he sea,
where they found two trees, and from them they made the first man and
the first woman, Ask and Embla (ash and elm). Odin gave them life,
Hoener reason, Lodur blood and fair complexion. The gods gave them
Midgard for a home, and from them the whole human race is descended.

The evergreen ash tree Ygdrasil is the finest of all trees. It
shoots up from three roots. One of them is in the well Hvergelmer in
Niflheim, and on this the dragon Nidhugger is gnawing. The other root
is in Yotunheim, in the wise Yotun Mimer's fountain. One of Odin's
eyes, which he pledged for a drink at this fountain, is kept here.
Whoever drinks of this fountain becomes wise. The third root is in
heaven, at the Urdar well, where the gods hold their Thing or court.
To this place they ride daily over the bridge Bifrost. Here also
the three Norns abide, the maidens Urd, Verdande, and Skuld (past,
present, and future). They pour water from the well over the roots of
the tree. The Norns distribute life and govern fate, and nothing can
change their decision.

The dwelling in heaven of the Aesir or gods is called Asgard. In its
middle was the field of Ida, the gathering-place of the gods, with
Odin's throne, Lidskialv, from which he views the whole world. Odin is
the highest and the oldest of the gods, and all the others honor him
as their father. Odin's hall is Valhalla. The ceiling of this hall
is made of spears, it is covered with shields, and its benches are
ornamented with coats of mail. To this place Odin invites all who have
fallen in battle, and he is therefore called Valfather, _i.e._, the
father of the fallen. The invited fallen heroes are called Einherier;
their sport and pastime is to go out every day and fight and kill each
other; but toward evening they awake to life again and ride home as
friends to Valhalla, where they feast on pork of the barrow Saerimmer,
and where Odin's maidens, the Valkyrias, fill their horns with mead.
These Valkyrias were sent by Odin to all battles on earth, where they
selected those who were to be slain and afterward become the honored
guests at Valhalla. At Odin's side sit the two wolves, Gere and Freke,
and on his shoulders the ravens, Hugin and Munin. These ravens fly
forth every morning and return with tidings from all parts of the
world. Odin's horse is the swift, gray, eight-footed Sleipner. When he
rides to battle he wears a golden helmet, a beautiful coat of mail,
and carries the spear Gungner, w