"Following Ragnarok Glossary" by Angela Perry

Glossary

The Nine Norse Worlds

Asgard – Home of the Aesir.

Andlang – A hidden world above Asgard.

Vidblain – A hidden world above Asgard.

Vanaheim – Home of the Vanir.

Alfheim – Home of the light elves.

Midgard – Home of the humans.

Jotunheim – Home of the giants.

Muspelheim – Home of the fire giants, one of the first elemental worlds.

Niflheim – Home of the ice giants (destroyed when Midgard was formed), one of the first elemental worlds.

Svartalfheim – Home of the dark elves.

Hel – Home of Queen Hel and the legions of damned souls.

Names, Places, and Events

These words are defined only so far as they relate to this book. Everything is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge, based on the Eddas and other surviving Norse works. More information may be available, if you want to do the research!

Aesir – The warrior gods who lived in Asgard.

Baldur – Youngest son of Odin, fabled for his handsomeness, he was killed through trickery by Loki using the great sword Mistletoe. He lives with his brother Hermod in Hel. He is destined to return after Ragnarok to rule over the younger gods in a reborn universe.

Draugr – Undead creatures from Norse tradition that have a solid, physical form, and a wispy, noncorporeal form. They are generally violent, with incredible strength and an insatiable hunger. They could shape-shift and expand to huge proportions.

Eitri – Fabled dark elf craftsman, who is said to have created some of the gods’ most valued treasures.

Eliudnir – Translates as “misery,” the greatest hall in Hel, where Queen Hel herself lives.

Fimbulwinter – The great winter preceding Ragnarok.

Garm – The giant wolf that protects Nagrind, the gates of Hel. The wolf, covered in blood for eternity, lives in the cave Gnipahellir. He is killed during Ragnarok by the god Tyr.

Gimle – The only hall in Asgard to survive the fires of Surt, it is here that souls will dwell after the rebirth of the universe.

Gjallarbru – The bridge that crosses the River Gjoll and leads into Hel. The bridge rings loudly if anyone living steps upon it, but stays silent when the dead cross.

Gjoll – The river that surrounds Hel, full of ice and sharp knives.

Gnipahellir – The cave where Garm resides, one of the two passages into Hel (the other being Helvegr).

Helvegr – The road that leads from Niflheim and Hel to the higher realm of Asgard. One of two ways to travel to Hel (the other being through Gnipahellir).

Hermod – The brother of Baldur. He traveled to Hel after Baldur was killed to rescue him, but when he could not, chose to stay with his brother.

Hoedin – One of the Aesir who went to live with the Vanir as part of an ancient peace treaty. His staff enables him to see the future.

Hvergelm – Well of cold in Niflheim, it is the source of all cold rivers in all worlds.

Idavoll – A meadow in Asgard that will survive Surt’s fire.

Idun – The Aesir goddess who tended the tree of life, which produced the golden apples that prevented the gods from growing old.

Lif and Lifthrasir – Two humans that reappear after the universe is reborn to repopulate Migard.

Modgud – The giantess who guards the Gjallarbru bridge.

Nastrond – Literally “corpse shore,” it is the barren shore that surrounds Hel. Here Nidhogg lives, feasting on the corpses of the damned.

Nidhogg – A great winged, serpentlike dragon that lives in Hel and feasts on the corpses of the dead. It also tries to destroy the World Tree by gnawing on one of the roots. Its mortal enemy is the great eagle of Asgard. It’s name means “Malice Striker.”

Norns – In later mythology, these figures were known as the three fates. They tend the World Tree and oversee the fate of the universe.

Nagrind – “Corpse gate,” the gate to Hel guarded by Garm.

Odin – The high god in Norse mythology.

Ragnarok – The great battle at the end of the world, heralded by Fimbulwinter, in which most of the great gods are killed and all the worlds and their inhabitants burned.

Surt – The leader of the fire giants, who burns the worlds at the end of time.

Tyr – One of the Aesir, killed by Garm during Ragnarok.

Valkyrie – The winged women who rode wolves into battle to collect the worthy dead and bring them to Asgard.

Vanir – The gods of thought and fertility, generally peaceful, counterpoints to the Aesir. The Vanir lived in Vanaheim.

Well of Urd – A well in Asgard at the base of the World Tree, it feeds one of the Tree’s roots. The Norns live near the well and tend it, as well as the Tree.

References

I have gathered my knowledge of Norse mythology in bits and pieces over the years, so not all my sources are listed. A good portion of them are, though, so if you are into that sort of thing, go nuts!

Canote, Swain Wodening. “Cosmology and the Soul: The Nine Worlds.” http://www.ealdriht.ord/cosmo1.html

Davidson, R. Ellis. Gods and Myths of the Viking Age.  Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc, with Penguin Books Ltd (UK). 2006 edition. Original edition 1964.

Hollander, Lee M. (Translator). The Poetic Edda. University of Texas Press, 2^nd revised edition, 1986.

Sturluson, Snorri, with Jesse L. Byock (Translator). The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology. Penguin Classics, 2006.

Ward, Christie (The Viking Answer Lady). “Old Norse Names.” http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ONNames.shtml

Wikipedia. Multiple articles. A good central page to start is “Norse Mythology.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_mythology