In Old Germanic mythology, Ash and Embla (Old Norse: Askr ok Embla) — male and female respectively — were the first two humans, created by the Gods. The pair are attested in both the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, composed in the 13th century. In both sources, three gods, one of whom is Ódin, find Ask and Embla and bestow upon them various corporeal and spiritual gifts.Old Norse askr literally means "ash tree" (see Yggdrasil. The first meaning, "elm tree", is problematic, and is reached by deriving *Elm-la from *Almilōn and subsequently to almr ("elm"). Linguist Gunlög Josefsson claims that the name Embla comes from the roots "eim" + "la" which would then mean "firemaker(ess)" or "smokebringer(ess)". She connects this to the ancient practice of creating fire through a fire plough which was considered a magical and holy way of fire making in folk belief in Scandinavia long into modern times. She identifies the emergence of fire through the plowing symbolically to the moment of orgasm and hence fertilization and reproductiveness.Askr and Embla were the first man and woman in Norse mythology, similar to Adam and Eva in Genesis (Jewish mythology).When the god Ódin and his brothers Vili and Lódur created the world, they were walking along the seashore and found two tribes. Odin gave them life and breath, the Vili reason and form, speech, sight and hearing. They were given Midgard to live, and Ask ("ash") and Embla ("elm") became the ancestors of all people.
Old Norse askr literally means "ash tree" (see Yggdrasil. The first meaning, "elm tree", is problematic, and is reached by deriving *Elm-la from *Almilōn and subsequently to almr ("elm").
Linguist Gunlög Josefsson claims that the name Embla comes from the roots "eim" + "la" which would then mean "firemaker(ess)" or "smokebringer(ess)". She connects this to the ancient practice of creating fire through a fire plough which was considered a magical and holy way of fire making in folk belief in Scandinavia long into modern times. She identifies the emergence of fire through the plowing symbolically to the moment of orgasm and hence fertilization and reproductiveness.
Askr and Embla were the first man and woman in Norse mythology, similar to Adam and Eva in Genesis (Jewish mythology).
When the god Ódin and his brothers Vili and Lódur created the world, they were walking along the seashore and found two tribes. Odin gave them life and breath, the Vili reason and form, speech, sight and hearing. They were given Midgard to live, and Ask ("ash") and Embla ("elm") became the ancestors of all people.