Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

AUDUMBLA, THE COW

A symbol of the primordial buddhic nature which at first potential, becomes actual.

“'Then came the COW Audumbla, formed of the melting ice-drops. She nourished Ymer with four streams of her milk, and herself licked the sea salt-stones covered with the rime-frost, whence sprung Bur whose son was Borr, who married a giant's daughter, and was the father of Odin, Vili, and Ve, the ruling powers of heaven and earth." – The Voluspa.

This refers to the period of involution of the qualities. Then there arose from latency (ice) the nascent buddhic life (cow) which vitalised on the four planes the Archetypal Man (Ymer). The buddhic activities were applied to the astro-physical nature (the sea salt-stones) and from the latent (frost) condition there sprung the desire-nature (Bur) whose issue was the mind (Borr) who became allied with the perfected emotions and then produced Divine Will, Wisdom, and Action, the ruling principles of a new stage in the development of the higher and lower natures.

See Also

ARCHETYPAL MAN
BUR
Cow
FROST
ICE
ODIN
TRIAD
YMIR