Creatures:
AudumlaA giant cow creaated from the melting drops in Niflheim. From her udder flowed four rivers of milk, on which Ymir fed. The cow itself got nourishment by licking hoar frost and salt from the ice. (See Ymir for more information)
Bor
Bor is a primordial Norse man, the son of Buri. He married the giantess Bestla, who is a daughter of the frost giant Bolthorn. Bor and Bestla had three children who became the first gods: Odin, Vili, Ve.
Buri
Buri is the primeval man in Norse mythology. He had neither father nor mother, but was created by a cow named Audumla. As she licked the salt blocks of Ginnagagap, the shape of a man -- Buri -- was formed. Buri had a son named Bor. Bor had three sons who were gods: Odin, Vili, and Ve.
FenrirFenrir (or Fenris) is a gigantic and terrible monster in the shape of a wolf. He is the eldest child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda.
The gods learned of a prophecy which stated that the wolf and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. They caught the wolf and locked him in a cage. The god of war, Tyr, was the only one who dared to feed and take care of the wolf. When he was still a pup they had nothing to fear, but when the gods saw one day how he had grown, they decided to render him harmless. However, none of the gods had enough courage to face the gigantic wolf, so they tried to trick him instead. They said the wolf was weak and that he could never break free when he was chained. Fenrir accepted the challenge, and let himself voluntarily be chained. Unfortunately, he was so immensely strong that he managed to break the strongest fetters as if they were cobwebs.
After that, the gods saw only one alternative left: a magic chain. They ordered the dwarves to make something so strong that it could hold the wolf, and the result was a soft, thin ribbon: Gleipnir. It was incredibly strong, despite what its size and appearance might suggest. The ribbon was fashioned of six strange elements: the noise made by the footfall of a cat; the roots of a mountain; a woman's beard; the breath of fishes; the sinews of a bear; and a bird's spittle.
The gods tried to trick the wolf again, only this time Fenrir was less eager to show his strength. He saw how thin the chain was, and said that was no pride in breaking such a weak chain. Eventually Fenrir agreed, thinking that otherwise his strength and courage would be doubted. Suspecting treachery however, he in turn asked the gods for a token of good will: one of them had to put a hand between his jaws. The gods were not overly eager to do this, knowing what they could expect. Finally, it was Tyr who agreed, and the gods chained the wolf with Gleipnir. No matter how hard Fenrir struggled, he could not break free from this thin ribbon, and eventually bit off Tyr's hand in revenge.
Being very pleased with themselves, the gods carried Fenrir off and chained him to a rock, a mile down into the earth. They put a sword between his jaws to prevent him from biting. On the day of Ragnarok, Fenrir will break his chains and join the giants in their battle against the gods. He will seek out Odin and devour him. Vidar, Odin's son, will avenge his father by killing the wolf.
Another name for Fenrir is Hrodvitnir which means "Mighty Wolf".
Hati
Hati means hate. He is a giant wolf who is chasing Mani (the personification of the moon, son of Mundilfari and brother of Sol, the sun). Whenever the wolf managed to catch the moon, a lunar eclipse would take place. This caused great consternation, and by making a lot of noise people tried to scare the wolf away.
Hel
Hel is the ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead. She is the youngest child of the evil god Loki and the giantess Angrboda. She is usually described as a horrible hag, half alive and half dead, with a gloomy and grim expression. Her face and body are those of a living woman, but her thighs and legs are those of a corpse, mottled and moldering.
The gods had abducted Hel and her brothers from Angrboda's hall. They cast her in the underworld, into which she distributes those who are send to her; the wicked and those who died of sickness or old age. Her hall in Helheim is called Eljudnir, home of the dead. Her manservant is Ganglati and her maidservant is Ganglot (which both can be translated as "tardy").
Garm
The monstrous hound Garm guards the entrance to Helheim, the Norse realm of the dead. It has four eyes and a chest drenched with blood, and lives in Gnipa-cave. Anyone who had given bread to the poor could appease him with Hel cake. On the day of Ragnarok, Garm will join the giants in their fight against the gods. The god of war Tyr will kill it in this cataclysmic battle but will die from the wounds inflicted by the hound.
Garm is often equated with the wolf Fenrir. It can also be compared with Cerberus, the Greek guardian of the underworld.
Nidhogg
The guardian of Spring of Hvergelmir. Nidhogg ("Tearer of Corpses") is a monstrous serpent that gnaws perpetually at the deepest root of the World Tree Yggdrasil, threatening to destroy it. This serpent is always bickering with the eagle that houses in the top of the tree. It lies on Nastrond in Niflheim, were it also eats corpses to sustain itself. Nidhogg is not the only serpent whose task it is to destroy the World Tree. Other serpents include Graback, Grafvolluth, Goin and Moin.
Skoll
A monster created for one purpose, and that is to swallow the sun at Ragnarok.
Surt
Surt is a Fire Giant who lives with the People of Muspel in Muspelheim. Surt carries a great sword which shines brighter than the sun. In Ragnarok, he is the one who sets the world on fire and burns it down.
Ymir
Ymir is the primordial giant and the progenitor of the race of frost giants. He was created from the melting ice of Niflheim, when it came in contact with the hot air from Muspell. From Ymir's sleeping body the first giants sprang forth: one of his legs fathered a son on his other leg while from under his armpit a man and women grew out.
The frost kept melting and from the drops the divine cow Audumla was created. From her udder flowed four rivers of milk, on which Ymir fed. The cow itself got nourishment by licking hoar frost and salt from the ice. On the evening on the first day the hair of a man appeared, on the second day the whole head and on the third day it became a man, Buri, the first god. His grandchildren are Odin, Ve and Vili.
Odin and his brothers had no liking for Ymir, nor for the growing number of giants, and killed him. In the huge amount of blood that flowed from Ymir's wounds all the giants, except two, drowned. From the slain body the brothers created heaven and earth. They used the flesh to fill the Ginnungagap; his blood to create the lakes and the seas; from his unbroken bones they made the mountains; the giant's teeth and the fragments of his shattered bones became rocks and boulders and stones; trees were made from his hair, and the clouds from his brains. Odin and his brothers raised Ymir's skull and made the sky from it and beneath its four corners they placed a dwarf. Finally, from Ymir's eyebrow they shaped Midgard, the realm of man. The maggots which swarmed in Ymir's flesh they gave wits and the shape of men, but they live under the hills and mountains. They are called dwarfs.
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