.
Very unfortunate, it really caught my attention when you mentioned that :D do you have plans to remake a discord server in the future? I think many people, including myself, would enjoy that very much
@@Ingenting
I like your music videos.
Did Auðhumla lick Buri out of ice or out of stones?
What happened? Why was it short lived?
Damn, poor Ymir. Every time he tries to go work out he accidentally spawns an entire civilization who end up murdering him. Puberty must’ve been rough for him.
He was the first sacrifice, vital in that war and our creation.
Like another set of twins Romulus and Remus, Rmus had to be sacrificed too do that the city of Rome could be built.
Better than a story about a talking snake and cursed fruit.
Not sure if I m learnig from your videos about norse culture or how to be a cool cowboy...
Why not both?
Viking cowboy is best cowboy
GinnungaGap.... where the vikings shopped for clothes! I'll see myself out now...
Shower thought: If the Norns carved out the destinies of gods and men on wooden sticks (presumably an ash tree: Yggdrasil) and men are driftwood given all that we are by the gods (also presumably ash/elm), it's not such a leap to think that the runes of fate are inscribed on the hearts/souls/bodies of men. So, does that mean that the fate of the gods rests in the hands of humanity?
Following the beautiful and compelling image that man is created from the central spoke of the world tree that represents so much to the Norse cosmology: it seems fitting that fateless flotsam, when uplifted by gods, becomes men in whose fate belies the fate of the gods. This has been a fanciful daydream constructed with the information outside of it's greater context but vague and evocative enough to make for a good sentiment. It fits with modern notions that worship or faith is the currency and lifeblood on which the gods subsist and our convictions keep the gods relevant.
Thanks for the great RPG setting idea Dr. Crawford.
Fascinating observation
I was thinking about the same thing. Also the possibility that the piece of wood is a piece of us from the wood we were created from.
In real life, the Norse also carved runes into wooden sticks. Long, narrow, flat sticks. Some of it was for God after christinization, others were curses and genuine magic. Perhaps it is a part of seiðr that has been forgotten.
I have to also wonder about the part of the stories which say each individual has a personal Norn. Does that mean we shape our own destinies? It may seem a but odd but two belief systems I really align with are Norse Mythology and Earthseed, which is all about shaping destiny. So just something to consider.
@@valeriy8502 Interesting, I've never heard of that before. I do know that anyone who knows divination (whether tarot, palm reading, or scrying), and what my priestess taught me, is that the future is not set. When you are given an answer or vision, it is merely telling you what could happen if you continue the path that you are on. That's why it's used for advice. That outcome can be changed depending on your choices/actions. Even the lines on your palm can change. Your life is a beautiful butterfly effect.
That pared down intro ("Hi, I'm old norse specialist Jackson Crawford") is great. The old intro was great for its time (it was iconic! :-) We all had it memorized!), but this new one seems appropriate, now that so many people know Dr. Crawford for his work.
If you don't know who Dr. Crawford is, you don't know Jack(son)!
(*mmmph* sorry- bad joke, but I just had to...)
Whoa whoa whoa, I can only handle so much testosterone
I wasnt aware of Tolkein's inspiration for middle Earth (midgard) and the names of the dwarves came form Norse mythology.
5:47 this familly tree, remind me of the greek myths, odinn is the third generation, like zeus after ouranos and chronos, and those 2 last were married to earth goddesses Gaia and Rhea who could be compared to the 2 jotunn brides of Burr and Buri...i don't know if it's make sens but why always the third generation has to be the most important ?,
Thank you for making these videos! They're such a wonderful source of Norse information.
They're invaluable.
The Creation is the subject of Icelandic composer Jón Leifs' first oratorio, Skopun heimsins. It's available to listen to here on UA-cam, and also Spotify. Don't miss it!
Even though my brother is not interested in Norse mythology and such, he says he loves the wonderful scenarios you show in your videos.
