Germanic Fairy Tales E-Book

Mia Mirillia

• Herausgeber: Mia Mirillia
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

A gateway to the mythical world of the Germanic tribes

Experience the fascinating world of Germanic fairy tales - full of powerful gods, brave heroes and dark giants. These stories take you back to a time when myths and legends ruled the world. From the creation of man from wood to the last great battle of Ragnarök, timeless tales of unbridled power and ancient wisdom unfold here.

Gods, heroes and the forces of fate

The tales of the Germanic tribes are more than just stories - they are deep insights into the fate of the worlds. Accompany Thor in his battle against the giants, experience Loki's wiles and find out how the Norns weave the threads of fate. You will encounter elves, giants and dark forces that hide in the mists of the nine worlds.

Magic, battles and the power of runes

Runes, spells and magical weapons run through these tales like invisible threads. From the hammer Mjolnir to the cursed Draupnir ring - these symbols of power shape the legends of the gods. Whether through cunning, bravery or divine insight - each story shows how knowledge and courage can triumph over brute force.

A journey into the depths of the ancient worlds

This book takes you through the entire world of Germanic myths - from the creation of the first humans to the final battle of the gods. Immerse yourself in the hidden realms of the elves and the dark caves of the dark elves. Let yourself be enchanted by fairy tales that are as wild, mystical and unpredictable as the Germanic world itself.

A book for everyone who loves myths, sagas and legends - timeless, powerful and unforgettable.

Leseprobe

Germanic Fairy Tales

Of gods, giants and hidden beings - tales from the time before time

Mia Mirillia

Overview

The origin of the world ash tree Yggdrasil

The creation of man Ask and Embla

The legend of Sigurd (Siegfried) and Fafnir

Loki and the betrayal of the gods

The Valkyries and the fate of the heroes

The story of Balder and his death

The abduction of Idun and her golden apples

The cunning of Odin in the search for knowledge

The dwarves and the construction of Mjolnir

The winter giant Thiazi and the theft of Idun

Freyja and the Brisingamen

Thor and the journey to Utgard

Skadi and the choice of her husband

The birth of Sleipnir

The punishment of Loki

Freyja's journey to the giants

The wolf Fenrir and his shackles

The revenge of the Valkyries

The greed of the dragon Fafnir

The robbery of the golden rooster

The fight between Thor and Hrungnir

The Rape of the Sun and the Moon

The creation of the mist and the frost giants

The history of the albums and elves

The origin of the world ash tree Yggdrasil

In the depths of ancient times, when neither heaven nor earth were formed, there was nothing but emptiness. This void was called "Ginnungagap" by the ancient Germanic tribes, the gaping abyss that lay between the two worlds - Niflheim, the cold, misty world of ice, and Muspelheim, the fiery, glowing world of flames. Where frost and fire met, the first water was formed, which froze into drops and eventually created life. Ymir, the first giant, was formed from these drops, and with him came the birth of life into the world.

But as fate would have it, Ymir was not the only creature. Other creatures formed from the drops of water: the cow Audhumbla, who licked salt from the ice with her tongue. A figure gradually emerged from the ice she licked: Buri, the first of the gods. From Buri descended the gods who soon claimed power over the world. Buri fathered Bor, and Bor fathered Odin, Vili and Vé, the first of the Aesir.

The Aesir saw the disorder of the world and decided to shape it. They killed Ymir, the primordial giant, and formed the world from his body. His blood became seas and rivers, his flesh became earth, his bones became mountains and his teeth became stones. From Ymir's skull they built the sky, and his brain matter became clouds. This is how the world as humans knew it came into being - a world of blood, bones and flesh.

But in the middle of this newly created world, at the center of all worlds, a tree grew. It was not just any tree, but the world ash tree, which was later called Yggdrasil. Its roots penetrated deep into the earth, its crown reached high into the sky and its branches spanned all nine worlds. Yggdrasil was not just a tree, but a living being that connected the entire world. Its branches hovered over Asgard, the home of the Aesir, and Midgard, the world of men. Its roots reached down to Hel, the realm of the dead.

Yggdrasil had three mighty roots, and each root led to an important spring. The first root led to the Urd Fountain, the source of fate, where the three Norns - Urd (past), Verdandi (present) and Skuld (future) - lived. They were the weavers of fate, and every day they drew water from the well to nourish the roots of Yggdrasil. The water of the Urdwell was pure and sacred, and the water kept Yggdrasil green and alive.

The second root led down to Mimir's well, the source of wisdom. There sat Mimir, the wise giant who carried all the knowledge of the worlds within him. Odin himself sacrificed one of his eyes to drink a single sip from the well and thus gained the wisdom he needed to rule Asgard. Even today, Odin's eye rests in the depths of the well as a testimony to his sacrifice.

The third root of Yggdrasil reached deep into Niflheim, where the well Hvergelmir lay. From Hvergelmir flowed the eleven rivers of the world, the pus streams that marked the boundary between life and death. Here lived Nidhöggr, the fearsome dragon who gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil day and night in order to destroy the tree. The tree groaned and shook, but the Norns anointed it daily with the water of the Urd Well so that it could never completely perish.

The animals that inhabited Yggdrasil were themselves of great importance. At the top of the tree lived the eagle Hraesvelgr, whose flapping wings created the winds of the world. Between the eagle's eyes sat a falcon called Veðrfölnir, who surveyed everything and reported back to the gods. At Yggdrasil's side walked the squirrel Ratatöskr, a cunning messenger who carried messages back and forth between the eagle at the treetop and the dragon Nidhöggr at the root. But Ratatöskr was not a peaceful messenger - he deliberately delivered insults in order to stir up conflict between the eagle and the dragon. Thus began the eternal conflict between the two.

