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Chapter 3. Midgard 77
exchange both man and land-spirit benefit. To strip everything down to its basic
core, all beings are little more than lineages seeking to interact with each other.
It should be noted that although the term huldrafolk basically translates as a
being that “cannot be seen by humans, normally,” or “Hidden Folk,” it is not usually
applied to beings known as trolls, dwarves, or giants. There seems to be a difference
in lineages. The lineages of giants can be traced can be traced back to Ymir and
his descendants. Apparently, early on, the race of giants was split into two basic
groups: 1) Ymir up through Bergelmir and his wife who survived the flood caused
by the outpouring of blood after Ymir was killed (called thursr), and 2) Buri up
through a split lineage, one being the race of Gods, the other being giants (called
jötunar). Dwarves and trolls trace their lineages back to the corpse of Ymir, but
are not truly the offspring of Ymir. Men trace there lineage back to the first man
and woman, Ask and Embla, created by the Gods from trees with the same names,
and land-spirits appear to have a similar lineage to people, most likely created by
the Gods (the Vanir) out of the Tree as opposed to dwarves, trolls and giants who
came into being prior to the existence of the Tree. According to folklore, all beings
can interact with the lineages of men, but those who have a lineage resembling that
of man tend to have the greater number of interactions.
In the story of the creation of the World Tree, there are three Wells: 1) Hvergelmir,
2) Mímir, and 3) Urð. It may very well be that the lineages of trolls, dwarves, and
giants (thursr) are related primarily to the Waters flowing out of Hvergelmir, the
Gods, Jötnar, and álfar to Mímir, and that men and ancestors spring forth from
Urdhr. This, however, is pure speculation with no real evidence to be gleaned from
eddaic, sagaic, or folkloric literature.
There is another curiosity, however, and although it is merely conjecture, when
looked at in light of the importance that the early Germanic peoples placed on
lineages, appears to make sense out what has been confusing ever since scholars have
been attempting to interpret Northern Mythology: the War between the Æsir and
the Vanir. The War between the Æsir and the Vanir relates back to an event where a
witch of the Vanir comes to Ásaheim, and the Æsir suspecting some type of treason
try to kill her unsuccessfully. But it is the resolution of the war that is significant.
The Æsir given as hostages to the Vanir were Mímir, a giant with impeccable wisdom
and memory extending back to the beginning of time, and Hoenir, one of the three
who created humans. The Vanir given as hostages were Njörd, a God normally
associated with wealth, prosperity, and the sea, and Freyr, a God associated with
prosperity and fecundity of the earth and the ruler of Alfheim which was given to
him by the Gods as a toothgift. 28
Perhaps, there was a different cause for the War than is usually suggested. Sup-
28 A tooth-gift was a gift presented to a child at the cutting of his first tooth.