Divine Numbers in Norse myth (Part 2 of 2)
As mentioned in the previous blog post (Part 1), Number Three and Number Nine were the most divine numbers that should be carefully discussed. The thing was that we barely knew why there were so many repetitions for Number Three and Number Nine. But their coincidental appearance in the myth evoked the curiosity within us. In this blog post, we are to discuss the Number Nine.
Odin hung himself on Yggdrasil for Nine days and nights
Number Nine in Norse myth
- The Yggdrasil held Nine Worlds of the Norse cosmos within its branches
- God Freyr had to wait nine nights to marry his giant wife Gerd.
- During the event of Ragnarok, Thor killed Jormungand but he staggered nine steps away from the serpent's corpses and quickly fell down. Thor was poisoned by the venom of the Midgard Serpent.
- The Draupnir ring of Odin would drop out eight more rings every ninth night. With the existing Draupnir, there would be nine rings in total.
- Heimdall the Watchman of Asgard was born by nine mothers.
- There were nine Norse serpent-like dragons or dragon-like serpents: Jormungand, Nidhogg, Grabakr, Grafvollud, Ofnir, Svafnir, Grafvitni, and his sons Goinn and Moinn.
- Hermod son of Odin rode Sleipnir Odin's horse for nine days on his quest to release Baldur from the land of Helheim.
- God Njord and giantess Skadi broke up after spending nine days living in the home of Njord and nine days living in the home of Skadi.
- To learn runes, Odin sacrificed by hanging himself on the branches of Yggdrasil for nine days and nights.
- Valknut symbol consisted of three triangles forming nine points.
- There were nine deities that survived Ragnarok: Baldur and Hodr, Magni and Modi, Vidar and Vali, Hoenir, the new sun also known as the daughter of Sol, and the mighty one who would rule over everything.
