Ymir

Primordial frost-giant from whose slain body Odin and his brothers fashioned the world.

Domains

• primordial matter

Powers

• Spawn the first beings from his sweat
• his slain body becomes the substance of the world
• engenders the race of frost-giants from his own body

Epithets

• Aurgelmir old-norse · eddicGravel-yeller; name of the primal giant among the rime-giantsVafþrúðnismál 29-31 (Poetic Edda) (primary)
• Brimir Old Norse · Brimir · bynamea byname of YmirSnorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning (Prose Edda) (primary)

Relations

• killed by: OdinThe primordial frost-giant, sprung from Ginnungagap (no parents), was slain by Odin and his brothers Vili and Vé, who made the world from his body.Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning (Prose Edda), ch. 7-8; Vafþrúðnismál st. 21; Grímnismál st. 40-41 (primary)

Sources

• existence: Prose Edda, Gylfaginning 5-8; Poetic Edda, Völuspá 3, Vafþrúðnismál 21, Grímnismál 40-41 (primary)