The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

replied, ‘She licked the blocks of ice, which were salty. As she licked these stones of icy rime the first day, the hair of a man appeared in the blocks towards the evening. On the second day came the man’s head, and on the third day, the whole man. He was called Buri, and he was beautiful, big and strong. He had a son called Bor, who took as his wife the woman called Bestla. She was the daughter of Bolthorn the giant, and they had three sons. One was called Odin, another Vili and the third Ve. It is my belief that this Odin and his brothers are the rulers of heaven and earth. We know that is his name, and it is what we call the one whom we know to be the greatest and the most renowned, and you too can easily call him that.’
7. BERGELMIR AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE SECOND RACE OF FROST GIANTS
    Then Gangleri asked, ‘How did they get on together? Who among them was the most powerful?’
    â€˜The sons of Bor killed the giant Ymir,’ answered High. ‘When he fell, so much blood gushed from his wounds that with it they drowned all the race of the frost giants except for one who escaped with his household. The giants call that oneBergelmir. He, together with his wife, climbed up on to his wooden box, 1 and there they kept themselves safe. From them come the races of the frost giants, as is said here:
    Countless winters 2
before the earth was created
back then Bergelmir was born;
that is the first I remember
when the wise giant
was placed on the box.’
    (
The Lay of Vafthrudnir. 35
)
8. THE WORLD IS CREATED FROM YMIR’S BODY
    Gangleri answered, ‘What did Bor’s sons do next, if you believe they are gods?’
    High said, ‘It is no small matter to be told. They took Ymir and they moved him into the middle of Ginnungagap and made from him the world. From his blood they made the sea and the lakes. The earth was fashioned from the flesh, and mountain cliffs from the bones. They made stones and gravel from the teeth, the molars and those bones that were broken.’
    Then Just-as-High said, ‘With the blood that gushed freely from the wounds, they made the sea, and by fashioning that sea around, they belted and fastened the earth. Most men would think it impossible to cross over this water.’
    Then Third added: ‘They also took his skull and from it made the sky. They raised it over the earth and under each of the four corners they placed a dwarf. These are called East, West, North and South. Then they took the embers and sparks shooting out from Muspellsheim and flying randomly. These they placed in the middle of the Ginnung Sky, both above and below, to light up heaven and earth. They fixed places for all these burning elements. Some were placed up in the heavens, whereas for others, which had moved about under the heavens, they foundplaces and established their courses. It is said in the old sources that, from then on, times of day were differentiated and the course of years was set. So it is said in
The Sibyl’s Prophecy:
    Sun did not know
where she had her home.
Moon did not know
what strength he had.
The stars did not know
where their places were.       (
The Sibyl’s Prophecy. 5
)
    â€˜This was before the earth was created,’ Third added.
    Then Gangleri said, ‘I hear of great happenings. It was wondrous work and skilfully done, but how was the earth set in order?’
    Then High answered: ‘It is circular around the edge and surrounding it lies the deep sea. On these ocean coasts, the sons of Bor gave land to the clans of the giants to live on. But further inland they built a fortress wall around the world to protect against the hostility of the giants. As material for the wall, they used the eyelashes 1 of the giant Ymir and called this stronghold Midgard 2 [Middle Earth]. They took his brain, threw it up into the air, and from it they made the clouds. As is said here:
    From Ymir’s flesh
was the earth created,
from