Niflheim

Niflheim ( Old Norse Niflheimr " dark world " ) is in Norse mythology an icy area in the north, in contrast to the hot Muspellsheim, which is in the south.

In the story of creation is in Niflheim the original source Hvergelmir whose waters fed the Élivágar who poured her icy water in the Ginnungagap, the warmed by the heat Muspellsheims, from which the giant Ymir was the first beings. A root of the World Tree Yggdrasill extends over Niflheim.

Niflheim is preserved as a term exclusively in the Prose Edda Snorri Sturluson and is expected to be his own creation. The notion of a mythical Eisgegend in the north but may be older, as Snorri Niflheim apparently equates twice based on Niflhel with Hel.