Niflheim

E73466

Niflheim is the primordial, icy realm of cold and mist in Norse mythology, often associated with darkness, fog, and the origins of cosmic creation.

Aliases (2)


Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf location in Norse mythology
mythological realm
primordial world
afterlifeFunction abode of some of the dead
realm for those who die of sickness or old age in some traditions
associatedDeity Hel
associatedPlace Helheim
associatedWith cold
darkness
death
fog
ice
mist
the underworld
contains Hvergelmir
many venomous rivers
spring Hvergelmir
Élivágar rivers
contrastedWith Muspelheim
cosmicInteraction interacts with Muspelheim in creation myth
cosmicOriginRole its icy vapors met Muspelheim’s fire to form Ymir
one of the first realms to exist
cosmicRole primordial realm of cold and mist
cosmologicalPosition located in the north in Norse cosmology
one of the primordial worlds in Norse cosmology
culture Norse mythology
element ice
water
etymology Old Norse for “world of mist” or “home of mist”
etymologyComponent “heimr” meaning “home” or “world”
“nifl” meaning “mist” or “darkness”
feature freezing winds
perpetual cold
perpetual darkness
thick mists
governedBy Hel
inhabitedBy frost and rime
languageOfName Norse
surface form: "Old Norse"
mentionedBy Snorri Sturluson
mentionedIn Gylfaginning
Prose Edda
mythology Norse
numberOfRealmsContext one of the Nine Worlds in some traditions
opposedTo the warmth and fire of Muspelheim
realmType underworld realm in some Norse sources
roleInMyth source of icy rivers that helped create the first being Ymir
sometimesIdentifiedWith Helheim
symbolism symbol of cold, death, and inertia

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Helheim associatedWith Niflheim
this entity surface form: "Niflhel"
Muspelheim contrastedWith Niflheim
Norse mythology featuresPlace Niflheim
Nine Worlds hasRealm Niflheim
this entity surface form: "Niflheimr"
Yggdrasil hasRealm Niflheim
this entity surface form: "Niflheimr"
Yggdrasil hasRootIn Niflheim
this entity surface form: "Niflheimr"
Helheim locatedIn Niflheim
this entity surface form: "Niflheimr"
Helheim sometimesEquatedWith Niflheim
this entity surface form: "Niflhel"