CHEAT HL\ (>r ///;.! I'A'.V AXD EARTH. 'M 



proceeded to make the earth out of his body, and to give the 

 sun, moon, and stars their places in heaven. The flow of his 

 blood was so great as to cause a deluge. Bergelmir was the 

 only one of the Hrim-Thursar who escaped in a boat with his 

 wife, and from him came a new race of Hrim-Thursar. 



" The sons of Bor slew the Jotim Ymir, but when he fell 

 there flowed so much blood from his wounds that it drowned 

 the whole race of the Hrim-Thursar, except one who escaped 

 with his household. Him the Jotnar called Bergelmir; he 

 and his wife went on board his ark, and thus saved them- 

 selves ; from them are descended a new race of Hrim-Thursar " 

 (Later Edda). 



After the destruction of the earlier Hrim-Thursar we hear 

 how the sons of Bor created the world, and we are told how 

 the earth and the heavens were made from Ymir. 



From Ymir's flesh But from his brows 



The earth \vas shaped, The mild gods made 



And from his blood the sea ; Midgard for the sons of men ; 



The mountains from his bones; And from his brain 



From bis hair the trees, Were all the gloomy 



And the heaven from his skull. Clouds created. 



(Grimnismal.) 



We are also told of the creation of the planets and stars, 

 of our world, of the sea, of the moon, and of day and night. 

 The year was reckoned by winters (vetr), and the days by 

 nights (nott). 



The year was divided into months (manud or manad). 



" Haustmanud (harvest-month) is the last before winter; 

 Gormdnud (gore-month, called thus from the slaughter of 

 cattle then taking place) the first month of winter ; Frermdnud 

 (frost-month); Hrutmdnud (the ram's month); Thorri (the 

 month of waning or declining winter) ; Goi, Einmdnud .... 

 then Gaukmdnud or Sddtid (cuckoo-month or sowing-tide) ; 

 Eggtid or Stekktid (egg-tide or weaning-tide) ; Solmdnnd or 

 Selmdnud (sun-month or saeter-month in which the cattle are 

 removed to the sel or saeter) ; Heyjannir (haymaking-month) ; 

 Kornskurdarmdnud (grain-reauing month) " (Skaldskaparmal, 

 c. 63). 



The month was subdivided into six weeks ; each week con- 



