The second part of the norse creation myth os the seperation and the development of the ego. This part of the myth begins with Odin, Villi, and Ve. The three sons of Bor represent the hero archetype (Jung). They are young and adventurous. They are god-men who wish to vanquish evil in the form of Ymir. The three plot against Ymir and kill him. Since Ymir is the symbol of the shadow archetype this murder is symbolic of self sacrafice (Jung). Self sacrafice is a symbol that is often seen in big dreams. It symbolizes the final step of "killing" one's old self in order to grow into a more enlightened, unified self (Jung).
The blood that results from Ymir's murder floods Ginnungagap killing all of the frost ogres (Adam-Leeming). The frost ogres symbolize all of the problems in one's life that may impede the development of the ego. The flood of Ymir's blood symbolizes the wisdom of the unconscious that will aide in the overcoming of life's diffuculties. Bergelmir and his family take over the role of the shadow archetype after Ymir is killed.
After Ymir is murdered his body parts are used to create the world. Ymir now begins to take the shape of the mandala (Jung). The second emergence of the mandala takes place in this part of the story. There a few important symbols that emerge in this second. The first is Ymir's blood. Ymir's blood was turned into the oceans that surround Midgard ("The Germanic Myth of Creation"). The ocean of blood is symbolic for the first barrier one must cross in order to reach the wisdom of the unconscious (Jung).
The second important symbol is Ymir's eyebrows. His eyebrows are used to form the wall that surrounds Midgard ("The Germanic Myth of Creation"). This wall symbolizes the second barrier that one must cross in order to fully develop psychologically (Jung).
This means that if you want to find the wisdom of the unconscious you must be first willing to cross the ocean before you climb the wall and then you must be willing to climb the wall before you reach the unconscious. The formation of the world in the norse myth reflects this.
The third important symbol is the creation of the dwarves (Adam-Leeming). Four dwarves are created by the sons of Bor to hold up the sky. These dwarves symbolize the balanced opposites that surround the mandala or self (Jung).
The above named symbols when put together in the myth create the second mandala of the story. Midgard now is the symbol for the self. The self is surrounded by the balanced opposites, the ocean of Ymir's blood, and the wall around Midgard. Each of these layers represents an obstacle that must be overcome in order to have a unified self identity.
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