"primordial Niflheimr and the punishing Niflhel are ""equally dreadful"" places; it is not clear whether they are identical or distinct. Norse cosmology The cosmology of Norse mythology has ""nine homeworlds"" or ""nine realms"", unified by the world tree Yggdrasil. Mapping the nine worlds escapes precision because the ""Poetic Edda"" often alludes vaguely. The Norse creation myth tells how everything came into existence in the gap between fire and ice, and how the gods shaped the homeworld of humans. A cosmic ash tree, Yggdrasil, lies at the center of the Norse cosmos. Three roots drink the waters of the homeworlds, one"
"Yggdrasil Yggdrasil (; from Old Norse , pronounced ) is an immense mythical tree that connects the nine worlds in Norse cosmology. Yggdrasil is attested in the ""Poetic Edda"", compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ""Prose Edda"", written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Yggdrasil is an immense ash tree that is center to the cosmos and considered very holy. The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to assemble at their things, traditional governing assemblies. The branches of Yggdrasil extend far into the heavens, and the tree is supported by three roots"
"Asia. She goes on to say that Norse cosmology may have been influenced by these Asiatic cosmologies from a northern location. Davidson adds, on the other hand, that it is attested that the Germanic peoples worshiped their deities in open forest clearings and that a sky god was particularly connected with the oak tree, and therefore ""a central tree was a natural symbol for them also"". Connections have been proposed between the wood Hoddmímis holt (Old Norse ""Hoard-Mímir's"" holt) and the tree Mímameiðr (""Mímir's tree""), generally thought to refer to the world tree Yggdrasil, and the spring Mímisbrunnr. John Lindow"
"The world tree, with its branches reaching up into the sky, and roots deep into the earth, can be seen to dwell in three worlds - a link between heaven, the earth, and the underworld, uniting above and below. This great tree acts as an Axis mundi, supporting or holding up the cosmos, and providing a link between the heavens, earth, and underworld. In European mythology, the best-known example is the tree Yggdrasil from Norse mythology. Numerous popular stories throughout the world reflect a firmly-rooted belief in an intimate connection between a human being and a tree, plant or flower."
"(wood relief carving, 1938) on the Oslo City Hall by Dagfin Werenskjold; and the bronze relief on the doors of the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities (around 1950) by B. Marklund in Stockholm, Sweden. Poems mentioning Yggdrasil include ""Vårdträdet"" by Viktor Rydberg and ""Yggdrasill"" by J. Linke. Yggdrasil Yggdrasil (; from Old Norse , pronounced ) is an immense mythical tree that connects the nine worlds in Norse cosmology. Yggdrasil is attested in the ""Poetic Edda"", compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ""Prose Edda"", written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources,"
"messenger squirrel Ratatoskr and the perching hawk Veðrfölnir. The tree itself has three major roots, and at the base of one of these roots live a trio of Norns. Elements of the cosmos are personified, such as the Sun (Sól, a goddess), the Moon (Máni, a god), and Earth (Jörð, a goddess), as well as units of time, such as day (Dagr, a god) and night (Nótt, a jötunn). The afterlife is a complex matter in Norse mythology. The dead may go to the murky realm of Hel—a realm ruled over by a female being of the same name, may"
"noting that it is normally encountered by travelers from worlds that worship the Norse mythoi, but travelers from other Prime Material worlds can encounter the tree. It is a long-standing conduit from the Outer Planes to alternate prime worlds that was created by a group of deities and worshippers in the Prime Material plane. Yggdrasil is the ""World Ash"" that links several outer planes to the Prime Material plane, in the Norse mythos. It runs from Gladsheim, home of most of the Norse mythos, to Nifflheim, the center layer of the three Glooms of Hades and the dwelling place of"
"adds, the Germanic peoples are attested as worshipping their deities in open forest clearings, and that a sky god was particularly connected with the oak tree, and therefore ""a central tree was a natural symbol for them also"". Veðrfölnir and eagle In Norse mythology, Veðrfölnir (Old Norse ""storm pale,"" ""wind bleached"", or ""wind-witherer"") is a hawk sitting between the eyes of an unnamed eagle that is perched on top of the world tree Yggdrasil. ""Veðrfölnir"" is sometimes modernly anglicized as Vedrfolnir, Vedfolnir or Vethrfolnir. The unnamed eagle is attested in both the ""Poetic Edda"", compiled in the 13th century from"
