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gold, such that all their furniture and household utensils were of gold. That age is called the Golden Age before it was spoiled by the arrival of the women who came from Giant Land. 3
    â€˜Next the gods took their places on their thrones. They issued their judgments and remembered where the dwarves had come to life in the soil under the earth, like maggots in flesh. The dwarves emerged first, finding life in Ymir’s flesh. They were maggots at that time, but by a decision of the gods they acquired human understanding and assumed the likeness of men, living in the earth and the rocks. Modsognir was a dwarf and Durin another. So it says in
The Sibyl’s Prophecy
:
    Then all the powerful gods went
to their thrones of fate,
the most sacred gods, and
decided among themselves
that a troop of dwarves
should be created
from the waves of blood 4
and from Blain’s limbs.
There in men’s likeness
were made many
dwarves in the earth,
as Durin said.       (
The Sibyl’s Prophecy. 9–10
)
    â€˜And these, says the prophetess, are the names of these dwarves:
    Nyi, Nidi,
Nordri, Sudri,
Austri, Vestri,
Althjolf, Dvalin,
Nar, Nain,
Niping, Dain,
Bifur, Bafur,
Bombor, Nori,
Ori, Onar,
Oin, Modvitnir,
Vig and Gandalf,
Vindalf, Thorin,
Fili, Kili,
Fundin, Vali,
Thror, Throin,
Thekk, Lit, Vitr,
Nyr, Nyrad,
Rekk, Radsvinn.      (
The Sibyl’s Prophecy. 11–13
)
    â€˜But these, too, are dwarves and they live in the rocks, whereas those mentioned before live in the ground: 5
    Draupnir, Dolgthvari,
Haur, Hugstari,
Hledjolf, Gloin,
Dori, Ori,
Duf, Andvari,
Heptifili,
Har, Siar.       (
The Sibyl’s Prophecy. 13
and
15
6 )
    â€˜These came from Svarin’s mound to Joruvellir [Pebble Plains] at Aurvangar [Mud Fields], and Lofar is descended from them. These are their names:
    Skirpir, Virpir,
Skafinn, Ai,
Alf, Ingi,
Eikinskjaldi,
Fal, Frosti,
Finn, Ginnar.’       (
The Sibyl’s Prophecy. 15–16
)
15. THE ASH YGGDRASIL, THE NORNS AND THE THREE WELLS
    Then Gangleri said, ‘Where is the central or holy place of the gods?’
    High answered, ‘It is at the ash Yggdrasil. There each day the gods hold their courts.’
    Then Gangleri asked, ‘What is there to tell about that place?’
    Then Just-as-High said, ‘The ash is the largest and the best of all trees. Its branches spread themselves over all the world, and it stands over the sky. Three roots support the tree and they are spread very far apart. One is among the Æsir. A second is among the frost giants where Ginnungagap once was. The third reaches down to Niflheim, and under this root is the well Hvergelmir; but Nidhogg [Hateful Striker] gnaws at this root from below.
    â€˜Under the root that goes to the frost giants is the Well of Mimir. Wisdom and intelligence are hidden there, and Mimir is the name of the well’s owner. He is full of wisdom because he drinks of the well from the Gjallarhorn. 1 All-Father went there and asked for one drink from the well, but he did not getthis until he gave one of his eyes as a pledge. As it says in
The Sibyl’s Prophecy
:
    Odin, I know all,
where you hid the eye
in that famous
Well of Mimir.
Each morning
Mimir drinks mead
from Val-Father’s pledge.
Do you know now or what?
    (
The Sibyl’s Prophecy. 28
)
    â€˜The third root of the ash is in heaven, and under that root is the very holy well called the Well of Urd. There the gods have their place of judgment. Every day the Æsir ride up over Bifrost, which is also called Asbru [Bridge of the Æsir]. The horses of the Æsir are named as follows: Sleipnir [Fast Traveller] is the best; Odin owns him, and he has eight legs. The second is Glad, the third Gyllir, the fourth Glaer, the fifth Skeidbrimir, the sixth Silfrtopp, the seventh Sinir, the eighth Gils, the ninth Falhofnir, the tenth Gulltopp and the eleventh is Lettfeti. Baldr’s horse