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122 RELIGION OF THE' NORTHMEN.
CHAPTER X.
OF THE MYTHIC DIVISIONS OF THE WORLD.
Heimr in the Old-Norse signifies home, and in a
wider sense, the "World as the home or abode of all
living beings. The name has thus a twofold sig-
nificance: one comprehensive, embracing all things
and one more limited, namely, the abode of a
greater or smaller circle of beings, as the Gods,
Mankind, the Jotuns, &c. In its broader sense the
name was probably not used in heathendom, but
frequently in the more limited one. The concep-
tion of a Universe was lost among the Asa worship-
ers in the representation of many isolated worlds,
each one of which was considered to be the special
abode of a distinct class of beings.
Erom many passages in the old Eddaic poems, it
is clear that the Asa Mythology admitted of nine
such worlds, but how they were designated or how
situated in reference to each other is less certain,
and the notions of the interpreters are much divided
in the matter. The following order appears to be
the most in accordance with the ancient sources
1. Muspellheimr, the highest Fire- World, the
realm of Surtur. In its highest regions it appears
that Gimli was thought to be situated.
2. GoSheimr, the World of the Gods, or AsgarSr,
the -^sir^s Wwrd, the proper Heaven, which appa-
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