Huh. I recall the Norns spinning out men's lives as threads, but now that I think about it the only source I had for that was a children's book. That book, I imagine, conflated them with the Greek Fates, which are admittedly very similar figures. It's funny the things you "know," but they just came from something you read a long time ago...
Let me guess, you read the Valhalla comics? Or was it another book? :)
@@Luka1180, it was a children's book in the library of the elementary school I went to back in the 1970s. :) I don't know the title, but it had a very distinct art style, so I'm betting I could find it with Google and a few minutes.
@@hotspurre Where are you from?
@@Luka1180 Oh wow, must have missed this notification NE United States. IIRC it was in my elementary school library, I believe it was in New Jersey. :)
Embla: I heard some people sugest that it means "mistletoe". Ash is 100% a symbol for men. as "ash" means spear, and spears are for men. Not sure if this is the case in english, but in my language (Dutch), we used to refer to the fathers side of the family as the "spear-side" and the mother's side the "spindle-Side".
If mistletoe symbolizes women, then this sheds some very itneresting light on Baldr; the beloved god who could only be hurt by a mistletoe, manipulated by Loki.
For what it's worth, here in Denmark the myth of Balder's death is retold as him getting killed by an arrow made of mistletoe.
@@LarsPallesen Beowulf also speaks of an arrow, and is the oldest of the sources regarding this story
Same in Polish - 'sword-side' and 'spindle-side'.
In English, it's the spear and distaff sides.
Omg I only just now noticed the sleipnir cowboy, nice lol.
Now that I think about it, the Norse creation myth sounds a bit like the Greek/Roman one, but only in very specific places oddly enough. 'Giants' and gods as family that came from the same predecessors, three fate ladies, killing one character to create or free something.
Does that mean that the original rainbow bridge could have been the northern lights? If there's been that degree of editing?
In India, they have everyone's story written separately on a piece of bark called a nadi that a priest like reader interprets.
Get this man more views. He deserves a fat ad revenue check for the work he puts into these vids
Nice backdrop. Love this topic too.
So the Norns are kinda like the Fates? But the Fates, I think were Greek Mythology and instead wove fabric rather than carve on sticks. But both of the three sisters sound like they have the same job none the less
Wonderful!
Happy Leif Erikson day
does wood serve as a stand in for lifeless matter? If you replace the idea of wood with matter, it makes sense...the norns carve matter, matter is given a fate, an energy or awareness. IF Odin were mind/spirit, might not his brothers be other aspects of existence.....?
love creation myths - and this is a great one - ice, sweat, and... legs!! love it - thanks Dr Crawford
This video is among your best, for colour and clarity. Despite more limited Nordic sourcing, and potentially misleading [etymological] comparisons out of the broader Germanic literature, I'd enjoy a video concerning Þórr and the astronomical Aurvandill mentioned in _Skáldskaparmál_.
Is it possible that he was "twin" because he was hermaphroditic in nature?
The Norse Creation SCIENCE, thankyouverymuch.
You live in a beuyfull place. Also, very informative video, thanks!
The view of the mountains at around 12:09 took my breath away!
Self-contained magic space cow continues to be my favorite thing in Norse mythology.
The Big Yawn, rather than the big bang ... yeah that sounds like the northmen that I know.
It makes sense in terms of what current scientific method leads us to understand about the expanding universe 😄
@@valeriy8502 No it doesn't, you are just reaching
@@tomsandstrom338 No I am not reaching, it is what really makes sense to me and is how I understand this story of my heritage in my own process. I am not trying make claims about what people knew at this time in history, it is just the way I understand it. There are a lot of parallels in old stories and modern understanding, it may be that our minds are shaped more by myth than we realize and we use similar language to describe things. Other translators/interpreters have covered this subject, I may not always agree with all their interpretations but it is interesting to contemplate.
@@valeriy8502 So what I am saying is: "You are just reaching for parallels, it doesn't make sense" and what you are saying is: "It makes sense to me!!"
