Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Be careful and watch your steps when you enter the realms of Jötunheimr, the home of the fearful giants in Norse mythology. You might think twice before undertaking a journey to this dark, inhospitable place surrounded by dark forests and mountain peaks. Even the most courageous Norse Gods feared this place where winter never sleeps.
Stormjätten jordskakaren (Storm giant, the Earthshaker) av John Bauer (1882 - 1918). Credit: Public Domain
Jötunheimr was the dwelling place of the giants (Old Norse: Jötnar) and one of the nine worlds of Norse cosmology. It was also known as Utgard, which means "Beyond the Fence."
According to ancient myths and legends, the first living being to walk the Earth was a Jotun named Ymir, and from him the world was created.
Since there was no fertile land in Jötunheimr, the Jotuns lived off the fish in the waters and the animals in the dense forests.
The superhuman, fearsome giants living in Jötunheimr were enemies of the Aesir gods and goddesses, and frequent battles broke out between the two races. Nonetheless, three Jotun giants entered Asgard, the realm of the Norse gods, and were accepted.
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See also:
Giant Hrungnir Who Lost The Race And Engaged In A Deadly Duel With Mighty Thor In Norse Mythology
Norse Frost Giant Vafthrudnir Who Was A Mastermind Of Riddles
Brokkr And Eitri – Norse Dwarves Who Fashioned Magical Artifacts For The Gods
