Her name means simply "Life." In Norse mythology, Lif and the male Lifthrasir are two mortals who are foretold that they will survive Ragnarok, the end of the world as it is known, by hiding in the forest of Hodmimir. After the flames have abated, Lif and Lifthrasir emerge to discover that everything has been destroyed, and it is up to them to begin anew and repopulate a fertile new world.