The Norsemen visualized the universe in three vertical levels; a tricentric structure. Between each level and its adjacent level was a space.
The axis of the three levels and nine worlds was the Yggdrasill tree, a mighty ash which is timeless, has no origin and will survive Ragnarok.
The first level
- Asgard, world of the Aesir
- Vanaheim, land of the Vanir
- Alfheim, land of the light elves.
The second level
- Midgard, Land of humans (middle world/garden)
- Nidavellir, Land of the dwarfs
- Jotunheim, Land of the giants (Jotuns)
- Svartalfheim, Land of the dark elves.
The third level
- Hel, Realm of the dead
- Niflheim, World of the dead.
If Hel and Niflheim comprised one world, as is suggested in some sources, the ninth may have been Muspelheim (Muspell), the land of the fire giants. This region had no place in the tricentric structure of the universe, and Snorri Sturluson wrote that is was the first world to exist and that is lies in the southern hemisphere. Also, the worlds of Svartalfheim and Nidavellir may have been the same. No valid distinction can be drawn between the dwarfs and dark elves; they appear to have been interchangeable.
Nimshi
Thanks alot for all the great information. i am currently building a D&D game based on the norse culture and all this info is very useful.
Gabe Aubry
Sorry to point this, but you forgot Muspel(heim), land of the fire giants. It super important, since it is one of the first two realms in the creation myth and the evil guardian of this land, Surt, will burn the world to ashes with his sword of fire after the final battle of Ragnarok.
Eirik
Gabe.
He did Mention it. But there does lie an uncertainty with muspelheim as well as Hel fitting into Niflheim. Which he had mention of as well. He could have gone into a bit more detail in respect to the topic, but if you look at the first
Paragraph it does make mention of it.
Hail.
John Most
Hel is not a realm in Nordic Mythology, Hel is the daughter of Loki, sister to Fenrir the wolf and Jormunjur or the Midgard Serpent
Roy
Hel, Loki’s daughter, was appointed by Odin to watch over the realm of the same name. So technically, Hel watches over Hel, or Helheim. Some literatures list Helheim as a land inside of Niflheim, but many Norse believed Helheim to be it’s own realm as Hel was awarded some of the dead.
Greg
Alfheim is the realm of the light and dark elves.
Svartalfheim is actually the land of dwarves, Nidavellir is what the dwarves call it because Svartalf means dark elf, the name given by the Aesir who couldn’t tell the difference between dwarves and dark elves. So they’re the same realm.
You’re only slightly right about Helheim too. Helheim is where the dead go who didn’t die in battle and if human. Elves, dwarves, giants etc go to Helheim when they die and are absorbed by Alfheims light.