Ginnungagap is the void of darkness from where (most) life has begun in the Norse cosmology story. It is situated between Niflheim (the realm of ice) and Muspelheim (the realm of fire). The latter was the only other realm with life forms: the fire giants commanded by Surtr.
The story goes that the crystals of ice would melt down into water, forming the basis for some of the first creatures to exist in the universe: Ymir and Audhumla. When Odin and his brothers killed the giant, they recreated the universe. After that, we no longer speak of the existence of Ginnungagap. The emptiness had been filled and restructured into nine realms.