00:04Once Midgard was created within the cold void of Ginunga Gap, in the center of this great land,
00:11grew the mighty ash, Yggdrasil. The tree stretched its leaves high to Asgard and its roots to its
00:19surrounding realms and as low as the deepest recesses of the realms beyond to light.
00:24The three main roots of the great tree ran down to the realms of Midgard from whence the tree rose
00:32towards the heavens to the wild lands of Jotunheim around Midgard and far below in the gloomy lands
00:39of Hel. No root reached Asgard as what kind of tree would grow its roots upwards. Instead,
00:48the passage to the highest realm was only possible by the rainbow bridge of Bivrost.
00:54The great ash acted as a highway between the realms. In a sense, a body could plan a trip from
01:01Midgard to
01:02Jotunheim, for instance, by climbing up the bark of the tree and traversing its roots. This of course
01:10would be pure theory, as the journey by this simple path was not only leagues upon leagues long,
01:16but as massive as infinity. There was no clear border between Jotunheim and Midgard,
01:23much like there was no sudden wall of unquenchable flame on the borders of Muspelheim. Each realm and
01:31Yggdrasil was a universe upon itself. How the celestial beings moved from place to place was not as simple
01:39as putting one foot after the other. One had to know the way before he could traverse it.
02:13Our journey through the realms should begin at the beginning and end of all things.
02:19During the age of Ginungagab, the realm of fire and the realm of frost seeped from
02:28their elemental boundaries and coalesced in the center of the empty void, creating the creature
02:34of Jotunheim, the primordial giant. The flesh of this giant, after its violent death, came to be
02:42Midgard. Muspelheim was a vast furnace of flame, with fires hotter than any sun and wilder than
02:49wildfire. Not a single speck of air wandered the inferno, nor a piece of coal had a chance to survive
02:57this place without turning into a puddle. The realm of fire was not simply the mouth of a mighty furnace.
03:05This was the primordial flame that would not spare anything in its path.
03:11The cold reaches of Niflheim were not as violent as its counterpart, but not the ideal place for a ski
03:18holiday either. The cold in the land of frost stemmed not only from its lack of heat, but from the
03:25sort of
03:26cold unfathomable to a world that knows of summers and flame. Imagine the bluest winter and the
03:33gripping cold that seemed to bite with invisible teeth. It would not even begin to describe Niflheim.
03:39To step in Niflheim would freeze a mortal body solid within an instant, rendering the flesh and spirit
03:47into the very ice of the realm. Before Ragnarok begins the season of Fimbulvintra, three winters in a
03:55row, without a summer in between. As in the beginning of all things, Niflheim has once more seeped out
04:03from its boundaries and gripped Midgard, blotting its sun and turning its verdant fields blue with
04:10ice and snow. At the eve of Ragnarok, the fires of Muspelheim shall burst from their realm and whip the
04:18world along with the fires of divine war. As all began in ice and fire. Thus, it shall end as
04:26well.
04:46Midgard, the land of mortals and the last resting place of Ymir, the giant of ice and flame. The rivers
04:54ran with the giant's watery blood, the earth, his flesh, the rocks and stones, his bones.
05:02What came of the carcass was a world of rules and absolutes. Nothing of Midgard could paradox itself,
05:10everything remained a stable ground for everything else. The tree, Yggdrasil, stood in the center of
05:18this land, fixed to the solid ground. The tree's shadow reached as far as the surrounding ocean,
05:26the home of Jormungandr, the world's serpent, who indeed encircled the world and caused earthquakes
05:33with its thrashes and movements. Beyond the great circling sea was the land of the Jotunn,
05:40Jotunn. This land was fenced off by Odin, with Ymir's eyebrows, to keep the impossibly powerful Jotunn
05:49from running loose in Midgard, subjugating the world of mortals to their whims and brutality.
