Yggdrasil: An Origin Story

Draft Script V.2

Anthony Duke

Glossary Asgard [as-guard ] Aurgelmir [ aw-gill-mear ] Bestla [best-la ] Bor [ boar ] Ginnungagap [ gi-nun-ga-gap ] Muspellheim [ mus-spell-heim ] Script v.2 Niflheim [ niffel-heim ] Ragnarok [ rag-na-rock ] Ve [ vee ] Vili [ villy ] Yggdrasil [ igg-dra-zill ] Ymir [ i-mear]

In the beginning, there was Ginnungagap, the great void before all things and within Ginnungagap, two realms, Muspellheim, realm of fire, and Niflheim, realm of Ice. Across the great space of Ginnungagap the two realms spread, until colliding in heat and in steam, a great explosion spewing a mighty ocean of water high into the air. As the water fell, it mixed with ash and clay from Muspellheim to make the body of the giant, Aurgelmir, also known as Ymir. When his right foot mated with his left, Ymir gave birth to a son with six heads, and from beneath Ymirs left armpit a man and women were born. These beings would go on to found the races of the Ice and mountain Giants. From the Ice of Niflheim a man was uncovered, Buri, the first of the Gods. Buri gave birth to Bor, who married Bestla, and in time they had 3 children, Vili, Ve and Odin. All other Gods, men and Giants would descend from these primal beings. Those forged from pure Ice and fire were good, and those who were not became evil and a mighty conflict ensued, and it was in this battle that Odin, Vili and Ve slayed Ymir. The Gods used the remains of Ymir to create the world; from his body they created the earth, forging from it the mountains tall and the seabeds deep. They filled the oceans, seas and rivers with Ymirs blood, and took his teeth and bones for rocks, crags and cliffs. His hair gave the world its bushes and trees, Ymirs bones they ground to powder to form the deserts, and from his flesh, torn and corrupt, the Gods created dwarfs and trolls. Ymirs skull they lifted high above the earth to form the sky, where it was held in place by four dwarfs, who Odin named North, South, East and West. From Ymirs remains grew Yggdrasil, the life tree. Yggdrasil, invisible to man, supported the universe. The great ash grew through all of the nine worlds, its roots pushing deep into the depths of Niflheim and its tallest branches resting in Asgard, the realm of the Gods.