The plain where the gods assemble and build their temples; is found again after Ragnarok.
Iðavöllr, 'the ever-renewing plain' or 'the field of activity', is the place in Ásgarðr where the gods originally assembled and built their temples and forges. Völuspá 7 describes how in the beginning they met on Iðavöllr, brought forward stones, and built halls, forged tongs, and created tools and treasures. It is a picture of a divine society in its foundational establishment phase, a constitutive place for Asgardian life.
The place gains a second, deeper resonance in Völuspá 60, which describes the gods finding Iðavöllr again after Ragnarök. In the renewed world, the Aesir assemble on the plain and speak of former times and the runes of Fimbultýr, the great god. They find the golden gaming pieces in the grass, the same pieces the gods once played with in ancient times, a sign that old life can be rediscovered and that the joy of creation can return. Iðavöllr is thus a cyclical gathering place.
The name's etymology is debated. 'Iðr' can be connected to a verb meaning 'to renew oneself', 'to move in circles', or alternatively to a word for 'glowing embers' or 'diligence'. 'Völlr' is a common Germanic designation for an open plain or pasture. The place appears to function as a cosmological zero-point, a center to which the gods return and from which they depart.
Sources in the Eddas
- Völuspá 7
- The völva describes how the gods in the beginning of time met on Iðavöllr and began building Ásgarðr.
- Völuspá 60
- The völva describes how the gods after Ragnarök assemble again on Iðavöllr and find the golden gaming pieces in the grass.
- Gylfaginning 14
- Snorri introduces Iðavöllr as the place where the gods originally built their halls and forges.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Iðavöllr is the central gathering place in Ásgarðr, where the gods originally established their civilization.
The place exists again after Ragnarök; the gods gather there in the renewed world.
The golden gaming pieces found in the grass after Ragnarök are a sign of continuity with the former world.
B What we think we know
Whether Iðavöllr is identical to Gimlé or Vingólf, other places mentioned in connection with the gods' life, is debated.
The etymology of 'Iðr' and its implications for the place's character as cyclical or static is linguistically debated.
Whether the golden gaming pieces symbolize a literal return to innocent play or have a deeper cosmological meaning is debated.
C What we do not know
Iðavöllr's geographical position within Ásgarðr, relative to places such as Valhöll and Himinbjörg, is not specified.
Whether the place had a cultic or ritual function in the living Old Norse religion is unknown.
Which gods specifically gather at Iðavöllr after Ragnarök, beyond those named in Völuspá 60-63, is not established.