05:56While Midgard stood solid and unshakable in its rules and standards, Jotunn was a wild land of
06:04untamed forests, ferocious beasts and mountains that scrape the sky. A land unfettered by the stiff
06:12shackles of reason and stability. The Jotunn are often referred to as giants, as in beings like men,
06:20but standing leaves higher. However, the truth was that the Jotunn were powerful magicians and
06:27shapeshifters. A Jotunn could indeed increase their size to as high as the sky, or change their form
06:35to that of an animal at whim.
06:56While Jotunn was a world of untamed wilderness and savagery, Alfheim was a great forest of untamed
07:04beauty and growth. A verdant paradise, with natural glory beyond the thoughts and imaginations of men.
07:11A land of colour, mystery and beauty, with trees as tall as to rival Yggdrasil. Rivers that sparkled
07:19with a lambent blue, even without the light of a moon. And air, pregnant with sweet aromas and
07:26fragrances to turn the sweetest fruit and intoxicating perfumes as vile as dishwater in comparison.
07:34Alfheim was the land of the elves, creatures like humans, but far surpassing in beauty and wonder.
07:42These children of the forest rode on white glowing steeds, or unicorns if they so chose,
07:49through their wondrous realm, in perpetual mirth and joy. One might conjure the image of fair white-haired
07:56and pointy-eared humans to see such beings, but in truth, elves are simply beauty given form,
08:03be it in the perfection of their physique, or the absolute grace of their movement.
08:10Before his interment in Asgard, Frey called himself the Lord of Alfheim, and was loved by the elves,
08:18who treated him as their forest king, bestowing him with unearthly vigour and vitality.
08:43The land of crags and mountains spread north of Midgard, as in towards Niflheim, and downwards towards
08:51the influence of hell. This world was nothing but bare mountains and impassable terrain.
08:58The winds howled along the tops of great hills and summits, spreading snow down to the barren valleys.
09:05Down in these valleys were mighty iron doors that lead to the great expanse of the mighty mountain
09:12kingdoms of the dwarves, the kingdom of neither way Lear. Dwarves bring about the image of a wide and
09:19stout being, similar to a human, but only less than half the size. As beings born of the very rock
09:27that
09:27surrounded them, dwarves had a keen understanding of the subterranean world and the ores within its walls.
09:35Such an understanding of metals and gems had made the dwarves an invaluable asset to even the Aesir,
09:42the lords of the universe. Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, for example, was of dwarf make, and forged in such a way
09:51it could accept a blessing from Odin that it would always return to its wielder, once thrown.
09:58Deeper than the halls of the dwarves was a dreadful place where even the masters of the deep dare not
10:05tread, nor know the way. This was the kingdom of Svartilfheim. Svartilfheim was the home of the dark
10:13elves. These baleful beings lurked the deep recesses and preyed on those foolish souls that would get
10:21lost in their labyrinth, dark tunnels infested with massive hideous spiders and other terrors of the
10:28dark. The elves of Alfheim were nothing like their horrible cousins. While the light elves reveled in
10:35the glory of nature and magic, the dark elves lurked in the shadows and delighted in bringing about
10:42misery and cruelty to the world of light. That is not to say the dark elves look like the dwarves.
10:50These elves of darkness were similar to their light cousins, but their joys were twisted and corrupted.
10:57Instead of the love for nature, they had a love for dominating nature, bending the living world to
11:04suit their needs. While their Alfheim cousins lived together with the wild things around them,
11:11the denizens of Svartilfheim sought to bend the wills of those weaker than them, to submit to the chains
11:17and the lash.
