Master of Miasma (The Valhalla Series) (28 page)

Viddas gull
– highland gold

vig
– struggle

Wankan Tanka
: The Great Mystery/Spirit (from which all life comes, to which all life returns)

xh'aséikw
: Tlinglit word for your life force (chi /  soul / spirit)

Yddragsil
: the world tree which joins all kingdoms, those of the gods to those of men. It joins heaven and earth, reminding all who follow that we are not separated, we are all one 'organism'.

Ymir
: when two enormous forces meet the birth of the giant Ymir happens. In Norse mythology the tale is thus:
From Niflheim flowed the poisonous cold streams called Elivagar, which became hardened into ice, so that one layer of ice was piled on another in Ginnunga-gap, or the abyss of abysses, which faced the north; but from the south issued heat from Muspellheim, and the sparks glittered so that the south part of Ginnunga-gap was as light as the purest air. The heat met the ice, which melted and dripped; the drops then, through his power who sent forth the heat, received life, and a human form was produced called Ymir, the progenitor of the Frost-giants (Hrimjmrsar), who by the Frost-giants is also called Aurgelmir, that is, the ancient mass or chaos.

Bonus Reading

I thought my readers might like to read the Norse account of 'creation'. So here is the origin of mankind (and giant) according to the Norse.

In the beginning of time a world existed in the north called Niflheim (Niflheimr), in the middle of which was a well called Hvergelmir, from which flowed twelve rivers. In the south part there was another world, Muspellheim, a light and hot, flaming and radiant world, the boundary of which was guarded by Surt (Surtr) with a flaming sword.

Cold and heat contended with each other. From Niflheim flowed the poisonous cold streams called Elivagar, which became hardened into ice, so that one layer of ice was piled on another in Ginnunga-gap, or the abyss of abysses, which faced the north; but from the south issued heat from Muspellheim, and the sparks glittered so that the south part of Ginnunga-gap was as light as the purest air.

The heat met the ice, which melted and dripped; the drops then, through his power who sent forth the heat, received life, and a human form was produced called Ymir, the progenitor of the Frost-giants (Hrimjmrsar), who by the Frost-giants is also called Aurgelmir, that is, the ancient mass or chaos. He was not a god, but was evil, together with all his race. As yet there was neither sand nor sea nor cool waves, neither earth nor grass nor vaulted heaven, but only Ginnunga-gap, the abyss of abysses.

Ymir was nourished from four streams of milk, which flowed from the udder of the cow Audhumla (Aufthumla), a being that came into existence by the power of Surt. From Ymir there came forth offspring while he slept : for having fallen into a sweat, from under his left arm there grew a man and a woman, and one of his feet begat a son by the other. At this time, before heaven and earth existed, the Universal Father (AlfoSr) was among the Hrimthursar, (Frost-giants).

The cow Audhumla licked the frost-covered stones that were salt, and the first day, towards evening, there came forth from them a man s hair, the second day a head, the third day an entire man. He was called Buri (the producing) ; he was comely of countenance, tall and powerful.

His son, Bor (the produced), was married to Bestla (or Belsta), a daughter of the giant Bolthorn, and they had three sons, Odin (OSinn), Vili and Ve. These brothers were gods, and created heaven and earth.

Bor's sons slew the giant Ymir, and there ran so much blood from his wound that all the frost-giants were drowned in it, except the giant Bergelmir (whose father was Thrudgelmir (pni^gelmir), and whose grandfather was Aurgelmir), who escaped with his wife on a chest (luiSr), and continued the race of the frost-giants.

But Bor's sons carried the body of Ymir into the middle of Ginnunga-gap, and formed of it the earth, of his blood the seas and waters, of his bones the mountains, of his teeth and grinders and those bones that were broken, they made stones and pebbles ; from the blood that flowed from his wounds they made the great impassable ocean, in which they fixed the earth, around which it lies in a circle; of his skull they formed the heaven, and set it up over the earth with four regions, and under each corner placed a dwarf, the names of whom were Austri, Vestri, Northri, Suthri; of his brain they formed the heavy clouds, of his hair the vegetable creation, and of his eyebrows a wall of defence against the giants round Midgard, the middlemost part of the earth, the dwelling-place of the sons of men.

They then took the sparks and glowing cinders that were cast out of Muspellheim, and set them in heaven, both above and below, to illumine heaven and earth. They also assigned places for the lightning and fiery meteors, some in heaven, and some unconfined under heaven, and appointed to them a course. Hence, “as it is said in old philosophy,” arose the division of years and days. Thus Bor's sons raised up the heavenly disks, and the sun shone on the cold stones, so that the earth was decked with green herbs. The sun from the south followed the moon, and cast her right arm round the heavenly horses door (the east) ; but she knew not where her dwelling lay, the moon knew not his power, nor did the stars know where they had a station.

Then the holy gods consulted together, and gave to every light its place, and a name to the new moon (Nyi), and to the waning moon (Ni), and gave names to the morning and the midday, to the forenoon (undern) and the evening, that the children of men, sons of time, might reckon the years thereafter.

Night (Nott) and Day (Dagr) were of opposite races. Night, of giant race, was dark, like her father, the giant Norvi (or Narfi).

She was first married to Naglfari, and had by him a son named Aud (Ausr) ; secondly to Anar (or Onar); their daughter was Earth (I6Y3) ; lastly to Belling, who was of the race of the AEsir, and their son was Day, who was fair, bright and beautiful, through his paternal descent.

All-father took Night and Day, and gave them two horses and two cars, and placed them in heaven, that they might ride successively round the earth.

Night rides
first
with her horse which is named Hrimfaxi, that bedews the earth each morn with the drops from his bit. He is also called Fiorsvartnir.

The horse belonging to Day is called Skinfaxi, from whose shining mane light beams forth over heaven and earth. He is also called Glad (Glasir) and Drosul.

The Moon and the Sun are brother and sister; they are the

children of Mundilfori, who, on account of their beauty, called his son Mani, and his daughter Sol; for which presumption the gods in their anger took brother and sister and placed them in heaven, and appointed Sol to drive the horses that draw the chariot of the sun, which the gods had formed, to give light to the world, of the sparks from Muspellheim.

Sol was married to a man named Glen (Glenur, Glanur), and has to her car the horses Arvakur (the watchful), and Alsvith (the rapid), under whose shoulders the gods placed an ice-cold breeze to cool them. Svalin (the cooling) is the name of a shield that stands before the sun, which would else set waves and mountains on fire.

Mani directs the course of the moon, and regulates Nyi and Nithi. He once took up two children from the earth, Bil and Hiuki (Hviki), as they were going from the well of Byrgir, bearing on their shoulders the bucket Sseg, and the pole Simul. Their father was Vidfinn ; they follow Mani, as may be observed from the earth. There are also two wolves to be mentioned, one of which, named Skoll, follows the sun, and which she fears will swallow her; the other called Hati, the son of Hrodvitnir, runs before the sun, and strives to seize on the moon, and so in the end it will be.

The mother of these wolves is a giantess, who dwells in a wood to the east of Midgard, called Jarnvid (JarnvrSr), in which those female demons (trollkonur) dwell, called Jarnvids (JarnvrSjur). She brought forth many sons, who are giants, and all in the form of wolves.

One of this race, named Managarm, is said to be the most powerful; he will be sated with the lives of all dying persons; he will swallow up the moon, and thereby besprinkle both heaven and air with blood. Then will the sun lose its brightness, and the winds rage and howl in all directions.

The father of Winter (Vetur) was called Vindsval, of Summer (Sumar), Svasud (Svasuftr). Both shall reign every year until the gods pass away. At the end of heaven sits the giant Hrsesvelg, in an eagle's garb (arna ham). From the motion of his wings comes the wind which passes over men.

Thus the first created beings were Ymir and his race, the giants; next were the gods, who created heaven and earth ; for not until these were in existence, and ready as places of abode for living beings, were the dwarfs and human race created.

Author's comment
: As you can see the legend of Mimer is in accordance to this. The giants came before the gods. Ymir before Odin, or his father.

The Valhalla Series will take you around the world to where giants dwell (in accordance to local legend), where you will glean much more about the clans Wolf, Eagle, and Raven.

The Tinglit people recall these three accurately which is why I chose to honor their legends by including them in Macala's songs to Emma.

Be sure to keep a lookout for Master of Umbra, book two in the Valhalla series.

TEASER

Master of Umbra

Book 2: The Valhalla Series

You can run Delia, but you can't hide from the slithering night.

Stepping out of the shadows of the copse I stroll until I'm just in view if she glances down. She's a good run from her den as we're on the wrong side of the river, she'd have to sprint like the wind out of the wildwood, over the old stone bridge, and uphill to get to her lodgings, all while holding a cat. I'm tempted to laugh. It's never going to happen. She sacrificed the only flat stretch for the deeply shaded glade, which is where we wait in ambush.

Turning to the trees I flick my gloved hand. I don't need witnesses for this. Three male eagles fly off their perches, calling salutes as they arc into the night, off to clear out her cottage, tonight she vanishes like the Sidhe.

Her cat starts crouching at the eagles calls, staring up, afraid of what the low mist hides.

Your cat recognizes a predator, but you do not. A pussy and a kitty sitting in a tree, one for purrs and one for me.

“Bella, come baby,” she pleads, holding her hand out to her feline.

“
You seem to have a problem there. Need help?” I offer, watching the woman lose her precarious balance in shock, snatching wildly at the rough bark she's straddling, her dress so hiked up now she looks like a sprite waiting for the moon to mirror down and lick her.

The haze swirls, pooling gloss on pale skin and glazing long brunette hair. If I was a wolf I'd have bitten her already just to taste the succulence of that magnificent thigh.

Her mottled cat is so alarmed it bales, right into my lightning quick grip.

“
You gave me the fright of my life!” she warbles, clutching her chest as if to prevent her heart from bursting through the sternum.

Not likely.

Arching both eyebrows I cradle her cat in a death hold, preventing escape, smirking when the mite starts purring. “Need help getting down?” I ask, keeping my tone neighborly.

“
If you can just hold her for me, I'll be down in a sec.”

She scrambles down the tree, her dress snagging numerous times to give me a decent view of lithe legs, boosting to crouch at my feet when the drop is accessible.

I'm tempted to put my hand on her head when she impacts in front of my combat boots, as if kneeling to her god.
Bless you my child.

Swallowing my laugh I watch her stand, adjusting her soaked frock which is unsuitable for a highland winter's night. Ample cleavage points pert interest at me and it's annoying to have to meet her dark brown eyes instead, muttering idle syllables of conversation, “And who might you be?” Pretending I don't already know.

“Delia, and you're holding my little terrorist Arrabella. Thanks for the help.” She holds out her hands the way an orphan does when begging, expecting me to relinquish her runt, but I don't think I'm in a giving mood.

“
Aren't you cold?” I ask, using the voice reserved for initiates. “You aren't suitably dressed for nocturnal adventures in the Caledonian forest.”

Her pupils dilate instantly, as the bonding begins...

Due out June 1, 2013.