2026-08-31
Last revision 2024-02-22
According to old Icelandic texts, the universe started with a great void, a misleading gap. Then ice and fire started the creation of the visible world. This gap was called Ginnungagap.
The Icelandic skalds were wordsmiths: they forged words and sounds together into kennings. A kenning is a word in which the meaning of the object or an aspect of the object is revealed. Thus 'branch-eater' is a kenning for fire, it reveals an aspect of fire. 'Water heater' could also be a kenning for fire, but (nowadays) also for an electric kettle or a central heating boiler.
The Völuspá 3 states: gap var ginnunga. This means: The gap was ginnunga, where ginnunga can be interpreted as mighty and young or as deception, joking. Space can be seen as a gap with galaxies.
The beginning of everything is ginnunga gap. This is a kenning for the universe. It is a deceptive (ginna, ginning) hole. It is also the open space (gap) for the great jester (ginnungr): Óðinn. At the same time it is the great young chaos: great (ginn) young (ungr) chaos (agi). You can compare these meanings with the maya concept of the Brahmins. According to the ancient indo-european insights, creation is a deception and you can only find the truth within yourself.
The idea that the creation started with an empty void is old and predates the separation between the Germanic peoples and 'the zoro-astrians'. See Edda means wit and Where did Germanic peoples come from.
According the oldest cosmology of the zoro-astrians the universe began as Zarvan Akarana. Zurvan is assumed to be 'a god' without gender and beyond (or before) good and bad. I believe, that Zarvan Akarana refers to empty space without time. Time is measured by the change of things. But when there is only an empty gap with nothing in it, then you can not measure time. So empty space is always timeless.
In my opinion it is a mistake to imagine Zurvan as a god or deity. Zurvan refers to something before the creation started. In the terminology of astrophysics: It refers to that what caused 'the big bang'. Any speculation of that 'something' seems pointless to me. (See: A modern vision of man and god)
Further reading: Iranian encyclopedia, Brittanica, zoroaster
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Andreas Firewolf, nederlandse site
Variatarian vegetarische recepten
When you put a 'V' before the word Edda, you get Vedda or Veda.
Vedda or Wedda is related to the Dutch word 'weten' and the Germand word 'wissen' (to know) and the English word 'Wit'
The Edda, the Rig Veda en the Zend Avesta have the same origin.
According to DNA research of David Reich et al. the Germanic people came from Central Asia from the Yamnaya culture.
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This website has a lot of pages and a lot of information. This page will give you information about how to navigate these websites.
A modern vision of man and god.
Anima Mundi is the soul of the world. Individual people can be seen as 'nerve cells of the earth'. Humanity can be seen as 'the nervous system of the earth'. Is the totality of humanity causing a higher consciousness? Is Anima Mundi self-conscious?
25 cards for the 24 Runes of the elder Futhark
49 cards Ginnungagap and the worlds of Yggdrasil
20 cards for the four classes
And we start with Ginnunga-gap.
Ace
Warrior
Leader
Freeman (Freewoman)
Bondsman (Bondswoman)
gap
gap, empty space | ;shouting, crying
var
was
ginnunga
deception | joking
ginn
mighty, great
ungr
young
ginna
to dupe, fool one | to decoy, entice
ginning
deception, befooling
ginnungr
juggler, lister
agi
awe, terror | uproar, turbulence | discipline, constraint
