One old Nordic song, Voluspa or Vision of the Prophetess (written in the 12th century), speaks about the birth and life of the universe, as well as its end. At the very beginning, when the prophetess mentions a time when there was no land, sea, or sky – only the primal void from which everything originated – she recalls the seed from which the tree of the universe, time, and life sprouted: Yggdrasil.
This gigantic ash tree, “the noblest of all trees,” being located in the very center of the universe, connects and supports it, while at the same time being the entire universe itself. Its roots and branches are the cradle of all nine worlds of Nordic cosmology. In the middle lies the tangible world – Midgard (“Middle world”) – the realm of humans, surrounded by the ocean, where a giant serpent that encircles the world resides. Under Midgard, there is a dark and icy place – Niflheim (“World of darkness”) – the underworld. In the treetop resides the realm of gods – Asgard (“World of gods”). From this realm, the Allfather Odin can see all the other worlds. In Asgard, near the Tree of Life, the gods gather to make decisions.
Yggdrasil has three roots that grow in different directions. One stretches to the very edge of the world towards a wild and rocky desert land belonging to the giants, the enemies of the gods; the second reaches deep into Niflheim, and the third into Midgard (in the Poetic or Elder Edda) or Asgard (in the Prose or Younger Edda).
The Tree of Life is a living entity nourished by three sources (originally perhaps only one). Beside the root that penetrates into the land of the giants flows the Well of Mimir (“memory”), in which wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Odin himself wanted to drink from this well to gain knowledge of everything, and for that, he had to sacrifice one of his eyes. Since then, Odin’s eye lies at the bottom of Mimir’s Well. From the second source of the underworld (“the boiling cauldron”), all the rivers of the world spring forth (Grimnismal), and the spring near the third root is called the “Well of Destiny”. It is the home of the three prophetic sisters (norns), weavers The abyss that intertwines the threads of fate. They rule over the past, present, and future. Not even the gods can change what they foretell.
The magnificent ash tree is home to many mythological beings. The three vertical dimensions – the Underworld, Earth, and Heaven – correspond to the three creatures in the Voluspa: the dragon/serpent that gnaws at the roots, the eagle that nests in the branches, and the squirrel that runs up and down the trunk, between the eagle and the serpent. Near Yggdrasil in Asgard, there lives a goat that feeds on the leaves of the World Tree and provides drink to fallen warriors feasting in Valhalla.
Time in the manifested world shows no mercy to anything. Life is constantly changing and must be renewed, so the Tree as a symbol of life also changes and needs to be nourished and renewed. The Poetic Edda says: “Yggdrasil endures more pain than any man can imagine. From above, it is consumed by stags, from the side, decay, from below, serpents.” The Norns must draw sacred water from the Well of Fate every day and use it to water the Tree so that it does not wither. not or not decay. That’s how Yggdrasil rejuvenates and remains evergreen.
The Honeydew of Yggdrasil, also known as honey dew, falls on the valleys of the world. It is the counterpart of Greek ambrosia and it is collected by bees, the ones who diligently work and are able to perceive the wisdom of nature.
The cosmic tree has many names, but Yggdrasil is the most common. It means “Ygg’s horse” (one of Odin’s names is Ygg or Terrible). Legend has it that Odin once sacrificed himself to learn the wisdom of the runes. He impaled himself with his spear and hung for nine days on the Tree of Life.
Yggdrasil contains the life of the cosmos and its renewal. Another story tells that at the beginning of the world, two human beings emerged from Yggdrasil and populated the world. At the end of time, when Ragnarok comes, the Tree will tremble and groan, but it will survive. Several people will find refuge in its trunk and, nourished by its honey dew, they will survive the destruction of the world to start life anew in a new cycle thanks to the Tree of Life. title: Ivana Jovović