How many realms are there in Norse cosmology?

Norse cosmology is conventionally described as having nine realms, often called the Nine Worlds.

These worlds are associated with Yggdrasil, the cosmic tree at the center of the Norse universe. Commonly proposed names include Ásgarðr, home of the Æsir; Vanaheimr, home of the Vanir; Miðgarðr, the human world; Jötunheimr, land of the giants; Álfheimr, associated with elves; Múspellsheimr, the realm of fire; and Niflheimr, the realm of cold and mist. Svartálfaheimr and Niðavellir are often included as the remaining worlds.

The number comes from Old Norse references to “nine worlds,” including passages in Völuspá and Vafþrúðnismál. Snorri’s Prose Edda also refers to all nine worlds. However, the surviving sources do not provide one definitive list naming every realm, and scholars disagree about whether some names describe separate worlds or overlapping locations.

That uncertainty does not usually change the quiz answer: Nine is the standard modern summary. “Realms” is a convenient English label; the original sources more often speak of heimar, or worlds. The exact map is less certain than the number.