Meanings
- GermanicNorsehuman sciencesThe primordial realm of fire which existed to the south of Ginnungagap.
At the beginning of time there was Muspell, which was the realm of Fire.
2003, Kim Farnell, Reading the Runes, A Beginner's Guide, Zambezi Publishing, →ISBN, page 211 more example
Certainly the encounter between the cold of Niflheim and the fires of Muspel suggests the chemical reactions that led to the evolution of the planetary surface and its atmosphere.
2005, Diana Paxson, Taking Up the Runes, Weiser Books, →ISBN, page 323Synonyms: Muspelheim, Muspellheim
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe primordial realm of fire which existed to the south of Ginnungagap.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*spilþijaną“to kill, ruin, murder”
- Latinmundus“world”
- Old NorseMuspell
- EnglishMuspell
Borrowed from Old Norse Muspell. The ultimate origin is disputed, but one suggestion includes Latin mundus (“world”) + Proto-Germanic *spilþijaną (“to kill, ruin, murder”), thus meaning "destruction of the world." More at Muspilli. Cognates include Old Saxon mūdspelli, Old High German muspilli. More at spill.
More words from Old Norse, Latin, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Muspell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Muspell
“Muspell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Muspell. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Muspell,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Muspell.
Source: Muspell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.