The Symbolism of The Yggdrasil Tree

Yggdrasil is an enormous tree that connects the nine worlds in Norse cosmology. It supports all of creation such as gods, giants, man, and beasts. Yggdrasil can also be called the World Tree or The Tree of Life, because it represents the cycle of birth, death, growth, and rebirth. In Norse cosmology, it consists of nine worlds that is unified by the world tree Yggdrasil. The name Yggdrasil apparently means “the horse of Yggr”, “The Terrible One”. It is another name for Odin. Odin desires the power to control destiny. He needs to be able to see and decipher the magic runes. The runes are symbols that convey wisdom, intention, and power. The Norns who lives within the Well of Urd at the bottom of the world tree is the only one that understands the runes. “Urd” means destiny.

Yggdrasil is the tree of life, and it is an everlasting green ash tree. The branches stretch out to the nine worlds in Norse mythology. The first worlds that exist before any other of the other realms are Niflheim and Muspelheim. An abyss separates the two from each other. Niflheim is the realm of ice and Muspelheim is the realm of fire. The interaction of fire and ice generates the first living beings. Creatures live within Yggdrasil such as Nidhogg, an eagle, and stags. The Poetic Edda is a collection, of Old Norse poems that are written by unknown authors. It refers to the mystical tree and its sacred nature.

Yggdrasil has three enormous roots that extend far away into other realms. The three roots end in Asgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim. The first root ends in the Well of Urd that is in Asgard. Three Norns protect the Well of Urd. Each day all the gods gather at the Well of Urd to hold a council. The second root leads to Jotunheim. A giant called Mimir guards the Well of Wisdom. Mimir drinks from the Well of Wisdom each day with the horn Gjoll. In Norse mythology, Odin is thirsty for wisdom and goes to ask Mimir to drink from the well. Mimir agrees, but only with one condition, that Odin sacrifice an eye for a drink. The third root leads to Niflheim. It has the oldest well, Hvergilmer, which is the source of the eleven rivers.

Creatures also live on the Tree of Life. One of them is Ratatosk. Ratatosk is a squirrel that likes to gossip about things. Ratatosk also carries messages to and from a serpentine dragon, Nidhogg. Another is an Eagle that lives on top of the Tree of Life. Nidhogg and the eagle hate each other and the message that’s being carried back and forth by Ratatosk consist of insults. Dvalinn, Durabror, Duneyrr, and Dainn are the four stags that leap around the branches of the Tree of Life and eat the tree’s buds. Animals chew on the roots and branches of the Tree of Life, which can damage the health of the Tree of Life. Yggdrasil is the source of life, destiny and wisdom.

In Norse mythology Ragnarok is a series of events that says that there will be total and utter chaos that will cause the destruction of the world. A red rooster that tells the Giants that Ragnarok has started will tell signs of the coming of the Ragnarok. The Giants and Aesir will fight each other. It will be a time of conflict and despair to the inhabitants of the Tree of Life. Nearly everyone will perish, but only two humans will survive by hiding themselves deep within Yggdrasil. Once the chaos goes away they will have offsprings and will repopulate the world.