"The sunken fields"; realm of the dwarves. Mentioned e.g. in Völuspá 37.
Niðavellir, whose name may be interpreted as 'lower plains' or 'dark plains,' is the realm of dwarves in Norse cosmology. The only direct mention in the Poetic Edda occurs in Völuspá 37, where a hall of gold in Niðavellir is attributed to the dwarf Sindri and his kin, a hall that is expected to stand as a divine dwelling after Ragnarök.
Sindri is one of the most celebrated dwarves in Norse mythology. He and his brother Brokkr forged Mjölnir, Þórr's hammer, as well as Draupnir and Gullinbursti for the gods, according to Skáldskaparmál. The fact that his golden hall survives Ragnarök in Völuspá gives Niðavellir a post-apocalyptic significance and suggests that dwarven civilization is not entirely erased in the cosmic renewal.
In Snorri's Gylfaginning, Niðavellir appears as the home of dwarves but in a context where it partially overlaps with Svartalfheimr. Snorri appears to use both names without strict consistent distinction, which may be because he is working with varying source material or because the distinction was not firmly established in his time.
Niðavellir's subterranean character, reflecting the dwarves' association with mountains, caves, and the earth's interior, connects the realm to the chthonic forces that in Norse belief are linked with transformation, smithcraft, and treasure.
Sources in the Eddas
- Völuspá 37
- Sindri's golden hall in Niðavellir is mentioned as a place that survives Ragnarök.
- Völuspá 9-11
- The creation of the dwarves and their origin from the giant's blood and bones.
- Alvíssmál 2
- Dwarves' subterranean home is confirmed in Þórr's interrogation of Alvíss.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Niðavellir is the realm of dwarves, located beneath the earth's surface.
Sindri's golden hall in Niðavellir survives Ragnarök, according to Völuspá 37.
B What we think we know
The relationship between Niðavellir and Svartalfheimr is unclear; they may be synonymous names for the same realm or distinct but overlapping places.
Whether Niðavellir was counted as one of the nine worlds in all traditions is uncertain.
C What we do not know
Why specifically Sindri's hall survives Ragnarök while other dwarven structures do not is unexplained in the sources.
Niðavellir's exact position in the vertical cosmology relative to Hel and Niflheimr is unknown.