"""Grímnismál"": Under the name Léraðr, it also appears in Snorri Sturluson's ""Gylfaginning"": According to John Lindow, the first reason to identify Lærad with Yggdrasill is ""Lærad's location at Odin's hall, which would be at the center of the cosmos"". Another argument is that many animals dwell in or around Yggdrasill, such as an eagle, the squirrel Ratatoskr, four stags, many snakes and the dragon Níðhöggr. Snorri also wrote that Hvergelmir was located under Yggdrasill (""Gylfaginning"", , ). Læraðr Læraðr is a tree in Norse mythology, often identified with Yggdrasill. It stands at the top of the Valhöll. Two animals, the"
"trees and wooden pillars that were venerated by the pagans across much of Germanic Europe, including Thor's Oak and the Irminsul. Ronald Hutton, however, states that ""there is absolutely no evidence that the maypole was regarded as a reflection of it."" It is also known that, in Norse paganism, cosmological views held that the universe was a world tree, known as Yggdrasil. Some observers have proposed phallic symbolism, an idea which was expressed by Thomas Hobbes, who erroneously believed that the poles dated back to the Roman worship of the god Priapus. This notion has been supported by various figures"
"journey across the sky. A different cosmic tree is Yggdrasil, the World tree of Norse mythology, on which Odin hung. Different again is the barnacle tree, believed in the Middle Ages to have barnacles that opened to reveal geese, a story which may perhaps have started from an observation of goose barnacles growing on driftwood. Greek mythology mentions many plants and flowers, where for example the lotus tree bears a fruit that causes a pleasant drowsiness, while moly is a magic herb mentioned by Homer in the ""Odyssey"" with a black root and white blossoms. The mandrake is hallucinogenic and"
"axis mundi, a common mythological element where heaven and earth connect bringing the order and brilliance of the divine to earth. The axis mundi is a compass that sets the rest of the world in order, balance, and direction. If it is hurt or destroyed, chaos will ensue. While an axis mundi exists in nearly all mythological literature, the Two Trees are perhaps especially reminiscent of the tree of Yggdrasil in Norse mythology. In both stories the trees are cosmic constructs. There are also two central trees in the story of the Garden of Eden in Jewish, Christian and Muslim"
"with the Earth surrounded by an ocean, with the axis mundi, a world tree (Yggdrasil), or pillar (Irminsul) in the centre. In the world-encircling ocean sat a snake called Jormungandr. The Norse creation account preserved in Gylfaginning (VIII) states that during the creation of the Earth, an impassable sea was placed around it: The late Norse Konungs skuggsjá, on the other hand, infers a spherical Earth: In ancient China, the prevailing belief was that the Earth was flat and square, while the heavens were round, an assumption virtually unquestioned until the introduction of European astronomy in the 17th century. The"
"the name ""Yggdrasil"", the potential relation to the trees Mímameiðr and Læraðr, and the sacred tree at Uppsala. The world tree is also represented in the mythologies and folklore of North Asia and Siberia. In the mythology of the Samoyeds, the world tree connects different realities (underworld, this world, upper world) together. In their mythology the world tree is also the symbol of Mother Earth who is said to give the Samoyed shaman his drum and also help him travel from one world to another. The symbol of the world tree is also common in Tengrism, an ancient religion of"
"around the tree in the garden of the Hesperides protecting the entheogenic golden apples. Similarly Níðhöggr (Nidhogg Nagar), the dragon of Norse mythology, eats from the roots of the Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Under yet another Tree (the Bodhi tree of Enlightenment), the Buddha sat in ecstatic meditation. When a storm arose, the mighty serpent king Mucalinda rose up from his place beneath the earth and enveloped the Buddha in seven coils for seven days, so as not to break his ecstatic state. The Vision Serpent was also a symbol of rebirth in Mayan mythology, with origins going back to"
"Mímameiðr In Norse mythology, Mímameiðr (Old Norse ""Mimi's tree"") is a tree whose branches stretch over every land, is unharmed by fire or metal, bears fruit that assists pregnant women, and upon whose highest bough roosts the cock Víðópnir. Mímameiðr is solely attested in the Old Norse poem ""Fjölsvinnsmál"". Due to parallels between descriptions of the two, scholars theorize that ""Mímameiðr"" may be another name for the world tree Yggdrasil, and also Hoddmímis holt, a wood within which Líf and Lífthrasir are foretold to take refuge during the events of Ragnarök. ""Mímameiðr"" is sometimes modernly anglicized as Mimameid or Mimameith."
