Niflheim, often depicted as a primordial realm of ice and mist in Norse mythology, and Yggdrasil, the World Ash tree that connects the Nine Worlds, are central to many Norse myths and sagas. While these concepts are deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of Norse cosmology, their specific mentions in historical texts can be somewhat fragmented, as much of what we know about Norse mythology comes from a handful of primary sources compiled in the medieval period, long after the pre-Christian Norse religion was practiced.
One of the most authoritative sources on Norse mythology is the "Prose Edda," written by Icelandic historian, poet, and politician Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220. In the "Prose Edda," Niflheim is described as one of the Nine Worlds, a cold and dark place located to the north beneath the third root of Yggdrasil. It is described as the origin of cold, frost, and ice, a place where the well Hvergelmir, the source of many rivers, is located.
Another crucial source is the "Poetic Edda," a collection of Old Norse poems from the Icelandic medieval manuscript Codex Regius, believed to have been compiled in the 13th century but containing much older material. In these poems, Yggdrasil is described in more detail, particularly in the "Völuspá" (Prophecy of the Seeress) and "Grímnismál" (The Ballad of Grímnir), where the tree's significance as the center of the cosmos and its connection to various realms, including Niflheim, is mentioned.
For example, in "Grímnismál," there are stanzas that describe Yggdrasil and the creatures that inhabit it, as well as mentioning Niflheim as a place where certain rivers arise:
"Three roots there are that three ways run
'Neath the ash-tree Yggdrasil;
'Neath the first lives Hel, 'neath the second the frost-giants,
'Neath the last are the lands of men."
Niflheim is also mentioned in the context of the creation story in some texts, depicted as a world of ice and cold that, along with the fiery realm of Muspelheim, plays a crucial role in the creation of the universe, including the formation of the first being, Ymir, from whose body the world was made.
These sources, among others, provide a fragmented yet fascinating glimpse into the ancient Norse worldview, where the cosmos is structured around Yggdrasil, connecting realms like Niflheim to the broader universe. The imagery and themes from these myths continue to inspire a wide range of cultural and creative expressions, from literature and art to modern fantasy and role-playing games.
In Dungeons and Dragons, the Astral Realm spawns the outer planes through the collective thoughts and beliefs of living beings throughout the multiverse; approaching one of the Astral Colour Pools, taking out our iron tuning fork tuned to the key of E Major and striking a cord, we can see that the appearance of one of the portals leading to Niflheim is like a slightly corroded red and grey mist, and within the Ethereal plane, the curtain that parts the veil from the realm of spirits to that of the second gloom of Hades appears to be bright red. As we arrive, we are plunged into a thick mist that prevents clear vision further than 30 meters (or 100 feet); underfoot is the dank loam of Niflheim's seemingly endless, dark, and mist-clogged forest. Like most outer realms, the plane contains other divine and infernal realms, the domains of gods, devils, very powerful hags, and lurking evils, many of which consider Hades to be a home away from home.
One trick to navigating through Niflheim is to find and follow the rivers which lead from the enormous terraced mountains which are bound by the mighty roots of Yggdrasil, these rivers head through the plane and eventually flow through to the other connected planes.
It is an awesome sight to behold, the World tree is one of the great wonders of the multiverse. its trunk and roots of such magnitude that they dwarf the surrounding terrain, which includes mist-covered mountains and dense pine forests on terraced hillsides. The roots of Yggdrasil stretch far and wide, seamlessly blending into the natural topography of the land, yet maintaining a clear distinction from the misty environment they inhabit.
Perched upon one of these gargantuan roots, making its formidable presence known, is the fearsome Norse dragon Níðhöggr. This creature is not only distinguished by its size but also by the striking contrast of its burnished red scales against the ancient wood it clings to. The dragon's hide exhibits a unique texture and color palette that starkly sets it apart from the wooden behemoth it coils around, ensuring there's no visual confusion between the two.
The scene is shrouded in a thick, ethereal mist that adds a layer of mystique to the landscape. However, this mist does not obscure the details of the dragon or the tree; rather, it enhances the sense of depth and mystery of the world they inhabit. The overall image should convey a sense of awe and wonder, capturing the viewer's imagination with the grand scale of Yggdrasil and the menacing allure of Níðhöggr, all while maintaining a harmonious balance between the mythical elements and the natural world.
Those who wish to leave the more Scandinavian side of Hades and venture into the greek pantheon's underworld will always start off deposited on the bank of the river Styx across from the entrance to the realm of whatever being they are fated to encounter.
There are many realms and powerful beings in the second gloom of Hades but getting to them can be extremely dangerous, in early advanced dungeons and dragons sourcebooks, it was suggested a large party of level 10 characters should be able to survive the dense population of roaming trolls, fiendish dire wolves, night stalkers, dark ones, the Red serpent spawn of Nighogg's children, the pets of the Night hags, Ettercaps and all manner of giant spiders, gnolls, the ever present Hordlings and plenty of Rust monsters, the damp air is perfect for corroding metal and the ground is slick with all sorts of fungus under the twisted canopy of the evergreen trees. You don't want to venture underground in Nifleheim if you can avoid it, even though staying on the surface means attracting the attention of the avian Diaks and the minions of Pazuzu, always looking to strike deals with forelorn and lost travellers.
