The world-tree; ash with three roots reaching the Well of Urd, Mímir's Well, and Hvergelmir.
Yggdrasil is the cosmic ash tree that binds together the nine worlds of Norse mythology. It is described as immense and sacred, with three roots extending toward Hel, Jotunheimr, and Urðarbrunnr. At Urðarbrunnr the three Norns, Urð, Verðandi, and Skuld, gather each day to water the tree and coat its bark with white clay from the spring, preserving it against decay.
Yggdrasil's crown is inhabited by an eagle whose eyes miss nothing, and between the eagle's eyes perches the hawk Veðrfölnir. Along the trunk runs the squirrel Ratatoskr, carrying insulting messages between the eagle at the top and the serpent Níðhöggr gnawing at the root in Hel. Four stags, Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, and Duraþrór, graze among the branches and feed on the foliage.
Odin hung himself voluntarily in the tree for nine nights, pierced by his own spear, in order to gain knowledge of the runes. This event, described in Hávamál, makes Yggdrasil more than a cosmic axis; it is also the site of Odin's self-sacrificial initiation rite. The name 'Yggdrasil' can be interpreted as 'Ygg's horse,' a kenning for the gallows.
At Ragnarök Yggdrasil survives the cosmic conflagration and suffers only slight trembling, according to Völuspá. This suggests the tree symbolizes continuity and cyclical renewal rather than merely the present world order.
Sources in the Eddas
- Völuspá 19-20
- The Norns' tending of the tree and Urðarbrunnr is described.
- Völuspá 27
- Yggdrasil trembles but survives Ragnarök.
- Grímnismál 25-35
- Detailed account of the tree's creatures, roots, and the springs.
- Grímnismál 29-35, 44
- Yggdrasil is named and characterized as the noblest of trees; detailed description of the tree's creatures.
- Hávamál 138-141
- Odin's hanging in the tree and acquisition of runic knowledge.
- Vafþrúðnismál 43-45
- The giant's wisdom concerning the cosmic role of the world-tree.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Yggdrasil is an ash tree binding the nine worlds, with three roots toward Hel, Jotunheimr, and Urðarbrunnr.
Ratatoskr, the eagle, Níðhöggr, and the four stags inhabit the tree.
The Norns water the tree daily from Urðarbrunnr.
B What we think we know
Whether 'Ygg' refers to Odin and whether the name primarily denotes the gallows or an older cosmological tradition is debated among scholars.
The tree's exact relationship to Mímirsbrunnr versus Urðarbrunnr is contested in the sources.
C What we do not know
Whether Yggdrasil was originally identical with the 'sacred grove' mentioned in various Germanic contexts is unknown.
The tree's exact function in pre-literary Norse cult practice is unknown.