"child but if the tree fails to thrive, the health of the child is considered at risk. When it flowers it is time for marriage. Gifts are left at the tree periodically and when the individual dies, their spirit is believed to live on in the tree. Trees have their roots in the ground and their trunk and branches extended towards the sky. This concept is found in many of the world's religions as a tree which links the underworld and the earth and holds up the heavens. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is a central cosmic tree whose roots and"
"roots of the tree Yggdrasil in Jötunheim. Odin, wanting to gain immense knowledge and wisdom, consulted all living beings. He ventured to the land of the giants and asked for a drink from the well. Mimir, knowing the value of the water, refused unless Odin offered one of his eyes. The chief god was ready to pay any price for the wisdom he desired, and so he agreed to the deal and sacrificed his eye. The eye was then placed in Mímisbrunnr. Jötunheimr Jötunheimr (or Jǫtunheimr in Old Norse orthography; often anglicized as Jotunheim) is the homeland of the Jötnar,"
"Ratatoskr In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr (Old Norse, generally considered to mean ""drill-tooth"" or ""bore-tooth"") is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carry messages between the eagle perched atop Yggdrasil, and the serpent Níðhöggr, who dwells beneath one of the three roots of the tree. Ratatoskr is attested in the ""Poetic Edda"", compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ""Prose Edda"", written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. The name ""Ratatoskr"" contains two elements: ""rata-"" and ""-toskr"". The element ""toskr"" is generally held to mean ""tusk"". Guðbrandur Vigfússon theorized that"
"spotted in her 1972 poem ""Guds Tuntre"" (""The Courtyard Tree of God""). Here, she describes the Norse World Tree Yggdrasil as planted by God, and takes comfort in the mythic explanation when she gets ""dizzy from hurrying thoughts"". She finds a quiet point, Tangen, and decides to work from there. Here, she finds friends and family, but acknowledges that ""life comes from the same root"". Yggdrasil is in fact the revolving earth, and all the world, all humanity, are inside its branches. Then, war comes, and the father in the poem enlists to defend the country. His farewell-song contains the"
"Barnstokkr In Norse mythology, Barnstokkr (Old Norse, literally ""child-trunk"") is a tree that stands in the center of King Völsung's hall. Barnstokkr is attested in chapters 2 and 3 of the ""Völsunga saga"", written in the 13th century from earlier tradition, partially based on events from the 5th century and the 6th century, where, during a banquet, a one-eyed stranger appears and thrusts a sword into the tree which only Sigmund is able to pull free. Scholarly theories have been put forth about the implications of Barnstokkr and its relation to other trees in Germanic paganism. Barnstokkr is introduced in"
"Urðr Urðr (Old Norse ""fate"") is one of the Norns in Norse mythology. Along with Verðandi (possibly ""happening"" or ""present"") and Skuld (possibly ""debt"" or ""future""), Urðr makes up a trio of Norns that are described as deciding the fates of people. Urðr is attested in stanza 20 of the ""Poetic Edda"" poem ""Völuspá"" and the ""Prose Edda"" book ""Gylfaginning"". ""Urðr"" is together with the Norns located at the well Urðarbrunnr beneath the world ash tree Yggdrasil of Asgard. They spin threads of life, cut marks in the pole figures and measure people's destinies, which shows the fate of all"
"World tree The world tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions, Siberian religions, and Native American religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the terrestrial world, and, through its roots, the underworld. It may also be strongly connected to the motif of the tree of life, but it is the source of wisdom of the ages. Specific world trees include ""égig érő fa"" in Hungarian mythology, Ağaç Ana in Turkic mythology, Modun in Mongol mythology, ""Yggdrasil"" (or ""Irminsul"") in Germanic (including Norse) mythology,"
"Norse gods are bound together, both by the permanent portal of Yggdrasil and by the highly dangerous nature of the plane of Gladsheim itself. The realm of Asgard is a conglomeration of many smaller realms and domains of the various gods near the permanent multiplanar portal that is Yggdrasil, the World Ash. The plane of Gladsheim is the topmost point of Yggdrasil. The roots of this mighty tree lie in the second layer of the plane of Hades, and its branches touch every alternate Prime Material world where the Norse pantheon has been or is being worshipped. The World Ash"
"and roles may overlap and differ, all are collective female beings associated with fate. The cosmology of the worlds which all beings inhabit—nine in total—centers on a cosmological tree, Yggdrasil. The gods inhabit the heavenly realm of Asgard whereas humanity inhabits Midgard, a region in the center of the cosmos. Outside of the gods, humanity, and the jötnar, these Nine Worlds are inhabited by beings, such as elves and dwarfs. Travel between the worlds is frequently recounted in the myths, where the gods and other beings may interact directly with humanity. Numerous creatures live on Yggdrasil, such as the insulting"