11:38Vanaheim is the twin sister of Alfheim if not almost the same place. A conjunction similar between Jotunheim
11:46and Midgard. Here dwelt the lords of Seder, the magic of old. While Alfheim might have seemed magical
11:55to the eye of the mortal observer, with its great aspens that glowed in the blue nights, silver rivers,
12:01whose currents sang a melody unexpected of natural rivers, and its majestic wildlife, the elves considered
12:09these things as magical as mushrooms growing in the rain. With Seder, the Vanir had taken that fantastic
12:17forest and turned it into a place of wonder, even to the elves. Seder was a type of magic that
12:25could
12:26influence all living things with but a touch from its wielder. The Vanir turned the pockets of forests
12:33with words of magic to a paradise for themselves, a place of contemplation and solitude, to study and
12:40master the arts of the unknown. The greatest Seder wielder, Freya, could bring forth a mighty oak from
12:48an acorn within no less time than a few breaths, turn a scrawny weakling into a log-tossing warrior,
12:56and call the might of the wild kingdom to her side. Whether the elves taught Seder to the Vanir,
13:03or vice versa, remains a mystery. Nevertheless, so impressed were the elves with the might of the
13:10Vanir, that they accepted Frey, Freya's brother, as their lord. And there he remained until the Aesir-Vanir
13:19war, where he was exchanged to live among the Aesir in Asgard.
13:43Follow the path of the longest route of Yggdrasil, and dig deep into the earth. This route bored
13:51through Midgard, Nidhavalia, and even far past Ginnunagab, to a place beyond Asgard and the sun,
13:59a gloomy abode near Niflheim. Beings of flesh will feel the chill of the grave about their skin,
14:06and their will to live, sapped and dragged from their flesh, as they walked the path to Hell,
14:11known as Helvegr. This path of jagged grey stones, meandered from the outskirts of Hell,
14:19and through the land of lead grey skies, and stagnant winds. A wise traveller would do well
14:25to stay on this road, lest he wished to lose his way, and be lost forever. Helvegr's last guide stone,
14:35stood half-sunken on the outskirts of a great calm and placid lake, with a mirror sheen surface.
14:42Along this lake spread a peaceful shore, where one might rest on the white sand and feel at peace
14:49among the whispering heathers. As all the earthly sorrows dissipate, the sleeper shall feel separated
14:56from the woes of life, for all eternity. The realm of Hell is often mistakenly interpreted as a place
15:04of torment and horror, but that was only half the truth. In reality, the realm was as horrifying as
15:12the crypt or a graveyard. Squirrels roamed the land, tall cypresses dot the hills, and maples shed their
15:21red and yellow leaves during autumn. After all, the ruler of the place was a woman, half alive and half
15:29dead. Hell lived across the great still lake, past the shore of bloated corpses and thick miasma, within
15:38a great black fortress as cheerful as the grave. Here, the lady of the underworld accepted those who
15:46sought the respite of death, and welcomed all who entered her realm, whether they wanted or not.
16:12High above the great ash, Yggdrasil, and beyond the clouds, stood the great land of the Aesir,
16:19Asgard. The only way to this bright golden land, was through the rainbow bridge, Bivrost, a pathway of
16:28pure light, and impossible to find by those unwelcome by the Aesir. Past the fantastic bridge, spread the
16:37great flatlands of the realm. On one of these hills, stood the ever vigilant guardian, Hyndal, with his
16:45loud and enchanted hunting horn. Behind the back of this guardian, stood the hall of Valhalla, a grand
16:53fortress, which welcomed those who had died in glorious battle, to an eternity of feasting, drinking,
17:01fighting, and merrymaking. Overall, Asgard was a mirror of Midgard, but everything within its confines,
17:11radiated with untold power. Every stone of this great realm, was as hard as diamonds. No acts of
17:19mortal make, could dream of even nicking the mighty oaks, in the surrounding lush forests, and the lakes
17:25and streams, produced a water so potent, a single drop could carry a man, through a desert, for years.
17:33The sun above, shone with such glory, its rays could blind those unaccustomed to it, and the winds of
17:41this height, could blow away weaker men, on a calm day. The might of Asgard, produced beings of equal
17:49measure, mighty warriors and poets, who could bellow louder than the howl of the winds, and toss stones,
17:56as heavy as elephants. It should come as no surprise, that only the worthy, were welcome in Asgard.
18:05How could anything lesser, hope to survive such a place?
18:36Asgard Hayward
18:39You
