Yggdrasil: At the Centre of the World
At the heart of the Norse cosmos stood an organising centre—a mighty ash tree known as Yggdrasil. It was more than a tree; it was like the spine of the body, holding everything together. Its vast branches reached across all the nine realms of the Norse world, and from them fell a sugary dew—the first honeydew, later worked by swarms of bees to create honey.
Yggdrasil was anchored by three enormous roots. The lowest stretched into Niflheim, the realm of ice and cold. The middle root reached into Jotunheim, the land of the giants. The highest extended into Asgard, the world of the gods.
Yet this great tree was not untouched by danger. Deep beneath it, the dragon Nidhogg gnawed endlessly at the roots, seeking to destroy it. Meanwhile, a squirrel named Ratatoskr ran constantly up and down the trunk, delivering messages—and insults—between creatures above and below. An eagle soared around its crown, four stags leapt through its branches, nibbling on its leaves, and a goat named Heidrun chewed away at its bark.
This was the noblest of trees, and within it was said to be all the knowledge of the world. Yggdrasil existed to serve all living creatures, in every realm. It was not only Odin’s sacred tree, but a sacred presence for all Norse people. To simply see it was enough to calm a troubled mind.
At the centre of the tree, in Asgard, lived Odin, who had taken a beautiful Jotun maiden as his wife. Together with other gods, he fathered a new generation—Thor, Baldr, Höðr, Týr, Heimdallr, Bragi, Hermóðr, Víðarr, and Váli—who would each play a vital role in the stories to come. But Odin was the supreme god, and his connection to the tree was profound.
To gain wisdom, Odin undertook a powerful ritual. He hung himself upside down from Yggdrasil for nine nights and nine days, without sleep and in great pain. On the ninth night, he saw shapes on the ground—twigs that had fallen from the tree had formed symbols. These were runes, containing the alphabet of magical knowledge, a source of great wisdom and deep power.
This rune wisdom became the foundation for communication across time, not only to those alive but to those yet to be born. The knowledge from Yggdrasil was profound—but, like many forces in Norse mythology, it had two faces. The runes could heal, but they could also be used as spells and curses, twisted into forms of harm.
Yggdrasil was more than a mystical symbol—it was also the physical centre for important rituals. Every morning, the Aesir gods gathered around it, forming a council to discuss the state of the world. They judged what was just and fair, and everyone had their say. When the matters were particularly serious, the goddesses (the Asynjur) were called in as well—and they were listened to. These gatherings were acts of community and balance.
After these councils, the gods would ride across Bifröst, the Rainbow Bridge, back to Asgard. The red in the rainbowwas a band of fire, protecting them by burning the feet of giants and trolls who tried to cross it.
But the tree was not only defended by gods. Another powerful force protected Yggdrasil: the Norns, three mysterious giant maidens. They were the weavers of fate, appearing at every birth to determine the destiny of the newborn. They could bless or doom a life, and no one could escape their decisions. If something strange happened in the Norse world, it was said to be the work of the Norns.
Beyond fate, they were also the caretakers of the tree itself. The Norns drew water from sacred springs to nourish its roots and protected its bark from decay. They played a quiet but immense role in maintaining the balance of the cosmos.
Yggdrasil, like all things in Norse mythology, was always at risk of collapse. That is why the rituals around it—and the beings who cared for it—were so essential. The tree did not just connect the nine worlds; it restored, calmed, healed, and reminded the people of life’s fragility and strength.
With Yggdrasil understood, the Norse cosmos was nearly complete. In Asgard, the gods built great halls: Gladsheim, a hall of gold; Vingólf, the hall of the goddesses; and Valaskjálf, Odin’s own hall with a roof of silver, where he sat on a high seat and looked out over all nine worlds. At his shoulders sat his ravens—Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory)—who flew across the realms, bringing back news and secrets.
One final world was created: Vanaheim, home of the Vanir gods. The relationship between the Aesir and Vanir was not without tension. The Aesir saw themselves as the true rulers of the cosmos, a view not shared by all—and this rift would have consequences.
At last, with the addition of Gimlé, the high heaven, the nine worlds of the Norse universe were in place—Niflheim, Muspelheim, Svartálfheim, Álfheim, Midgard, Jotunheim, Asgard, Vanaheim, and Gimlé—all connected and held by the sacred tree, Yggdrasil.
