![]() Depending on the stories you read, you’ll find the descriptions of giants often differ.Īfter Odin and his brothers killed Ymir, they created various worlds, including their own, and cast the Jötnar out into the Utgard, where they longed for the time when they ruled. The giants and gods were often involved in huge battles, according to Norse legend. The Norse giants were pivotal in the creation of the Norse cosmos, but they also appeared in a lot of stories about the Aesir gods. His skull created the heavens, and his eyebrows made Midgard, the world of men. Odin and his brothers apparently used the body of Ymir to create the Norse cosmos. Odin, and his two brothers (Ve and Vili) murdered Ymir, despite the fact they were part giants themselves. The very first Norse giant, Ymir, was created when the ice of Nilfheim met the fires of Muspelheim.Īs giants began to breed (springing to life from the sweat of Ymir’s armpits), the gods grew concerned. In Norse mythology, the giants were among the first “founding” beings in the creation of the Norse universe. We do know it was to the east of Midgard, however, where man lived. These creatures lived in Jotunheim, one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology.Īlthough Jotunheim was apparently a large world, there’s not much information about it in stories. The frost giants are probably the best-known of all Norse giants. The Norse word for giant is Jötunn, though there are many different types of giant (which we’ll come back to shortly). Some can even see the future or understand the universe better than the gods themselves. These supernatural beings date back through the centuries and have a unique intelligence. Giants in Norse mythology aren’t the same creatures you’d expect from stories like Jack and the Beanstalk. Today, we’re going to introduce you to some of the basics of giants in Norse mythology, their stories, and where they came from. Otherwise known as the Jötunn (singular) or Jötnar (plural), the Norse giants are strong, daunting, and often highly misunderstood. Though there are many creatures in Norse mythology worth learning about, from gnomes and fairies to a unique version of Santa Claus, giants have some of the most intriguing history. A region of pretty tall people themselves, the Scandinavians have some of the best stories in the world about giants, creatures they define as “enemies of the gods”. ![]() Norse mythology giants are a common topic in Scandinavia.
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