Audhumla
;)
was the primeval cow in Germanic mythology. This creature was the first animal to emerge from Ginnungagap ('the yawning emptiness') at the start of creation. From Audhumla's teats 'flowed four rivers of milk', nournishment enough for Ymir, the first frost giant and the first live thing of all. From Ymir's children descended the frost giants, the implacable enemies of the gods. The cow herself seems to have survived on the goodness that she obtained from an icy salt lick. As she licked, first some hair appear, then a head, and finally the whole body of a man, Buri. In time Buri had a son named Bor, who married Bestla, the daughter of a frost giant. Their sons were the first gods, Odin, Vili and Ve. These three battled against the frost giants and finally slew Ymir. As the giant fell the blood from his wounds flooded the land and drowned all his frost children, except for Bergerlmir and his wife who managed to escape.