In the meanwhile, as the cow Aedhumla licked the frost-covered stones, there came forth the first day a man's hair, the second day a head, and the third day an entire man. This man, Berl, or the producing, had a son Bo,. (the produced), who married Beltsa, one of the giant race, by whom he had three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ye.
These three brothers, who were gods, slew Ymir, and carrying his body into the mid dle of Ginnunga-gap, formed from it the earth and the heavens. Of his blood they made all seas and waters, taking the gore that flowed from his body to form the impass able ocean which encircles the earth; of his bones they made the mountains, using the broken splinters and his teeth for the stones and pebbles; of his skull they formed the heavens, at each of the four corners of which stood a dwarf, viz., Austri at the c., Vestri at the w., Northri at the n.. and Suthri at the south. Of his brains they formed the heavy clouds, of his hair plants and herbs of every kind, and of his eyebrows they made a well of defense against the giants round Midgard, the central garden or dwelling place for the sons of men. Then the three brothels; took the glowing sparks that were thrown out of the world Muspelheim, and casting them ot.•r the face of heaven, raised up the sun, moon, stars, and fiery meteors, and appointed to each its place and allotted course; and thus arose days, mouths, and years.
Night was of the race of the giants, and in turn married three husbands, by one of whom she had a daughter, Earth, and by another a son, Day, who was bright and beau tiful like the gods, or Glsir, to whose race his father Denim; belonged. To this mother and son, who were akin to the opposite races of the frost-giants and the gods, AlIfader committed chariots and horses, and placed them in heaven, where Night rides first through her twenty-four hours' course round the earth with her horse Hrimfaxi, front whose bit fall the rime drops that each morning bedew the face of the earth. Close after her comes her fair son Day, with his horse Skinfaxi, from whose shining mane light beams over heaven and earth. All the maidens of giant race were not dark like :Night, for to Munchlfori were born a son and daughter of such beauty that their father gave to them the names of Mani or Moon, and Sol or Sun. The gods, incensed at this presumption, took them up to heaven, and ordained that they should direct the course of the sun and moon, which bad been made to give light to the world, and thenceforth Sol drove the chariot of the sun, which was drawn by two horses, Arvakur (the watch ful) and Alsvith (the rapid), under whose shoulders the gods in pity placed an ice-cool breeze. A shield named Svalin (the cooling) was also by their care attached to the front of the car to save sea and land from being set on tire. 'Mani directs the course of the moon, and he, like his sister, is followed by a wolf that seems about to devour him; and in the end of time this animal, which is of giant race, will with his kindred swallow up the moon, darken the brightness of the sun, let loose the howling winds, and sate him self with the blood of all dying men.
When heaven and earth were thus formed, and all things arranged in their due order, the chief gods or CEsir, of whom there were 12, met in the middle of their city Asgard, which lay ou the plain of Ida. These gods were Odin, or All-father, who has 12 names in Asgard besides many others on earth; Thor, Baldur, Tyr, Bmgi, Ilehndal, Hod, Vidar and Vali his sons, and Niord, Frey, and Forsetti. Here they raised fur themselves a court with a high seat for All•fader; a lofty hall for the•goddesses; and a smithy, in which they worked in metal, stone, and wood, but chiefly in gold, of which precious substance all the implements which they used were made, and hence this period of their existence was known as the golden age.
'Ibis age of peaceful labor lasted till three beautiful but evil maidens made their way from the giants' world, Jotunheim, to Asgard, when confusion and ill-will arose in the world Then the gods, taking counsel, determined to create new beiiigs to people the universe, and firstithey gave human bodies and understanding to the dwarfs, who had been generated like maggots within the dead body of Ymir, but who now took up their abodes in the bowels of the earth, in rocks and stones, and in trees and flowers. Then Odin, with two companions, Hmnir and Lodnr, went forth on an excur• sion to the earth, where, finding two trees, Ask and Embla, created a man and a woman of them, Odin giving them spirit or the breath of life, Ilmmir sense and motion, and Lodur blood and a fair color, with sight, speech, and hearing; and from this pair, whose dwelling was in Midgard, the 1111111:111 race has sprung. A bridge of three colors, Bifrost, known to men as the rainbow, connects Midgard with Asgard, and over this the gods ride daily on their horses to the sacred fountain of Urd, where they sit in judgment. This fountain lies at one of the three roots of the ash, Ygg drasil, whose branches spread over the whole world and tower above the heavens. Under one of these roots is the abode of Het (q.v.), the goddess of the dead, under another, that of the frost-giants. while under the third is the dwelling of human beings. Below the tree lies the serpent Nidhogg, who is constantly gnawing the roots, and striving with his numerous brood of lesser serpents to undermine Yggdrasil, whose branches are as constantly refreshed by water from the well of. Urd, which is poured over them by the Norns. These arc three maidens known as Urd, Verdandi, and (or Past, Present, and Future), who dwell in a fair hall below the ash-tree, wher• they grave on a shield the destiny which they determine for the children of men.