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Bifröst (Old Norse bifr-st, literally the "tremulous way", from bifask "to tremble" and r-st "a distance") in Norse mythology is the bridge leading from Midgard, the realm of mortals, to Asgard, the realm of the gods, which the gods travel daily to hold their councils and pass judgments at Urdarbrunn (Well of Urd) under the shade of the tree Yggdrasill. The bridge itself is the rainbow and its guardian is the god Heimdallr, whose hall of Himinbjorg is located at the upper end of the bridge. The red color was the flaming fire, which served as a defense against the giants. The bridge is destroyed at the end of the world, Ragnarök. It was built by the Ćsir.
Much of what we know concerning Bifröst comes from Snorri (quoted below), but mention of it is also made in the Poetic Edda. For example, in Grímnismál, stanza 29 mentions Thor crossing over rivers (such as the Körmt and Örmt and the "Kerlaugs twain") which boil from the fire of Bifröst each day on his way to the judgement place at Yggdrasil, and later in stanza 44 it is named as the best of bridges in a list of the foremost of things (including Yggdrasil of trees, Sleipnir of horses, etc). In Fáfnismál, stanza 15 (as well as Snorri) indicates that it will collapse when ridden upon by the fire giants during the destruction of Ragnarök.
Some scholars, including Ĺke Ohlmarks and Franz Rolf Schröder thought that Bifröst may have originally represented the Milky Way and was reinterpreted by Snorri as a rainbow when confronted with variations in terminology.
His alternative names include Bilröst, Ásbrú, Bifrost (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish form).
The Prose Edda
In the Gylfaginning part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, there is a description of Bifröst:
- Ţá mćlti Gangleri: "Hver er leiđ til himins af jörđu-"
- Ţá svarar Hár ok hló viđ: "Eigi er nú fróđliga spurt. Er ţér eigi sagt ţat at guđin gerđu brú til himins af jörđu, ok heitir Bifröst- Hana muntu sét hafa, kann vera at ţat kallir ţú regnboga. Hon er međ ţrim litum ok mjök sterk ok ger međ list ok kunnáttu meiri en ađrar smíđir. Ok svá sem hon er sterk, ţá mun hon brotna ţá er Muspells megir fara ok ríđa hana, ok svima hestar ţeira yfir stórar ár. Svá koma ţeir fram."
- Ţá mćlti Gangleri: "Eigi ţótti mér gođin gera af trúnađi brúna, er hon skal brotna mega, er ţau megu gera sem ţau vilja."
- Ţá mćlti Hár: "Eigi eru gođin hallmćlis verđ fyrir ţessa smíđ. Góđ brú er Bifröst, en engi hlutr er sá í ţessum heimi er sér megi treystask ţá er Muspells synir herja." - Eysteinn Björnsson's edition
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- Then said Gangleri: "What is the way to heaven from earth-"
- Then Hárr answered, and laughed aloud: "Now, that is not wisely asked; has it not been told thee, that the gods made a bridge from earth to heaven, called Bifröst- Thou must have seen it; it may be that ye call it 'rainbow.' It is of three colors, and very strong, and made with cunning and with more magic art than other works of craftsmanship. But strong as it is, yet must it be broken, when the sons of Múspell shall go forth harrying and ride it, and swim their horses over great rivers; thus they shall proceed."
- Then said Gangleri: "To my thinking the gods did not build the bridge honestly, seeing that it could be broken, and they able to make it as they would."
- Then Hárr replied : "The gods are not deserving of reproof because of this work of skill: a good bridge is Bifröst, but nothing in this world is of such nature that it may be relied on when the sons of Múspell go a-harrying." - Brodeur's translation
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