Naglfar
In Norse mythology, Naglfar was a ship made entirely from the fingernails
and toenails of the dead. During Ragnarök, Naglfar will be freed from the land by a flood and sail to Vagrond, (also
known as Vigrid, Vidgard or Vigrond), the battlefield, by Hymir along with an army of giants. The ship will lead the hordes
of evil against the gods in the last war at the end of time, before a new world will arise from the sea.
The ship's name means "Wraith ferry," but Snorri
in the Prose Edda provides a folk etymology of "Nail ferry," urging that no dead be buried with uncut fingernails,
lest more material be added to it.
Loki
is the mythical being of mischief in Norse mythology, a son of the giants Fárbauti and Laufey, and foster-brother
of Odin. He is described as the "contriver of all fraud". He mixed freely with the gods for a long time, even becoming
Odin's blood brother. Despite much research, "the figure of Loki remains obscure; there is no trace of a cult, and the
name does not appear in place-names". In mythological terms, Loki is not a god, as he has no cult or followers (no evidence
has ever been found or even referenced such), rather he is a mythological or mythical being. This is further supported by
the fact that he was not a member of Vanir and is not always counted among the Æsir, the two groupings of gods. Sources
inconsistently place him among the Æsir; however, this may only be due to his close relation with Odin and the amount
of time that he spends among the Æsir (as opposed to his own kin).
Like Odin (though to a lesser extent), Loki bears many names : Lie-Smith, Sly-God,
Shape-Changer, Sly-One, Lopt, Sky Traveller, Sky Walker, Wizard Of Lies, and Loftur among others.
The composer Richard Wagner presented Loki under an invented
Germanized name Loge in his opera Das Rheingold--Loge is also mentioned, but does not appear as a character, in Die Walküre
and Götterdämmerung. The name comes from the common mistranslation and confusion with Logi (a fire-giant), which
has created the misconception of Loki being a creation of fire, having hair of fire or being associated with fire, like the
Devil in Christianity.
Niflheim
("Land of Mists") is the realm of ice and cold in Norse mythology. It is located north of Ginnungagap
and there dwells the hrimthursar (Frost Giants) and here is also located Hel. The tree Yggdrasill has a root here in the spring
Hvergelmir, and it is gnawed away at by the serpent Nidhogg.
Niflheim is ruled by the goddess Hel, daughter to Loki by the giantess Angrboda, personally appointed by Odin
to rule over Niflheim. Hel, also called Hela in some cases, rules over Helheim in addition to this. Half of her body is normal,
while the other half is that of a rotting corpse. Possibly, Helheim and Niflheim are the same thing, but this will not fit
in with the nine worlds of Norse mythology mentioned in various mythology books. Niflheim is broken into several layers. One
level designed for heroes and gods, where Hel would preside over the festivities for them. Another is reserved for the elderly,
the sick, and those who are unable to die gloriously in battle and enter Valhalla. The lowest level resembled the Christian
version of Hell, where the wicked are forced to live forever.