@@tomsandstrom338 I know what you are saying, and not sure what the issue is with what I am saying. For the record, I was raised on reading scientific research as well as folklore, and while I am not a professional it has shaped my way of thinking and be having. When it comes to historic texts, I always read source material and make sure to reference it especially when speaking with other people so as to not spread misinformation. I always make a distinction between "this is the actual text and standard interpretation" and "this is my personal gnosis" or that of another interpreter to whom I would give credit if going into detail about their hypothesis. I never conflate the two or present my personal interpretation as fact or proof of a historic practice or belief. The fact is, we don't know that much for certain about the pre-Christian era, and modern practitioners have to choose our own way of bringing traditions back to life in a way that is meaningful to us. I like Norse Mythology and modern science (within that community there are many differences of opinion too), and if I find parallels which appeal to me personally (and I might add many others) that becomes part of my life perspective and spiritual practice. So when I say "It makes sense" I am not claiming any historic evidence that this is what the myths were originally written about, just saying it works for me and is interesting. I don't know the ultimate truth and no one can be absolutely certain, but I like to listen to different perspectives and hear them out. If you don't see it the same way, that's your interpretation and really doesn't bother me.
Hey Doc, you have any videos on morality in the old norse times? I've been interested in it lately, but only seem to find stuff based on the 9 noble virtues/asatru stuff.
I'd be very interested in this subject as well.
I recently discovered your videos doing my own research on Old Norse myths and enjoy them quite a bit. Very informative and educational. Thank you!
Indeed, I love the image of humanity being a representation of the tree. It is a symbolism that comes up for me a lot in life and wonderful to know how old that concept is. As above, so below, as without, so within, etc.
People have said we're a part of the universe and made of the same stuff stars are made for decades. Then they proved it... It warmed my heart to hear that my ancestors already knew 😊
@@ladycerulean6224 Indeed, people have been saying it for countless generations no doubt 😊 I just really love it when science deals with the same subjects that have been in mythology
this is worth nothing but I named my Welsh Corgi who is white headed and blue eyed- Gandalf.
This BACKGROUND holy goodness 🤩🤩🤩
Old norse old west style
Well done! Another fascinating video with beautiful scenery.
There needs to be a movie about the Norse mythology and the story of creation
A historically accurate one
I always love when you upload a new video
such a great source of information
Great subject and video
Thank you Dr. Crawford! Very informative
Hmm I understand that Jotnar doesn’t mean giant, but are the aesir, vanir, jotun supposed to be human size? If so its pretty weird imagining using a human size body to create the sky, sea, and land lol
Could frost giants be translated or understood as just "force of nature" since nature was cold and giant to force of doesn't seem far off.
I've read some material that Ymir could be considered hermaphroditic because various beings sprung out of him--spontaneously. Also, is there some of a connection between Ymir and Zeus both having Gods/Beings pring spontaneously out of them? A male form of creation versus a female form of creation? Does this mean that creation was inherently male at the beginning, a form of patriarchy system where all authority comes from male? Or did the Norse view their gods/goddesses in the same way (gender) as the Greeks/Romans who were definitely patriarchal?
You should try to talk to Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir if you're ever in Reykjavik again - she is a lovely Icelandic artist and poet and would likely have some insight into the storytelling
Listening to the professor, I have the idea that the outer limit made from Ymir's eyelashes could be the Orth cloud and the outer sea could be space as some kind of sea. I am not trying to be Erik von Daniken but this was the idea first came into my mind because of the description and the picture with the earth globe in the center.
Bolverkr Love the idea of the outer sea being space. It makes a lot of sense.
I think in jjrt's books, Gandalf is just the name that the Dwarves know him by, which would explain why it is an actual name from the list.
FiRsT HoOtIn ScOoTiN HiStOrIaN CoWbOy
Listening tonight as I make a Finrir walking stick. Thank you my friend. I enjoy the videos and wish I could take classes
I'm eating Skyrr and rolling my "r"s while watching this.
