The brothers, Odin, Vili, and Ve conspired to bring about Ymir’s death. The reasons for their blood lust are lost to antiquity. Some assume Ymir was evil, and that’s enough reason to kill him. Others say the three brothers knew what they were doing, and they wanted to create a new world. The brothers themselves are in question. Odin remains the same and becomes the most well-known of the trio. Vili and Ve almost entirely disappear from the record.
Ymir’s Death
Ymir the Frost Giant, also called Aurgelmir, was first living being in Ginnungagap and the great grandfather of the three brothers. When Odin Vili and Ve killed Ymir, they ripped him apart. The blood from his wounds flooded Ginnungagap and drowned all the frost giants except two. As his blood receded, it made the seas and rivers.
Midgard’s Birth
The brothers took Ymir’s flesh and created the Earth. From Ymir’s hair, they made trees, and his bones became the mountains. Ymir’s teeth, jaw, and broken bones became rocks and pebbles. To protect Midgard from the giants, the brothers built a barrier from Ymir’s eyebrows or eyelashes, depending on the story being told.
Rise of the Dwarves
Maggots feasted on Ymir’s flesh. The gods, Odin and his brothers, gave them human understanding and the forms of people. These dwarves lived in the rocks and in the Earth. The brothers put four dwarves at the cardinal points to hold up Ymir’s skull, which became the sky. These dwarves were named Austri, Vestri, Nordri, and Sudri.
Into the Sky
The brothers threw Ymir’s brains into the air, and they became clouds. Sparks rising from Muspell become the stars, sun, and moon. Thus, Ymir’s murder is complete, and the gods are ready to create man and woman.
Sources: Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price (2020).
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/creation.html
https://www.worldhistory.org/Ymir/
