Why The First to Appear in Cosmos Was A Cow?

In Norse mythology, the first being in the cosmos was a cow. It is true that many sources claim that Ymir was the first giant in the cosmos. But the “being” that helped Ymir grow up was a cow. But why a cow?

So the story of Norse mythology began in a Norse big bang. Long ago, there was nothing in the cosmos except for blackness and emptiness. There were no Odin, no Thor, neither Midgard nor Asgard. The only mentioned worlds were Muspelheim and Niflheim the land of the fire and the land of ice respectively. And then the lava from Muspelheim and the ice from Niflheim finally found their way to get to each other. And boom, Ymir appeared.

Ymir and Cow

Norse mythology had it that Ymir would never have survived without the help of a cow. Her name was Auðumbla. She was the true savior for many things in the cosmos. I mean, she started everything. To be specific, Ymir was raised up by the milk of the cow. Every day, it supplied Ymir with the source of energy he needed to survive. And to survive, the cow had to lick the ice from which she helped to break the ice that held the first god in the cosmos. This god was also the grandfather of Odin the Allfather and he was known as the first generation of Norse Pantheon.

But I mean why a cow -  Auðumbla?

Back in the Viking Age, cow was not a divine animal. Instead, cow was a common animal that lived among the Vikings. Not only did the cow supply the Vikings with meat but also leather and milk. To the Vikings, cow was somehow an animal of survival. Cow helped the Vikings or sometimes befriended them. That’s how a cow in Norse mythology became one of the most important figures.