The creatures that appear in the ancient Nordic myths, their genealogical bonds and their mutual coexistence create a global image of values that each human should try to reach. Every mythic race is known by their own specifical characteristics, and each one has certain role in the creation, duration and ending of the worlds.

AUDUMLA
Audumla was the primal cow. She nourished Ymir, the first life form ever created, and she fed herself by licking an ice-block until it took a shape of a man. This is how she created Buri, the first manlike creature. Audumla has a great mythological importance because she is the mother of life, the life-bringer.

The Giants are mainly the inhabitants of Jotunheim although they may be found in other 'unpleasant' worlds, as well (Frost Giants in Niflheim or Fire Giants -like Surtr- in Muspellheim.) They are opponents of Gods and men, and they are driven by desire for power gained by pure strength. They may be interpreted as a powerful greedy part of our own souls, if we would apply the characteristics of creatures of Yggdrasil to the micro- cosmos of a single person.
Most of the evil creatures that shall be the leaders of Ragnarok, are the direct descendents of Giants. Anyway, it shouldn't be taken for a fact that all the evil comes from them, for each man and even God can be deceived into darker side. It is also important to remember that the primal life comes precisely from the Etin race, and that the Aesir family itself descends from first Giants.

YMIR
Ymir had appeared when life has been created by interaction of fiery-sparks and icy-drops which had taken place in the Ginnunga Gap. He was the first of the race of Rime Giants, which has its own name for him - Aurgelimir. His descendents were Swarthead, the father of spell-singers race, Witolf, the father of the witches race, and Willharm, the ancestor of warlocks, while Ymir was the first one of the ogre race. Ymir has been killed by the trinity of Odin, Vili and Ve, and that event led to the creation of the worlds.

BOR & BESTLA
Bor is son of Buri and husband of Bestla, daughter of Bolthorn. Bor and Bestla are the parents of Odin, Vili and Ve, three brothers who probably present three aspects of Odin, the creators of every known form.

NARFI
Narfi is a parent of Night, a giantess who had three children with different husbands. With Naglfari, she had Audr. With Annar, she gave birth to Jord, or Erda, or Earth. And she had Day with her third husband, who is suspected to be Odin, for it is said that he was a dayspring of Aesir.

JORD or ERDA
Erda is mother of Thor, Odin's firstborn son. She is daughter of Night and Annar. She is, simply, Earth, with all its belongings - lands, fruits and creatures.

IRONWOOD-WOMEN
These giantesses, who live in the Ironwood at the border of Midgard, are the mothers of wolf-giants, the mightiest of which is Fenris.

HRAESVELGR
Hraesvelgr is a giant with eagle plums that stands at the far northern end of heaven and causes the wind rising from under his wings when he stretches them for flight.

THJAZI
Thjazi, son of Ovaldi, was the father of Skadi. Their abode is Thrymheim in Jotunheim. His name means 'speech'.
On one occasion, Thjazi tricked Loki into getting him Idunn and her apples of youth out of Asgard. Loki brought Idunn to appointed place asking her to compare the apples there with hers. Thjazi kidnapped Idunn in his eagle's plumage. Loki was forced by Aesir to return the apples and their guardian, because the Gods grew old without them. So, he stole Idunn turning her into the shape of a nut, and flew with her himself turned into a hawk. Thjazi followed them in anger, but the Gods managed to kill him just before the gates of Asgard. One of the things the Gods had to do to reconciliate his daughter was to make two stars out of Thjazi's eyes.

JARNSAXA
The giantess Jarnsaxa is one of Thor's wives. They are parents of Magni and Modi, who shall rise after Ragnarok and be the possessors of Mjollnir in the newborn heavenly realms after the battles.

HRYMR
Hrymr is the giant that steers the biggest ship of all - Naglfar, made of dead people's nails. He is one of the dangerous sons of Muspell that shall rise at the sounds of Gjallarhorn to fight the Aesir.

MIMIR
Mimir is a giant who guards the knowledge of Mimir's well, one of three places where the roots of Yggdrasil end. Each day he drinks from this well, and the only draught he ever shared was the one he gave to Odin, in exchange for one of his eyes.

GUNNLOD
Gunnlod was the watcher of the so-called Kvasir's Blood, the mead of poetry. She foolishly gave three draughts of that drink to disguised Odin in exchange for three nights with him. He used that opportunity taking such draughts that he emptied every single drop. Now, she is considered to be one of Odin's wives.

LOKI
Although he is accepted within the Aesir, as Odin's bloodbrother, he is of the Etin kind. We mention in the Giants-section only as a father of the wicked creatures. With one of his wives, giantess Angrboda, he had Fenris the wolf, Jormungandr, the Midgard serpent, and Hel, the ruler of the realm of death. All of these children were removed from Asgard and now they are waiting for the final battles to come.