Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil is nothing less than the Tree on which the 9 worlds of Norse mythology rest. I’m sure you’ve already heard the name of this very special tree… indeed, even today the name Yggdrasil keeps coming up again and again. It might be in a video game, the name of a spaceship in a movie, or even in manga. Today, the name of this mythical tree is engraved in popular culture.

But what’s crazy? It’s that few people know its story. And today, you will be among the rare insiders who will know everything about Yggdrasil. Are you ready? Then let’s go!

Yggdrasil, the tree of worlds

Ok, Yggdrasil is not a tree like the others. Already in its branches, it carries 9 worlds (which must be quite heavy). According to sources, Yggdrasil could be an ash or a yew. In any case, this tree connects 3 worlds. The top of the Sacred Tree hosts Asgard, the city of the Gods ruled by Odin in his immense palace. Then, near the trunk of the Tree, there is the world of Midgard. It is a world similar to ours that was given as a gift to Embla and Ask, the first humans created by Odin and his brothers (yeah, that’s definitely a different kind of gift than the wool sweater your grandma gave you for Christmas!).

Then Yggdrasil takes root in Niflheim… For a little explanation, Niflheim is a bit like hell just as Valhalla is like paradise. In a few minutes, I will introduce you to each of the 9 worlds carried by Yggdrasil. You will simply love it… but first I’d like to reveal to you:

The meaning of Yggdrasil (it sounds cool)

So here it is, Yggr means “Terrible,” and it is one of the many nicknames of Odin, the master of the Gods and king of Asgard.

And the term “drasill” means “horse.” So if we put it all together, Yggdrasil means Odin’s Horse.

So you’ve probably noticed… Yggdrasil looks like many things, but definitely not a horse, for God’s sake! So why call it that? Well, very few people know… and I’m going to tell you why. To access ultimate wisdom and understand the runes, Odin must perform the seeress Volva’s ritual… This ritual? To spiritually sacrifice himself.

Odin is motivated… he wants more than anything to access ultimate knowledge. So, he impales himself with his spear named Gungnir (yep, Odin gives names to his weapons) for 9 days and 9 nights on Yggdrasil. After these 9 days, he will resurrect thanks to his mastery of the runes acquired through ultimate wisdom. Anyway, it’s not so easy to understand… That’s because it’s a spiritual metaphor.

Yggdrasil is Odin’s traveling companion on his quest for ultimate wisdom. It’s kind of the one who will carry his corpse during this journey… Yep, it’s very metaphorical and a poetic point (your French teacher would be surprised if you told her that). Well now, I’d like to introduce you to:

The 9 worlds carried by Yggdrasil

Yep, you heard right… there are 9 worlds, each as different as the others, in the branches and roots of Yggdrasil. So don’t worry, I’m not going to write you a long text to present each world… I’m just going to reveal the juicy facts about each world. Let’s go:

Asgard

Asgard is the place where all the Aesir Gods (linked to Odin) live. It’s Odin and his 2 brothers who created Asgard after winning the war against the giants… Odin lives in Asgard in the magnificent palace of Valaskjálf (I gave up on the pronunciation). He even had a super stylish throne built by dwarves, the throne also has its own little name: Hlidskjalf.

In Asgard, there are 12 temples each dedicated to a particular God. Because yes, the Vikings, just like us, divided their year into 12 months. And each month was under the aegis of a God.

Vanaheim

It’s the world of the Vanir Gods… they are very powerful gods often associated with love, fertility, and fecundity (it must be a lot of fun there, I’m telling you)! The Goddess Freyja belongs to this group. And she is, just like Odin, a very important figure in Norse mythology. Long ago, the Aesir and the Vanir were at war… eventually, the two worlds decided to establish a truce.

Alfheim

It’s the world of the Light Elves, fairy-like beings, with charisma and charm that made the other 8 worlds envious. These Elves mastered great magical powers… and let me tell you, that’s why they were left alone in their world. It was better not to mess with them, believe me!

Midgard

It’s a world very similar to ours and inhabited by humans. The world of Midgard is located in the middle of the trunk of Yggdrasil and the humans who live there work, fight, have children, and die. The specificity of Midgard? It’s that this world is surrounded by a gigantic ocean guarded by a beautiful giant serpent named: Jörmungandr. And when you see the face of the beast… well, you really don’t want to take a boat.

Jötunheim

Jötunheim is a world ruled by the giant king Thrymr. This giant is known in Norse mythology for having stolen Thor’s hammer… and if he did that, it wasn’t even for the hammer, but to ask for the hand of the goddess Freyja (ah love, it makes you crazy!). Thor will recover his hammer by disguising himself as a bride (it’s a long story, don’t judge him). And at the same time as recovering his hammer, Thor will take the opportunity to massacre the giant and his entire family (Thor is not gentle either).

Svartalfheim

It’s the domain of the Dark Elves… but it can be quite complicated. Some versions say that Svartalfheim is the domain of the dwarves.

Niflheim

The world of Niflheim is a place of ice (it’s really freezing there). It is located at the bottom of the Yggdrasil Tree. According to the Icelandic historian Snorri, Niflheim is the equivalent of Hel. It’s the same place where those who die of illness and old age go. In short, Niflheim is not really the place you’d want to spend your vacation.

Muspellheim

In Norse mythology, Muspellheim is the world of fire, it is also the kingdom of the devastating fire giant Surt. He’s not a very nice guy who threatens to destroy the 9 worlds with his sword of fire. A funny little fact… in 1963 a volcanic island emerged in Iceland, and it was named Surtsey.

Nidavellir

It’s the world of our dwarf friends! You know, those little guys who love to dig mountains to find precious stones. Well, according to Norse mythology, the world of Nidavellir is inhabited by dwarves who accumulate precious stones deep underground. Dwarves cannot go out into the daylight, because if they do, they would be immediately petrified… so they don’t really want to go out!

To finish

You’ve understood, Yggdrasil is not a tree like the others. It carries 9 worlds on its shoulders. Moreover, legend has it that a monster constantly gnaws at Yggdrasil’s roots to bring about chaos… And it is said that one day this monster will succeed… and then will come the end of the 9 worlds… the Ragnarök.