Buri could be Ymir's twin,seeing as their stories happened after same time.
Thank you so mich for your videos, i always come
Back to refresh the information
I thought "Ginnungagap" was related to "begin," meaning it was the original gap or beginning gap.
excelent video, just a quick question - is it always windy in colorado?
2:00 - Muspellshrew
Wait... so his legs were.... "knocking boots"?
I know where you filmed this!
I would love to find out about the origins of the álfr
I don't think there are any, or if there were no one bothered to write them down
@@swinhelm389 that's a possibility, I haven't found any refrences to their origins
Interesting. Another theory I've heard (and I think I'm more partial to) is that 'álfr' had a more broad definition meaning 'any being worshiped as higher (i.e. more divine) than a human but lower than the Æsir.' Of course this would mean that the Vanir (and Freyr himself) were considered 'elves.'
@@swinhelm389 that is a possibility
@@AsdDsa-qo7es I would love to read up on that, what sources do you recommend and where can I find them?
Is there an explanation for where the elves come from in these stories?
Not really. Except Freyr is supposedly the lord of elves, they seem to just exist.
For about a decade or so, I always took the Yggdrasil/Bifrost to be a different interpretation of the Chakras in the Hindu belief system. 7 realms with 9 worlds connected by a rainbow colored bridge.
Interesting to compare creation myth involving twins with the Egyptian creation myth that depicts two twins pouring water pots over the earth. Similar in symbolic representation as Gemini
Ymir reminds me of Gaia in Greek mythology. The Jotunns and the Titans. Do you think these two mythologies could have originated from an earlier common source?
Ymir isn't connected to Gaia. Though he is linguistically related to the Vedic Yama, Avestan Yima, and the Roman Remus. He’s also structurally related to the Vedic Manāvī and Puruṣa, and the Avestan Gayōmart. From these connections, scholars have reconstructed a Proto-Indo-European myth of a man named Manu who sacrificed his twin brother Yemo in order to bring about creation. A bull or cow is also heavily involved in this creation myth, much like the Norse Auðumbla.
Could it be that Surt is twin of Ymir? The sources never say when Surt was born/created. Was Surt himself seen as primordial just as Ymir was? Perhaps as Ymir was born from the Ice, at the same time Surt was born in fire.
In finland we have a word Linnunrata" meaning milkyway, just wondering is there a connection? Ginnungapa/Linnunrata
Linnunrata = birds cource
Some etymologists have connected the name Ymir to the old Norse word Ymja which means "make noise, grown, whine, scream." What do you think about this?
It really seems this cosmology is very similar to that of ancient near eastern cultures. Maybe more than Christian influences can account for. Giants , Aesir, etc. are functionally very similar to the Elohim of the ANE. The structure of the world is also very similar with a sort of chaos surrounding it , complete with big snake .
Ok, so the outer ocean is the atmosphere and its energy (magnetic field? idk), giants also big masses of energy. And this serpent (huge amount of energy) will fight against Thor (an aspect of humainity) in the end of the world... interesting. Also, aren't we humans made of the same components that can be found in ashes? Sorry, just trying to make sense of this myth.
As both a lifelong marvel comics nerd, and lifelong Dungeons and Dragons player, I really appreciate these videos to illuminate th eoriginal sources whihch inspired our modern day mythologies.
I'll listen to this again.
I wonder if there are specific cardinal directions for all of the realms. I know that Niflheim is North, Muspelheim is South, and Jotunheim is East.
Didn't Surt technically exist in Muspel before Ymir came to be?
You need to get a pictorial going on in the background a pictorial story that follows along with your narration it might liven up your lectures
How clear is it that Ymir is male? If he reproduced asexually.... seems confusing. I realize this may be my queer nonbinary bias
Gods don't have the same biology as humans and it's generally in vain to try and make sense of it. Recall how in Greek myth Uranus's severed genitals spawned Aphrodite. Ymir is definitely male though.
