household, who got away in a boat. Then
Bor's sons took Ymir and bore him into the midst of Yawning-gap, and
made of him the earth; of his blood seas and waters, of his flesh earth
was made; they set the earth fast, and laid the sea round about it in
a ring without; of his bones were made rocks; stones and pebbles of his
teeth and jaws and the bones that were broken; they took his skull and
made the lift thereof, and set it up over the earth with four sides, and
under each corner they set dwarfs, and they took his brain and cast it
aloft, and made clouds. They took the sparks and gledes that went loose,
and had been cast out of Muspellheim, and set them in the lift to give
light; they gave resting-places to all fires, and set some in the lift;
some fared free under it, and they gave them a place and shaped their
goings. A wondrous great smithying, and deftly done. The earth is
fashioned round without, and there beyond, round about it lies the deep
sea; and on that sea-strand the gods gave land for an abode to the giant
kind, but within on the earth made they a burg round the world against
restless giants, and for this burg reared they the brows of Ymir, and
called the burg Midgard. The gods went along the sea-strand and found
two stocks, and shaped out of them men; the first gave soul and life,
the second wit and will to move, the third face, hearing, speech, and
eyesight. They gave them clothing and names; the man Ask and the woman
Embla; thence was mankind begotten, to whom an abode was given under
Midgard. Then next Bor's sons made them a burg in the midst of the
world, that is called Asgard; there abode the gods and their kind, and
wrought thence many tidings and feats, both on earth and in the Sky.
Odin, who is hight Allfather, for that he is the father of all men and
sat there in his high seat, seeing over the whole world and each man's
doings, and knew all things that he saw. His wife was called Frigg, and
their offspring is the Asa-stock, who dwell in Asgard and the realms
about it, and all that stock are known to be gods. The daughter and wife
of Odin was Earth, and of her he got Thor, him followed strength and
sturdiness, thereby quells he all things quick; the strongest of all
gods and men, he has also three things of great price, the hammer
Miolnir, the best of strength belts, and when he girds that about him
waxes his god strength one-half, and his iron gloves that he may not
miss for holding his hammer's haf