"dragon or serpent. In Norse mythology, the cosmic tree Yggdrasil is tended by the three Norns while the dragon Nidhogg gnaws at its roots. In Greek mythology, the tree of the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides is tended by the three Hesperides and guarded by the hundred-headed dragon Ladon. In Indo-Iranian texts, there is a mythical tree dripping with Soma, the immortal drink of the gods and, in later Pahlavi sources, a malicious lizard is said to lurk at the bottom of it. Proto-Indo-European mythology </noinclude> Proto-Indo-European mythology is the body of myths and stories associated with"
"Otuken Ötüken (Old Turkic: 𐰇𐱅𐰚𐰤: 𐰘𐰃𐰽 ""Ötüken yïš"", ""Ötüken forest"", ""𐰇𐱅𐰚𐰤:𐰘𐰼"", ""Ötüken jer"", ""Land of Ötüken"") is a legendary capital city in Turkic mythology and Tengrism. Otukan (Ötüken) is also one of the names given to Mother Earth. According to this ancient belief, the mood of the Yer-sub and Ötüken could be seen in the trees' condition. If the trees are healthy and strong and are bearing a lot of fruit, it is believed that Ötüken is satisfied with humans. A prayer dedicated to Ötüken was once directed to a grand tree. Otugan existed in the middle of the Universe"
"lies beneath the roots of the great ash tree Yggdrasil, who's branches and roots touch all nine realms of existence: Midgard (Earth), Vanaheimr, Asgard, Jotunheimr, Alfheimr, Nidavellir, Svartalfar, Niflheim, Muspelheim, and Hel. According to legend, Nidhoggr gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil and will one day chew through them all, toppling the world tree and bringing about Ragnarok: the end of everything. Once again we have a serpent figure who seeks to start the end of the world. On the opposite end of the spectrum we have Hati and Skoll, the twin sons of Fenrir (or Fenris). When their father"
"or 12,900 BP, after which the sea level rose. This culture reached China (Szechuan), then India and the Middle East. Finally the Finno-Ugric strand of this diffusion spread through Russia to Finland where the Norse myth of Yggdrasil took root. The Borjgali () is an ancient Georgian tree of life symbol. In Germanic paganism, trees played (and, in the form of reconstructive Heathenry and Germanic Neopaganism, continue to play) a prominent role, appearing in various aspects of surviving texts and possibly in the name of gods. The tree of life appears in Norse religion as ""Yggdrasil"", the world tree, a"
"religion. Old Norse religion was polytheistic, entailing a belief in various gods and goddesses. Norse mythology divided these deities into two groups, the Æsir and the Vanir, who engaged in an ancient war until realising that they were equally powerful. Among the most widespread deities were the gods Odin and Thor. This world was inhabited also by various other mythological races, including giants, dwarfs, elves, and land-spirits. Norse cosmology revolved around a world tree known as Yggdrasil, with various realms existing alongside that of humans, named Midgard. These include multiple afterlife realms, several of which are controlled by a particular"
"number of worlds is found in northern Eurasia and forms part of the shamanic lore shared by many peoples of this region. This seems to be a very ancient conception, perhaps based on the Pole Star, the centre of the heavens, and the image of the central tree in Scandinavia may have been influenced by it... Among Siberian shamans, a central tree may be used as a ladder to ascend the heavens. Davidson says that the notion of an eagle atop a tree and the world serpent coiled around the roots of the tree has parallels in other cosmologies from"
"of favor with some religious scholars such as Lesley Northup. Many mythologies mention a place that sits at the center of the world and acts as a point of contact between different levels of the universe. This """"axis mundi"""" is often marked by a sacred tree or other mythical object. For example, many myths describe a great tree or pillar joining heaven, earth, and the underworld. Vedic India, ancient China, Mayans, Incas and the Germanic peoples all had myths featuring a ""Cosmic Tree"" whose branches reach heaven and whose roots reach hell. Many cultures have a creation myth in which"
"and his acceptance of the weapon Sting after it has been thrust ""deep into a wooden beam"". Some of the structures described in Tolkien's ""Lord of the Rings"" have been described as ""recalling"" the position and placement of Barnstokkr in ""Völsunga saga"", which Tolkien was well familiar with. Barnstokkr In Norse mythology, Barnstokkr (Old Norse, literally ""child-trunk"") is a tree that stands in the center of King Völsung's hall. Barnstokkr is attested in chapters 2 and 3 of the ""Völsunga saga"", written in the 13th century from earlier tradition, partially based on events from the 5th century and the 6th"