Ginnungagap is the name given to the bottomless abyss that existed before the creation of the cosmos in Norse mythology. It is also believed to be the place where the cosmos will eventually collapse into during Ragnarok, the "Twilight of the Gods." In the Eddic poem Völuspá, which describes the time before the universe came into being, it is depicted as follows:
"That was the age when nothing was;
There was no sand, nor sea, nor cool waves,
No earth nor sky nor grass there,
Only Ginnungagap."
The Old Norse word "gap" has the same meaning as its modern English counterpart: a void or empty space. However, the meaning of "ginnung," the other element of the term, is less certain. A widely accepted theory suggests it means "magically-charged," which implies the potential for something to emerge from nothingness, serving as the basis for creation.
The concept of an initial state of perfect, uninterrupted darkness and silence is not unique to Norse mythology. Similar notions can be found in other mythologies worldwide. For instance, the opening chapter of Genesis in Judeo-Christian tradition describes the universe before Elohim's intervention as "without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." This contrast between the well-ordered cosmos and the chaotic void is a prevalent theme in religion and human consciousness.
In Norse and Germanic mythology, this duality is expressed through the opposition of "innangard" and "utangard." Innangard represents order, civilization, and adherence to laws, while utangard symbolizes wildness and anarchy. Plowed fields are considered innangard, while the untamed wilderness beyond the boundaries is utangard, often associated with the giants. These anti-cosmic forces continuously seek to revert the work and ideals of the Aesir gods back to chaos, with Ginnungagap serving as the ultimate destination to which the giants aim to return the world, a goal they ultimately achieve during Ragnarok.