Scholars debate the origin of the word, with the most common interpretation being Odin’s horse. Although this version expands the description of the world tree with much more descriptive and intriguing details, it is considered less true to pre-Christian pagan Norse mythology.Īn ash I know standsįrom there comes the dew that falls in the valleys. Some scholars indicate that much of the Prose Edda is embellished, based on the personal interpretations and Christian influences of its author. The second source, the Prose Edda, was written in the 13th century by the Icelandic Christian politician and historian, Snorri Sturluson. Although there are fewer details about the Norse world tree in the Poetic Edda, many scholars consider this compilation to be much more historically accurate than some other sources. The first is the Poetic Edda, which was compiled in the 13th century of older Norse and proto-Germanic sources and beliefs that endured the Christianization of Iceland in 1000 AD. They both contain information about the tree of life. The two main sources of Norse poems and stories are called the Eddas. The Yggdrasil tree is only one small, yet very important, glimpse of the vastness of Norse mythology. It reveals the interconnectedness in which the people saw the world of gods, humans, and nature, and shows us the depth of their religion and cosmological principles. Norse mythology, primarily that of pre-Christian references, is a rich source of history of the proto-Germanic and Old Norse cultures. The full meaning of Yggdrasil cannot be covered in one article, therefore, this serves as an introduction to the basic concepts of the world tree of Norse mythology. The true principles and meanings of the tree, as well as all Old Norse religion and myths, are profound and complex, yet strikingly beautiful. Yggdrasil is an important element of Norse mythology as the eternal ash that contains the nine worlds of the cosmos. Yggdrasil is also called the World Tree or Tree of Life because it contains all the worlds and represents the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth. It supports all of creation – gods, giants, man, and beasts – some of which eat directly from the branches and roots of the tree. The holy tree is evergreen and is covered in moist white loam. In Norse mythology Yggdrasil is the name of an enormous glistening ash tree that cradles the nine realms of the cosmos within its branches and roots, thereby connecting all things.
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