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Essay / The Symbolism of the Yggdrasil Tree
Yggdrasil is an enormous tree that connects the nine worlds of Norse cosmology. He supports all creation, such as gods, giants, men and beasts. Yggdrasil can also be called the World Tree or The Tree of Life, as it represents the cycle of birth, death, growth and rebirth. In Norse cosmology, it consists of nine worlds unified by the world tree Yggdrasil. The name Yggdrasil apparently means "the horse of Yggr", "The Terrible". This is another name for Odin. Odin desires the power to control destiny. He must be able to see and decipher magical runes. Runes are symbols that convey wisdom, intention and power. The Norns who live in the Well of Urd at the foot of the World Tree are the only ones who understand runes. “Urd” means destiny. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Yggdrasil is the tree of life, and it is an eternal green ash tree. The branches span the nine worlds of Norse mythology. The first worlds that exist before all other realms are Niflheim and Muspelheim. An abyss separates them 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 in Yggdrasil such as Nidhogg, an eagle and deer. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems written by unknown authors. It refers to the mystical tree and its sacred nature. Yggdrasil has three enormous roots that extend far and wide into other realms. The three roots end with Asgard, Jotunheim and Niflheim. The first root ends in the Well of Urd which is located in Asgard. Three Norns protect the Well of Urd. Every 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 every day with the Gjoll horn. In Norse mythology, Odin thirsts for wisdom and asks Mimir to drink from the well. Mimir agrees, but on one condition: that Odin sacrifices an eye for a drink. The third root leads to Niflheim. There we find 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 who likes to gossip about everything. Ratatosk also carries messages to and from a serpentine dragon, Nidhogg. Another is an eagle who lives at the top of the tree of life. Nidhogg and the eagle hate each other and Ratatosk's message consists of insults. Dvalinn, Durabror, Duneyrr and Dainn are the four deer who jump around the branches of the Tree of Life and eat the buds of the tree. Animals chew the roots and branches of the Tree of Life, which can harm the health of the Tree of Life. Yggdrasil is the source of life, destiny and wisdom. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a series of events that say there will be total and utter chaos that will cause the destruction of the world. A red rooster announcing to the Giants that Ragnarok has begun will indicate the signs of Ragnarok's arrival. The Giants and the Aesir will face each other. This will be a time of conflict and despair for the inhabitants of the Tree of Life. Almost everyone will perish, but only two humans will survive hiding deep within Yggdrasil. Once the chaos passes, they will have offspring and repopulate the world..