Hi everyone. I'm Josh, and this is The Emerald,

currents and trends through a mythic lens.

The podcast where we explore an ever-changing world and our lives in it

through the lens of myth, story, and imagination.

The Emerald.

All that's happening on this is The Emerald.

Many of you know Neil Gaiman as the author of American Gods, which is now a series on Stars Network.

Some of you might remember him as the creator of the epic

graphic series Sandman. He's also quite the mythologist, and in addition to his numerous

sci-fi and fantasy books, he recently wrote a book diving into the rich world of the Norse myths.

Here's a taste of the Norse creation myth, as told by Gaiman.

Quote, between Muspel and Niflheim was a void, an empty place of nothingness without form.

The rivers of the mist world flowed into the void, which was called Genunga Gap, the yawning

gap. In the melting waters, life appeared,

the likeness of a person bigger than the world, huger than any giant there will be or has ever been.

This was neither male nor was it female, but it was both at the same time. This creature was the

ancestor of all the giants, and it called itself Imir. Gaman goes on to

describe the act of creation of the universe, the dismemberment of the frost giant, Imir. Odin and Vili and

Vee killed the frost giant Amir. It had to be done. There was no other way to make the worlds. This was the beginning

of all things, the death that made all life possible. They made the soil from Imir's flesh.

Imir's bones they piled up into mountains and cliffs. Our rocks and pebbles, the sand and gravel you see,

these were Imir's teeth.

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