The name Asgard Green is taken from Norse mythology. According to Norse beliefs, the world was divided into nine worlds, occupying three levels. Asgard was a realm in the top level, and was home to the Aesir, or warrior gods, whose leader was Odin. In the centre of Asgard was a green field, called Idavoll, around which stood the 13 halls of the Aesir gods.
Asgard was connected to middle earth (midgard) by a rainbow bridge, called Bifrost. The Aesir gods built Bifrost out of fire, air and water, with the colours representing the different elements: red (fire), blue (air) and green (water.) The Aesir crossed Bifrost regularly to attend council meetings at the Well of Urd. Only Thor, the god of Thunder was unable to cross freely: the heat of his lightning and thunderbolts would melt the bridge. The gods appointed Heimdall to watch over the bridge. Heimdall 's horn, Gialar, could be heard across all nine worlds when it was sounded. Bifrost was eventually destroyed at the battle of Vigrid, under the weight of the sons of Muspellheim, the frost giants.
The
building of the wall of Asgard
This story is fully recorded only in the Prose Edda, a handbook for scholars and poets, written by Snorri Sturluson, around 1220. It is the first myth that describes the enmity between the giants and the gods, and also the first one to portray Loki as a trickster.
The original wall surrounding Asgard was destroyed in a battle between the Aesir (warrior gods) and the Vanir (gods of light and wisdom.) The Aesir wanted to build another wall, but were not sure how to build it. Hrimthurs, a giant, offered to build a wall for them in 18 months. As payment, Hrimthurs asked for Freya, the goddess of love and fertility, who lived at Asgard, and for the sun and moon. The gods were shocked at his demands, and were not prepared to accept them. However, Loki, the trickster god, persuaded the gods to make a deal with Hrimthurs. Loki proposed that Hrimthurs be given only six months to complete the wall. Loki believed that it was not possible to complete the task in so short a time. However, Hrimthurs could get a good start on the foundation, thereby saving the gods a lot of effort. Hrimthurs grudgingly accepted the gods' offer and set to work building the wall with the help of his stallion Svadilfari. To the gods' astonishment, the wall took shape very quickly. Hrimthurs and Svadilfari were extremely strong and industrious, and were set to complete the wall within the six months.
Odin
began to worry that he might lose Freya, the sun and the moon, and warned
Loki that he should find a way to stop the wall from being completed on
time. Loki obliged by changing himself into a mare, and luring Svadilfari
away just as the wall was nearing completion. Without the help of his stallion,
Hrimthurs had no hope of completing the wall on time. He was killed by the
god Thor, who had just returned from his travels. The gods of Asgard finished
the wall that Hrimthurs had started, but also incurred the wrath of the
giants.