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Niflheim is the world of ice, mist and cold in Norse mythology, one of the two worlds that existed before creation. Where its ice met the fire of Muspelheim, the first being, the giant Ymir, came to life.
What is Niflheim?
Niflheim is the primordial world of ice, mist and cold, one of the two realms that existed before creation. In its heart roars the spring Hvergelmir, source of the eleven icy rivers called the Elivagar, and one of Yggdrasil's three roots reaches down into it.
Niflheim and the making of the world
When the freezing air of Niflheim met the heat of Muspelheim across the void of Ginnungagap, the ice melted into the first drops of life and the giant Ymir took shape. Niflheim's mists and frost thus stand at the very beginning of the world, and its cold is bound up with death and the deep places beneath the tree.
Ruled by: no one. Niflheim is older than the gods, and the sources name no ruler over it.
Its ice met the fire of Muspelheim, and from them came Ymir.
Questions
What is the difference between Niflheim and Helheim?
Niflheim is the world of primal ice and mist; Helheim is the world of the dead, ruled by Hel. Some sources place Hel within Niflheim's cold.
Who rules Niflheim?
No one. It is older than the gods.