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 comes up again and again. It can be in a video game, a ship's name in a movie or even in manga. Today the name of this mythical tree is engraved in popular culture.

But the crazy thing ? It's that few people know its history. And today, you're going to be one of the rare insiders who will know all about Yggdrasil. Are you ready? Then let's get started!

Yggdrasil, the tree of worlds

 Ok, Yggdrasil, it's not a tree like any other. Already in its branches, it carries 9 worlds (which must be quite heavy). Depending on the 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 huge 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 (yep, it sure is a different gift than the woolen jumper your granny gave you for Christmas!).

 Then Yggdrasil takes its roots in the Niflheim... For the sake of explanation, Niflheim looks a bit like hell as well as Valhalla looks like heaven.  In a few minutes, I will introduce you to each of the 9 worlds carried by Yggdrasil. You'll simply love it... but first I'd like to reveal :

The meaning of Yggdrasil (that's a mouthful)

 So there you have it, Yggr means "Terrible", and is one of the many nicknames of Odin, the master of the Gods and king of Asgard.

 And the term "drasill" it means "horse". So if you put it all together, Yggdrasil is Odin's Horse. 

 So you've probably noticed... Yggdrasil looks like a lot of things, but definitely not a horse for goodness sake ! So why call it that ? Well very few people know... and I'll tell you why. To access the ultimate wisdom and understand the runes, Odin must perform the ritual of the seer Volvä... This ritual ? Spiritual sacrifice.

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

 Yggdrasil is Odin's traveling companion in his quest for ultimate wisdom. It's a bit like him carrying his corpse during this journey... Yep, it's very metaphorical and a poetic point (your French teacher would be surprised if you tell him that). So now I'd like to introduce:

The 9 worlds that Yggdrasil carries

 Yep, you heard me right...there are 9 equally different worlds in the branches and roots of Yggdrasil. So rest assured, I'm not going to write you a pamphlet to introduce you to each world... I'm just going to reveal the juicy little facts about each world. We're off :

Asgard

Asgard is the place where all the Aesir Gods (related to Odin) dwell.  It is Odin and his 2 brothers who will create Asgard after winning the war against the giants... Odin lives in Asgard in the magnificent palace of Valaskjálf (I've given up on pronunciation). He even had a super stylish throne built by dwarves, the throne too 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

This is the world of the Vanes Gods... they are very powerful Gods often associated with love, fertility and fecundity (we must be having a lot of fun there, I'm telling you)! The Goddess Freyja belongs to this group. And she is, like Odin, a very important figure in Norse mythology. A long time ago the Aesir and the Vanes were at war... finally, the two worlds decided to set up a truce.

Alfheim

This is the world of the Light Elves, fairy beings, with a charisma and charm that made the other 8 worlds pale with envy. These Elves mastered great magical powers... and I might as well tell you that's why they were left alone in their world. It was better not to mess with them, believe me!

Midgard

It is a world very similar to our own and inhabited by humans. The world of Midgard is located amiddle of the trunk of the Yggdrasil and the humans who inhabit it, work, fight, have children and die. The uniqueness of Midgard ? It's that this world is surrounded by a gigantic ocean guarded by a beautiful giant snake named: Jörmungandr. And when you see the head of the beast... well you really don't want to take the boat.

Jötunheim

Jötunheim is a world where the giant king Thrymr rules.  This giant is known in Norse mythology for stealing 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 makes you crazy!"). Thor will get his hammer back by disguising himself as a bride (it's a long story, don't judge it).  And at the same time as getting his hammer back, Thor will take the opportunity to massacre the giant and his entire family (Thor is no softy either).

Svartalfheim

This is the domain of the Dark Elves... but it can be quite complicated. Some versions will say that the Svartalfheim is the domain of the dwarves.

Niflheim

The world of Niflheim is a place all of ice (he really curdles them). It is located at the bottom of the Yggdrasil Tree. According to the Icelandic historian Snorri, Niflheim is the equivalent of Hel. It is the same place where those of disease and old age die. In short, Niflheim is not really the place you'd want to holiday.

Muspellheim

In Norse mythology Muspellheim is the world of fire, it is also the realm of the devastating fire giant Surt. He's a not-so-nice guy who threatens to destroy all 9 worlds with his fire sword. Funny thing... in 1963 there's a volcanic island poking its head out of Iceland, so we'll name it Surtsey.

Nidavellir

This is the world of our friends the dwarfs! But yes, you know those little guys who love digging up mountains to find precious stones. Well according to Norse mythology the world of Nidavellir is inhabited by dwarves who hoard gems deep in the earth. The dwarves can't go out in the daylight, because if they did, they would be immediately petrified... so they don't really want to go out!"

Finally

 As you will have understood Yggdrasil, it is not a tree like any other. It has 9 worlds on its shoulders.  Moreover, legend has it that a monster is constantly gnawing away at the roots of Yggdrasil to bring about chaos... And it is said that one day this monster will get its way...and then will come the end of the 9 worlds ... the Ragnarök.