Editing Asgard (section)

=== The Prose Edda ===
==== Prologue ====
The [[Prose Edda]]'s [[euhemeristic]] prologue portrays the Æsir gods as people who travelled from the East to northern territories.{{sfn|Sturluson|Byock|2005}} According to Snorri, Asgard represented the town of [[Troy]] before Greek warriors overtook it. After the defeat, Trojans moved to [[northern Europe]], where they became a dominant group due to their "advanced technologies and culture".{{sfn|Sturluson|Byock|2005}} Eventually, other tribes began to perceive the Trojans and their leader Trór ([[Thor]] in Old Norse) as gods.{{sfn|Lindow|2002}}

==== Gylfaginning ====
In ''[[Gylfaginning]]'', Snorri Sturluson describes how during the creation of the world, the gods made the earth and surrounded it with the sea. They made the sky from the skull of [[Ymir]] and settled the {{lang|non|jötnar}} on the shores of the earth. They set down the brows of Ymir, forming [[Midgard]], and in the centre of the world they built Asgard, which he identifies as [[Troy]]:{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc= Gylfaginning, chapter 8, 9}}
{| width="100%"
! width="50%" | [[Old Norse]] text{{sfn|Gylfaginning (ON)|loc=Chapter 9}}
! width="50%" | [[Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur|Brodeur]] translation{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc=Gylfaginning, chapter 9}}
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{{lang|non|Þar næst gerðu þeir sér borg í miðjum heimi, er kölluð er Ásgarðr. Þat köllum vér Trója. Þar byggðu goðin ok ættir þeira, ok gerðust þaðan af mörg tíðendi ok greinir bæði á jörðu ok í lofti. Þar er einn staðr, er [[Hliðskjálf]] heitir, ok þá er [[Óðinn]] settist þar í hásæti, þá sá hann of alla heima ok hvers manns athæfi ok vissi alla hluti, þá er hann sá.}}
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Next they made for themselves in the middle of the world a city which is called Ásgard; men call it Troy. There dwelt the gods and their kindred; and many tidings and tales of it have come to pass both on earth and aloft. There is one abode called [[Hlidskjálf]], and when [[Odin|Allfather]] sat in the high-seat there, he looked out over the whole world and saw every man's acts, and knew all things which he saw.
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After Asgard is made, the gods then built a [[Heathen hof|hof]] named [[Glaðsheimr]] at [[Iðavöllr]], in the centre of the burg, or walled city, with a high seat for Odin and twelve seats for other gods.{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc= Gylfaginning, chapter 14}} It is described as like gold both on the inside and the outside, and as the best of all buildings in the world.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=112}} They also built [[Vingólf]] for the female gods, which is described as both a hall and a [[hörgr]], and a forge with which they crafted objects from gold.{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc=Gylfaginning, chapter 14}} After [[Ragnarök]], some gods such as [[Váli]] and [[Baldr]] will meet at Iðavöllr where Asgard once stood and discuss matters together. There they will also find in the grass the golden [[chess pieces]] that the [[Æsir]] had once owned.{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc= Gylfaginning, chapter 53}}

Later, the section describes how an unnamed [[jötunn]] came to the gods with his stallion, [[Svaðilfari]] and offered help in building a burg for the gods in three winters, asking in return for the sun, moon, and marriage with [[Freyja]]. Despite Freyja's opposition, together the gods agree to fulfill his request if he completes his work in just one winter. As time goes on, the gods grow desperate as it becomes apparent that the jötunn will construct the burg on time. To their surprise, his stallion contributes much of the progress, swiftly moving boulders and rocks. To deal with the problem, [[Loki]] comes up with a plan whereupon he changes his appearance to that of a mare, and distracts Svaðilfari to slow down construction.{{sfn|Fontenrose|1983}} Without the help of his stallion, the builder realises he cannot complete his task in time and goes into a rage, revealing his identity as a jötunn. Thor then kills the builder with [[Mjöllnir]], before any harm to the gods is done.{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc=Gylfaginning, chapter 42}} The chapter does not explicitly name Asgard as the fortress but they are commonly identified by scholars.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=108}}

In ''Gylfaginning'', the central cosmic [[Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology|tree]] [[Yggdrasil]] is described as having three roots that hold it up; one of these goes to the Æsir, which has been interpreted as meaning Asgard. In ''Grímnismál'', this root instead reaches over the realm of men.{{sfn|Crawford|2015}}{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=375}} The bridge [[Bifröst]] is told to span from the heavens to the earth and over it the Æsir cross each day to hold council beneath Yggdrasil at the [[Urðarbrunnr]]. Based on this, Bifröst is commonly interpreted as the bridge to Asgard.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=36}}

==== Skáldskaparmál ====
Asgard is mentioned briefly throughout ''[[Skáldskaparmál]]'' as the name for the home of the Æsir, as in ''Gylfaginning''.{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=20}} In this section, a number of locations are described as lying within Asgard including Valhalla, and in front of its doors, the golden grove [[Glasir]].{{sfn|Simek|2008|p=113}} It also records a [[name for Thor]] as 'Defender of Ásgard' ({{langx|non|verjandi Ásgarðs}}).{{sfn|Sturluson|2018|loc=11. Kennings for Thor}}{{sfn|Skáldskaparmál|loc=Chapter 11}}