The Cow that Helped Birth the Norse Cosmos

The creation of the world begins in the vast emptiness of Ginnungagap, where fire and ice collided. From this chaotic clash emerged the primordial being Ymir, the first frost giant. As Ymir slept, the cosmic cow Audumbla licked the ice, revealing Buri, the first of the Aesir gods. Buri's grandson Odin, Vili, and Ve then slew Ymir, and from his body, they shaped the world. His flesh became the earth, his blood the seas, and his bones the mountains. The skull of Ymir formed the sky, held up by four dwarves. Thus, the Norse cosmos was born.