The Origin of the Word “Yggdrasil” The Wild Hunt of Odin, by Peter Nicolai Arbo, 1872, via Ī meaningful myth surrounding the tree is revealed when the name is broken down. It is often analogous to immortality, with a fruit growing from its branches or a spring of water nearby believed to grant eternal life. Humans and the majority of the animals live beneath its branches, and snakes and reptiles claim the soil at the foot of the tree. Stars and other celestial bodies are located above along with birds, and often the eagle symbolizes the creator or the controller of the weather and of the belief systems. Each parallels an element: the top with fire, the middle with earth, and the bottom with water.īecause the tree is seen as the link between the heavenly and hellish realms, the people existing between the two worshipped it. The treetops correlate with the heavens, the trunk with earth, and the roots with the underworld. Acting as the whole system’s nucleus, it embodies order and harmony of all that surrounds it. This motif acts as the axis mundi, rooted in the center of the world. These trees contain eternal wisdom that is always sought out by gods and significant figures in each culture. In different cultures’ mythologies and religions, the many variations of the world tree all function as a connection between the heavenly realm, the earth on which humans reside, and the underworld beneath the roots. World Trees: The Yggdrasil Tree Is One of Many Aal Luuk Mas, the Sacred Tree of the North-Eastern tradition in Yakutia, Russia, via
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |