The creation of the World, as told by Norse mythology.

Burning Ice and Biting Flame, before life there was only this. To the South, there was Muspell, the lands of dancing flame. No man can endure these flames, unless born into it. Black Surt sits on his throne at the southernmost reaches of the realm, brandishing his flaming sword. For he is the ender of all, the slayer of Gods. His prophecy is to put an end to the Gods and set the world to fire. To the North sat Nilfheim, the land covered with ice and snow. Here flowed the great headspring of Hverglimir. Between the realms was an area of complete emptiness, known as Ginnungagap. The spring began to flow into Ginnungagap and the molten fires of the south did the same. As the two forces touched one another the fire was cooled as the ice began to melt. From this meeting of Fire and Ice, life began. The first life to be formed was a Giant named Ymir, evil from the birth. As the giant slept, the fire crept upon him and he began to sweat. From the giants left armpit, man and woman Giants oozed out. From his leg yet another was born, a Frost Giant. As the ice continued to melt, the fluid birthed a cow and her name was Audumla. The great Giant fed from her milk and she fed from the ice itself. As Audumla licked the ice she formed the first man and his name was Buri. Buri then fathered a son with one of the giants. His name was Bor and was the forefather of the Gods. Bor then produced 3 children with Bestla, a frost giant born from Ymir. Their childrens names were Odin, Vili and Ve. There was still void, this creation was still happening only in Ginnungagap. The sons of Bor and Ymir began to hate one another as Ymir was evil. The sons of Bor then killed the Giant Ymir and from his body filled the void and Ginnungagap was no more. From Ymir’s flesh Odin created the Earth, from his bones the mountains and his blood the rivers and seas. The brothers then stretched Ymir’s skull over the earth and called it the Sky. To keep the sky stretched they sat four fat dwarves on each of the four corners. Their names were North, South, East, and West. The brothers then allowed the lands to be inhabited by those created in Ginnungagap. Wars followed, so the brothers divided the world into thirds, thus creating Asgard (the realm of the gods), Midgard (the realm of man) and Jotunheim (the realm of Giants). From a burnt tree, Odin created the first man and woman from the ash of the tree and allowed them to inhabit Midgard. Thus beginning life as the Norse once believed.