![]() ![]() ![]() Beneath his bat-like wings, he carries the corpses of criminals. His mammoth body can be found twisting through the roots of Yggdrasil, especially around Niflheimr, the cold world from which all the rivers of Midgard spring. Occasionally, he might slither into Hel to visit the dark goddess who some people consider his master.īalance is extremely important in Norse mythology, and while Nidhogg does represent a ghastly force, he is still important to supporting the balance of Yggdrasil. ![]() A great eagle, who represents wisdom and virtue, perches in the uppermost branches of the tree, while Nidhogg, representing chaos and evil, lurks in its roots. The constant tension between the eagle and the dragon is fueled by Ratatoskr, a squirrel who runs up and down the tree ferrying insults between the two enemies. This tension may seem undesirable, but it actually promotes a cycle of growth in the tree of life. After the eagle and the dragon spend the day destroying Yggdrasil in their frenzy to attack each other, the tree is bathed in water from the wells of Urd, which promotes healing and new growth. In addition to bringing balance to Yggdrasil, the monster also figures in the punishment of criminals. He rules over the dark shores of Nadastrond, to which the corpses of murderers, adulterers, and oath-breakers are banished. A terrifying hall, with walls woven from serpents and a ceiling that drips venom, waits for these criminals, and inside the hall, the dragon chews on their bodies.įinally, the dreaded dragon has a role to play in Ragnarok, the day when the giants will attack the gods and destroy most of their world. Ragnarok will begin when the dragon finally manages to chew through the roots of Yggdrasil, causing the tree to yellow and the worlds it supports to plunge into a three-year winter. At the end of this frigid and chaotic period, he will fly up from the underworld, carrying dead criminals and leading the giants on an attack against the gods. Ultimately, the he will survive this battle and become the force of evil which balances good in the post-Ragnarok world.Yggdrasil is a giant mythical tree that serves as the center of the Norse cosmology in Norse mythology. It is an immense ash tree that is said to connect the nine worlds of Norse cosmology. Each of these nine worlds is inhabited by various beings, including gods, humans, and elves. Yggdrasil was the immense ash tree that connected and supported the world in Norse mythology Yggdrasil did not have a creator The roots of Yggdrasil extend into the underworld, and the branches of the tree reach up into the heavens. Yggdrasil’s origins in the Norse mythological poems are not properly explained however, by reading the Norse creation story, we know that the sacred waters of Mimir, Urd, and Hvergelmir were among the first locations to be created out of the dead giant Ymir. It is possible that the seed that would become Yggdrasil obtained it’s nourishment from these waters and began to grow into the World Tree of the Norse. Throughout the majority of Norse mythological sources Yggdrasil has been described as an ash tree, and not an oak or a yew. The Norse deeply venerated the ash tree, and even believed the gods created the first man, Ask, out of an ash tree and gave it divine spirit. The many uses of ash wood, such as in spears, bows or building material, created a deep appreciation for it, which over time led to it being considered a sacred tree. ![]()
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