Yggdrasil – The World Tree springs from Norse mythology, so it made perfect sense to me to use it as part of the elves story in The Gemstone Chronicles. Referenced in Book One: The Carnelian, by Findecano, the elf freed from the chiastolite fairy cross, the story of Yggdrasil dates back to at least the 13th century, though its first attestation in the Poetic Edda from that time is a compilation from earlier traditional sources (according to Wikipedia). Regardless of the source, I think the tale is fascinating!
Wikipedia says Yggdrasil is a Norse word thought by some to mean Odin’s Horse. Ygg(r) was one of Odin’s many names and drasill means horse. Gallows are sometimes called horse of the hanged, and Norse mythology holds that Odin hanged himself from a tree, so Odin’s gallows becomes Odin’s horse and now you have, Yggdrasil. There are certainly other interpretations, but I kind of like this one! In my book, Yggdrasil is an immense ash tree and provides connection to life and death as a natural cycle for the elves.
About the tree:
Yggdrasil, in the mythology, connects the nine worlds together and is the home to the wyrm (dragon), an unnamed eagle, and others. The three roots of the tree extend into the well Urðarbrunnr, where the gods gather daily to meet and where the three Norns live, the spring Hvergelmir, that is near Nidhoggr, and finally, the well Mímisbrunnr, which runs to the land of the giants (Jotunheim). I think the wyrm, Nidhoggr, is particularly interesting. The name comes from the Norse word “nid,” which was a term for social stigma and loss of honor. In the mythology, Nidhoggr gnaws at the root of Yggdrasil. The picture below is from an Icelandic manuscript showing Nidhoggr at the roots of Yggdrasil.
The nine worlds:
As mentioned above, Yggdrasil connects the 9 worlds, which are divided into three levels. The highest level is Asgard, home of the Aesir (Gods of the Vikings including Odin), Vanaheim (home of the Vanir), and Alfheim (home of the Light Elves).
The second level consists of Middle Earth (home of the humans and connected to Asgard by the Rainbow Bridge, but no mention of Hobbits). Jotunheim (home of the giants), and Svartalfheim (home of the Dark Elves or Drow). Alfheim figures prominently in Book Four: The Ruby.
The lowest level contains Nidavellir (home of the Dwarves), Niflheim (to the north and somewhere under it is Helheim, home of the dead), and Muspelheim (to the south and home of the fire giants and demons). Here is a picture of how the 9 worlds might be connected.
Yggdrasil (or the World Tree) is not exclusive to Norse mythology, though. According to Wikipedia, there are similar myths among the Siberian shaman and ancient Germanic people. The notion of an eagle atop the tree and a serpent coiled around the roots has parallels in Asian cosmologies.
There you have a brief story of Yggdrasil. Very cool mythology and absolutely fascinating to me. I like to imagine the connections the myths have with events today. It’s a great way to develop story lines and future writing projects!
What are your favorite myths? If you’re a writer, have you used myths in your writing or do you plan to? If you are a reader, what myths do you like to read about? Leave me a comment and let me know!