There are many realms within the Second layer of Hades; you can reach the Paradise of Ratri, a Hindu deity associated with night, by following one of the rivers leading away from the World Ash, or taking a ferry on the River Styx, which twists and winds across the wild landscape.
The truly enormous red dragons are descendants of the Great and mythical red dragon Níðhöggr; They pay little attention to travellers, but their offspring are happy to hunt for a nice meal if a party of adventurers draws too much attention to themselves, most of the offspring are Wyverns, not full dragons, which I have no explanation for. A howling fight with a two-headed death dog will also draw the attention of Hordlings, who gather in packs fairly quickly. Hordlings are like flies; there is always one around somewhere; they scavenge anything not nailed down the moment it is unattended and will slit the throat of anyone they find sleeping around a campfire.
Hades is not a place you drop your guard for a moment, the mist blocks even darkvision and mutes the sound, it carries strange stenches and the path changes gradually over time, making maps unreliable at best. Fomorian giants and Dark fey harvest boulders and erect profane monuments and dungeons temples to evil gods, many summon demons under the greedy eyes of the Yugoloths, who are also found everywhere on the plane.
The goddess Shar used to keep her divine domain in the Palace of Loss, located in the great waste, this place is now abandoned by her but full of fresh terrors who moved into this slowly eroding place. Shar now dwells within her own realm in the Astral Sea, the Shadowfell itself is her creation, but her astral domain is equally impressive in size, consisting of black sand and shadowy natural features, she constructed the new Towers of Night there, a far more ostentious dread palace, looming on top of the domains tallest mountain peak, easily accessible from many different locations in the Shadowfell, there is also easy access there from her old home, now known as the Foundation of Loss. The Towers of Night are a place of isolation and torture for those whom Shar has imprisoned there, there are no obvious doors or windows into the towers, but she allows petitioner souls and visiting travellers to come and go freely, just to torment the prisoners for her own amusement.
Mask has a domain called Shadow Keep on Niflheim, but it is constantly shrouded in the heavy fog of the plane and difficult to find, even though it can be glimpsed from a distance quite often, its like it resided in a place of shadow, only visually connected to the terrain, but unreachable unless the god allows you to find it.
A once more powerful sea god named Panzuriel has a divine domain in the form of a stinking, briny lake called Rezuriel, the god has worshippers among Sea Trolls, Koalinth, aquatic umber hulks, merrow, sahuagin and the great Krakens, so its also not a place you want to go for an exploratory swim if you can avoid it, despite the lake being a prime source of sacrificed magic items that Panzuriels worshippers love to donate to their god. Panzuriel tends to hate humanoids these days, particularly elves and sea elves, but it not difficult to stay clear of if you avoid the lake. If you do run afoul of his forces, you might get some help from the god Umberlee, or if closer to the border with Olympus in Hades, you could possibly call on Poseidon to help, as he was one of the gods who actively brought Panzuriel down to the level he is at now.
If one does travel the rivers and head in the direction of the World Ash towards mountains that seem to rise up beyond the gloom of Niflheim, one will eventually reach the plane of Ysgard and the Gates of the Moon, the domain of the deity Selune, and I should mention this is also a location one can more easily reach by travelling the Infinite Stairway.
You can gods of other pantheons in more remote locations, they only seem that way for non-believers of course, those who believe will find a clear path to those destinations, even in a place so well designed to create a sense of being lost, hopeless and forgotten.
While Niflheim is not the muddy, toxic, death pit battleground like Oinos, it has plenty of it's own kinds of danger, from it's innate evil nature and the foul desires of its fiendish inhabitant to perhaps one of its most powerful resident gods.
Hel, guardian of the dead, the Norse pantheon's version of Hades, according to the Edda, Hel is the Daughter of Loki, appointed by Odin as ruler of her own realm within Niflheim, a place that houses vast mansions filled with the many that serve her in her underworld realm. She is one of the more recent additions to the Norse pantheon in real world history, so I like to think of her as something of a spoiled brat within her own realm, favoring new souls and lavishing them with attention, before becoming bored and fixated on the next new soul to arrive that catches her eye. Her hound Garmr is a truly impressive Fiendish Dire Wolf enhanced by Hel's divine power and a very capable spy who patrols her realm, guarding it, he and Cerubus, the three headed hound of Pluton, do not like each other one bit.
We shall take our leave of the many domains within Niflheim and head to Pluton next, completing out tour of Hades, my name is AJ Pickett, as always, thank you very much for listening, and I will be back with more for you, very soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment