Stranger Things & Norse Myth - Part 1
(Love Wins Gate) - The Pain Tree is Yggdrasil
Introduction:
In Norse Myth, Yggdrasil, or the World Tree, stood at the center of the universe, connecting all nine realms, including the underworld. I believe it heavily inspired the Upside Down.
"Yggdrasill (The Mundane Tree)" by Oluf Olufsen Bagge.
Origins of The Realms:
Ymir, the first being and giant, was slain by Odin, god of wisdom, war, battle, and death, and his two brothers Vili and Ve. The three brothers then fashioned the realms from Ymir's corpse. (Was this what the Mindflayer, also a giant, was based on?)
Artist: Unknown. The illustration is missing Helheim, which lies beneath the Yggdrasil's roots. Nobody knows the exact arrangement of each realm.
The Nine Realms:
The images (below) I've paired with each realm may not necessarily be that said realm. The show might just be referencing them.
Upper Realms:
Asgard:
About:
The heavenly realm was described as bright, fortified city with golden architecture, and surrounded in stunning scenery.
The Bifrost Bridge, also called the Rainbow Bridge, connected Asgard to Midgard (Rainbows are constantly shown in Stranger Things).
Associated with law, war, sky, and the protective forces of cosmos and order.
Notable Inhabitants:
The Aesir Gods: A family of gods, who maintained cosmic order and protected humanity. Examples: Odin, Thor, and Loki.
Honorable warriors who were slain in battle.
Vanaheim:
About:
The realm had rich forests, meadows, and rivers with ideal, fertile lands.
Associated with magic, nature, wisdom, foresight, and the untamed and unseen side to nature.
Notable Inhabitants:
The Vanir Gods: Another family of gods. Helped humanity with agriculture, human fertility, and more. Examples: Njord, Freyja, Freyr, and Nerthus.
Alfheim:
About:
The realm was beautiful with soft, warm light (Will is often bathed in soft, warm lighting).
Full of rich forests, luminous flowery meadows, and sparkling waters.
Associated with light, beauty, fertility, growth, harmony, and balance.
Notable Inhabitants:
Light Elves: Nature guardians, healers, and helpers (Is Will's lineage be based on this? Is Will Half-Elf or something similar?)
Freyr: A Vanir god who ruled the realm.
Middle Realms:
Jotunheim:
About:
The cold, windy realm had a harsh environment with dense, dark forests and raging rivers.
The border of the realm was covered in rocks, glaciers, and mountains (The cold, harsh environment parallels the Upside Down).
Associated with cosmic order, chaos, and elemental forces such as ice, fire, and sea.
Notable Inhabitants:
Frost Giants: Enemies of the gods and mortals, who embodied ice and nature (Are the Demogorgons based off of Frost Giants?)
Mountain Giants: Enemies of the gods and mortals, who embodied nature, mountains, and rocks.
Midgard:
About:
Earth was located at the center of the cosmos, between Asgard, the heavens, and Helheim, the underworld.
Associated with order, humanity, civilization, and Earth as the center of cosmic order and chaos.
Notable Inhabitants:
Mortals
Jormungandr: A large serpent that bordered the Earth's oceans and rested with his tail in his mouth. According to prophecy, he'll release his tail at Ragnorak to signal end times. (A snake is killed by bullies in the fifth season).
Trolls: Enemies of the gods and mortals, who lived in mountains, caves, and deep forests.
Mythical monsters and creatures
Gods (as visitors)
Svartalfheim or Nidavellir:
About:
A dark, underground realm with mines, tunnels, and forges (Will built underground tunnels).
Associated with dark magic, crafting, mining, and hidden secrets (Henry and Will were both artists with magical powers).
Notable Inhabitants:
Dwarves/Dark Elves: artisans, smiths, and keepers of wealth (Dwarves are similar beings to Gnomes. Lawn gnomes have been mentioned and shown in the Stranger Things).
Lower Realms:
Niflheim:
About:
The dark realm existed before creation, and was often linked and/or apart of Helheim.
It was a frozen wasteland of frost, icy mountains, and frozen rivers (The cold parallels the Upside Down).
Associated with death and the underworld.
Notable Inhabitants:
Frost Giants (Are the Demogorgens based off of Frost Giants?)
Nidhogg: A dragon that gnawed on the roots of Yggdrasil. At Ragnorak, he's destined to make the tree fall over before taking to the skies and aiding the giants in destroying the gods (The Party fighting a dragon in Will's painting). He also fed on murderers, adulterers, and oath-breakers (An end-time dragon and Mike breaking his oath as a Paladin).
Muspelheim:
About:
The blazing hot realm existed before creation.
Engulfed in fire, lava, and ash-covered lands (Parallels the Abyss).
Associated with destruction and destined to destroy Asgard and Earth at Ragnorak.
Notable Inhabitants:
Fire Giants: Enemies of the gods and mortals, who embody the destructive forces of nature.
Fire Elementals: Enemies of the gods and mortals, embody the chaotic, mindless side of nature.
Surtr: The realm guardian and fire giant.
Helheim or Hel
About:
A dark, underworld realm that was cold and gloomy, located beneath the roots of Yggdrasil (Parallels the Upside Down).
Associated with death and the underworld.
Notable Inhabitants:
Hel: Goddess of the dead (Vecna as personification of Death and Hell?)
Modgudr: A giantess who guards the bridge to Hel (Is one of the characters a secret agent of Vecna?)
Garmr: A hound that guards the entrance (Is the disappearing Byers' family dog a friend or an foe?)
Deceased souls who died of old age or sickness.
Conclusion:
Do the twelve children Vecna needed have something to do with these realms?
I'm convinced Norse Mythology and other mythologies, are heavily implemented into Stranger Things and may have something to do with future content.
Notes:
More mythology tethers in the near future!
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