Britannica AI Icon

Audumla

Norse mythology
Also known as: Audhumla

Quick Summary

In Norse mythology, Audumla was a primeval cow who nourished the first giant, Aurgelmir, with her milk. She sustained herself by licking salty, ice-covered stones. From these stones, Audumla licked into shape Buri, who became the grandfather of the god Odin. Aurgelmir, also known as Ymir, was the ancestor of all giants and was created from the meeting of ice from Niflheim and heat from Muspelheim. The gods Odin, Vili, and Ve later killed Aurgelmir, using his body to create the earth, seas, mountains, sky, and clouds. Odin and his brothers also created the first humans, Askr and Embla, from two tree trunks.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.