Ymir and Audhumla

Within the void the air was windless, yet from the north the frost blew in and from the south the sparks and cinders entered. The frost melted from the heat releasing water droplets, these droplets joined together in the form of a humanoid figure, Ymir (The large Frost-Giant). As Ymir slept sweat covered his body, from his left armpit a man and woman emerged followed by a son from his leg, these were the first Frost Giants. As the frost continued to melt the cow Audhumla was formed, Ymir fed from her udder while she fed from the ice blocks.

(Image sourced from: http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118142/norsepan/creation.php)

After she had fed on the first day the hair of a man appeared, after the second his head formed and the third his entire being. A large, strong man named Buri had been created; Buri then had a son Bor, with no explanation as to how he came to be. Bor then married a giant woman named Bestla, the daughter of Bolthorn (Evil-thorn), and it was from Bestla that Bor had three sons. Odin, Vili, Ve, they then became the first Gods.

The three brothers killed Ymir, who's blood flooded the land. All frost giants bar Bergelmir (Mountain-bellower) drowned, he climbed upon a log with his wife and together they lived to start new families of frost giants.

The brothers placed Ymir's body in the middle of the void (I refuse to try to spell it out again) and it was from his body that the earth was formed; his blood becoming the sea and lakes, his flesh the soil and his bones the rocks. They used the giants teeth and bone fragments to form stones and boulders. As the Earth was circular with the sea of blood they realised it would be difficult to cross.

Taking Ymir's head they formed the heaven's from it carefully placing it above the Earth with a dwarf under each corner, Austri (East), Vestri (West), Nordri (North) and Sudri (South). The clouds are formed from Ymir's brain.

They named the Earth Midgard (Middle Home).