The first pair of humans, created by the gods
The first pair of humans in Norse myth, one man and one woman. Walking along the shore, Odin and two of his brothers found two lifeless pieces of driftwood — one of ash, one of elm. Each of the three gods gave a gift: Odin gave breath and life, the other two gave mind, speech, the senses, and the flush of blood. The wood thus became human, ancestors of all the men and women of the world.
Odin, Hœnir, and Lóðurr walked along the coast and saw two lifeless pieces of driftwood on the sand. Odin breathed in breath and soul, Hœnir gave reason and motion, Lóðurr added the flush of blood, warmth, and the senses. The ash became the man Ask, the elm the woman Embla — the story of humankind begins with two pieces of dead wood the gods took a liking to.
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