Ymir is a masculine name. Pagan gods don't follow Mendelian biology or whatever you wanna call it. Athena was born out of Zeus' head, the Minotaur was the offspring of a bull and a human and a horse and Loki + horse = horse with eight legs.
Legs can procreate?
I thought you said there was a shrew in Múspel for a moment and nearly spit out my cider. A good humor time.
Is Embla related to the english word ember? In that case their name could be Ash and Ember.
All what the sources say points toward Ash and Elm trees. Ash trees are native in Denmark and Elm trees was introduced about 7500 years ago. I don't see how embers would turn into driftwood?
The driftwood could be used as kindling and then you would get ash and embers. But I agree with you, this is most likely in this context. Was just a question on the origin of Embla.
I completely understand your question because it has also crossed my mind many a time. I at least can't get it to make sense.
Also ash (meaning that sooty substance) and ash (meaning the tree) should not be confused. These words actually have different roots and have just conflated in modern English. In Old Norse 'aska' is the word for the soot and 'askr' for the tree, both going back to different proto-indoeuropean roots.
In Danish the name is Ask as in the tree. Aske would be for soot, so I will always think Ash tree and Elm tree for Ash and Embla.
Could you make a video about Myrkvidr, or if you have already made one, where can I find it please?
Vili, Ve and Odin are the sons of Bestla and Bor, Burí's son. Burí was licked out of the ice by Audhumbla, Ymir is not really Odin's great grandfather as you say at 7:20. Or did you mean a maternal great grandfather, as Bestla is the giant Bolthorn's daughter? That wasn't completely clear to me
Free Norse Lessons :)
the word "lúðr" could be "lúður" and it means a musical horn
Thank you sir
So the sources that say skoll means something like mockery are false?
In Swedish Jätte certainly means giant (big) at any rate
Great boots
ties things together. tu
great work . thanks
I think Ymir's frost-giant-hood is supported as literal because his blood is salt water.
Thank you! 🌞
сас
How do I say "yer hot af" in Old Norse? lol
You're such a hottie. bless ya honey.
Another amazing video
Ha Odin
Aye! Von Miller. Go Broncos!
Are the words Jotunn and Yeti related because the descriptions sound akin.
keeperofthegood It would be very unlikely. Yeti is from Tibetan, which is not part of the same language-tree (Proto-Indo-European)that Old Norse is descended from, so unless a group of Vikings stumbled into Tibet and saw some things that they thought were jötnar - which we have no evidence for and is about as likely as early Native Americans tribes having reached the moon - this would be impossible.
Except that the silk road did reach into the same regions the Germans later moved into and marriaged into the population already there to form the Norseman.
keeperofthegood Your comparison is also based on English counterparts for foreign words. “Yeti” comes from the Tibetan language and is a compound of the two words: g.ya (rocky place) and dred (bear). Whereas, jǫtunn comes from the Proto-Germanic noun: etunaz, which has to do with consuming or greed.
Also note that “yeti” is a word invented during the time period of the Tibetan language’s existence. This would’ve been from around 650 and onwards. Even the word “yeti” is itself a combination of modern Tibetan words and is probably a lot younger than that. The Pre-Germanic peoples would’ve migrated from Asia millennia before the Tibetan language’s emergence and thus the word “yeti.”
Thank you that explanation does help.
keeperofthegood It’s a pleasure, I hope my replies didn’t sound too much like some obnoxious know-it-all.
Ymir: twin because he is the melding of the two: the feminine void/water and the masculine fire/ice.
Dr. Crawford: I haven't noticed it in your newer videos, but that fuzzy sound that randomly breaks into the audio comes from your cell phone searching for a tower and interfering with the electronics in your microphone. Just keep your phone a few feet away from other gizmos and wires, or power it down.
un related but Isn't your intro music panned a lil too much to the right? Love the music and the video anyway. Cheers
Surely Ymir is androgynous?
I'm genuinely seeking clarification here.