Yggdrasil: Eternal And Sacred Tree Of Life In Norse Mythology

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - The tree of life is mentioned in many ancient myths and legends of the world.

In Norse mythology, it is called Yggdrasil, an eternal and sacred Ash tree with branches stretching out to harbor nine worlds. It has three roots, and each one reaches a different mysterious world. The first root is connected with Asgard, the ancient kingdom of the powerful Norse gods.

Left: Yggdrasil symbol. Right: An 1847 depiction of the Norse Yggdrasil as described in the Icelandic Prose Edda. By Oluf Olufsen Bagge

The second root goes all the way to Jötunheimr, the home of the fearful giants, and the third root stretches to Niflheim, a place shrouded in primordial darkness, cold, mist, and ice.

In each of the worlds, there is a sacred well. In Asgard stands Urd's well, where the gods hold daily meetings. In Jötumheimr stands Mimir's well (Mímisbrunnr), associated with Mimir, the Norse god of wisdom. It is said that the great god Odin sacrificed an eye to Mimir in exchange for a drink from Mimir's well. In Niflheim, there is a well called Hvergelmir from which many rivers flow.

In Old Norse, Yggdrasil is called Mimameidr. This giant tree supports the Universe. How Yggdrasil came to existence is not entirely clear, but according to most Norse mythology researchers, the sacred Tree of Life grew out of a well called Urd.

The name comes from Yggr, meaning "The Terrible One," a name frequently given to Norse god Odin. For the well, the term "Urd" meant "destiny." Both names can be linked to the Norsemen's' concepts of time. The Well of Urd depicts a "reservoir of completed or ongoing actions that nourish the tree and influence its growth.

The flow of time in Norse mythology was not linear but cyclical. The growth of Yggdrasil depended on how the waters of the past seeped into the tree, affecting its form. Eventually, this water gathers on the leaves, like the dew, and runs back into the well, thus creating a new present. Those who gained control over this flow were said to possess great magic because they displayed "a greater degree of control over destiny.

In Norse philosophy, the power of free will and fate interact and give birth to reality.

Yggdrasil is one of many variations of the Cosmic Axis or Universal World Tree, known to all human cultures and home to many fascinating creatures. Many different creatures lived in Yggdrasil. An eagle lived at the very top of Yggdrasil, and a dragon named Nidhogg lived at the bottom of the tree. Both hated each other and were bitter enemies. The Nine Worlds are guarded by the serpent Jormungand.

When Gangleri, the earliest recorded king in Scandinavia, asks about the location of the holiest place of the gods, he is told it is the ash Yggdrasil. There the gods must hold their courts each day. Yggdrasil is mentioned in two books in the Prose Edda; Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál.

Fragment of the Överhogdal tapestry - Yggdrasil. Unknown author - Public Domain

In the Well of Urd live the Norns, three wise women and shapers of destiny who recorded days in a person's life. The Well of Urd (Well of Destiny) plays a central role in the image of Yggdrasil.

The Well of Urd and its waters nourish the tree, and the water cycle expresses a circular passage of time. The well, which corresponds to the past, influences the tree's growth, which corresponds to the present. However, unlike our modern, linear conception of time, the present returns to the past, even retroactively changing it!

With the world's rebirth after Ragnarök, the golden age of the Norse gods will return. After Ragnarök, the Doom of the Gods, and the apocalyptic record of the coming comet, the world tree, though badly shaken, will be the source of new life.  Two humans, Líf and Lífðrásir, who hid deep within Yggdrasil, will see the light.

The image of Yggdrasil appears on the famous Överhogdal Tapestry, which dates to the year 1066 and depicts the events of Ragnarok, the doom of the Gods, and the apocalyptic record of the coming comet.

Written by Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com

Updated on February 18, 2023

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