The four stags Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór lived in the branches of Yggdrasil. They ate the young shoots of the tree and represented the eternal cycle of growth and decay. Despite all these threats, Yggdrasil was unwavering. The Norns, the stags, the dragon, the squirrel and the eagle - all were part of the balance that held the nine worlds together.

The gods often gathered at the foot of Yggdrasil to hold council. It was here, at the Urd Fountain, that they discussed the fate of the world. For it was known that Yggdrasil would witness the end of the world. In the prophecy of Ragnarök, the last war of the gods, the world ash tree would tremble when the gods fell. The Norns had seen it as they sat by the well, and they wove these threads of fate into the great fabric of time. It was said that although the tree Yggdrasil would tremble, it would never fall completely - for even when the old worlds die, new worlds grow from its seeds.

At the end of all days, when the flames of Muspelheim consume the world, when Fenrir devours the sun and the earth sinks into the depths of the sea, Yggdrasil will burn. Its roots will glow in the fire and its branches will splinter. But deep in its bark, hidden from the flames, a new seedling will grow. This seedling will give birth to the new world, and the ashes of the old world will become its soil.

Thus stands Yggdrasil - past, present and future in one. Its branches carry the stories of the worlds, its roots nourish the powers of destiny, and its crown overlooks all that has been and ever will be. It is the tree of life, death and rebirth.

The creation of man Ask and Embla

When the gods Odin, Vili and Vé created the world from the body of the giant Ymir, they walked the shores of Midgard, the world of men. They looked at the fields, the rivers and the forests, but something was missing. The world was beautiful, but it was empty. The gods felt that creation was not complete, for there were no beings to experience and admire all this splendor. It was Odin who spoke first:

"Let us create beings that can live, breathe and grasp the world with their senses."

The brothers Vili and Vé agreed. As they walked along the shore, they spotted two trees lying side by side on the beach. The first tree was an ash, strong, resilient and with a sturdy trunk. The second tree was an elm, supple, flexible and graceful. Odin said:

"These two trunks are to be the form of our new creatures."

Odin, the god of the spirit, laid his hands on the trees and breathed breath and life into them. The trunks began to shake, their branches moved like limbs and they breathed in the air of Midgard for the first time. Vili, the god of mind, gave the beings mind and consciousness. Their eyes opened and for the first time they saw the world around them. Vé, the god of the senses, touched the creatures and gave them form, speech and senses. They felt the warmth of the sun, heard the calls of the birds and felt the sand under their feet.

The ash tree became a man, whom they called Ask, and the elm tree became a woman, whom they christened Embla. The gods regarded their creation with pride. They had created beings who could breathe, see, feel, hear and think . Ask and Embla were the first humans - strong like the ash tree and graceful like the elm.

The gods saw that Ask and Embla could no longer stay on the beach. They needed a place they could call home. So the gods built Midgard for them, Middle-earth, which lay between the worlds of the gods and the worlds of the giants. A large protective wall made from the eyebrows of the giant Ymir was built around Midgard to protect the people from the dangers of Jötunheim, the land of the giants.

At first, Ask and Embla wandered through the fields, forests and rivers in amazement. Every stone, every flower and every bird was new to them. They saw the stars in the night sky and heard the rustling of the leaves as the wind blew through the branches. For the first time, they felt hungry, cold and tired. They searched for fruit and berries, sought shelter under trees and rested on soft moss.

But they soon realized that they needed more. They wanted shelter from the rain, food for the winter and warmth in the cold. Odin saw their struggle and called upon the norns Urd, Verdandi and Skuld. The norns, who watched over fate and time, gave Ask and Embla the gift of craftsmanship and work. They learned how to work wood to build huts, how to shape stones into tools and how to light fires.

Odin taught them the knowledge of runes, symbols that contained magic and knowledge. With the runes, they could not only understand their surroundings, but also interpret the future. This is how Ask and Embla, the first humans, began to master their surroundings. They built their first hut out of wood and moss, lit a fire and spent the first night in their own home. This was the beginning of human civilization.

But the gods knew that human life would not be without its trials. Giants lurked in the shadows of Jötunheim and creatures crawled out of the depths of the underworld, ready to tear people to their doom. So the gods gave humans the ability to be fearful and brave. They were supposed to feel fear when danger threatened, but also summon up the courage to overcome it.

The gods placed the threads of human destiny in the hands of the Norns. Every birth, every life and every death was woven into the great fabric of fate. Humans were mortal, but their deeds could remain eternal in the fabric of the Norns. It was said that the Norns wrote the names of all humans on the roots of Yggdrasil so that even the gods would never forget who had lived in the world.

Ask and Embla lived in Midgard for many years. They fathered children, and their children fathered more children. Humanity grew, and soon there were many settlements, villages and tribes. People hunted in the forests, fished in the rivers and cultivated the land that the gods had given them.

The gods looked with favor on the growth of humanity, but they also saw the struggles that humans had to fight. Time and again, the gods cast glances at mankind. Odin sent his ravens Huginn and Muninn to explore the world and report to him on the deeds of mankind.

Ask and Embla came to symbolize the origin of mankind. Their children carried on their names in the songs of the skald poets. People worshipped the Aesir as their creators and hoped that the gods would continue to help them. Odin, Vili and Vé looked upon their creation with satisfaction, but they knew that humans had to fight alone - against the cold of winter, the fury of the giants and the threads of fate that the Norns wove inexorably.

The legend of Sigurd (Siegfried) and Fafnir