The Nine Worlds Of Norse Mythology Explained

The Norse universe was based a tree. As explained by the World History Encyclopedia, at the center of the world was a great ash tree called Yggdrasil. Interestingly, the name Yggdrasil means "Odin's Horse," according to "Tracing Old Norse Cosmology," which is described as"poetic metaphor... for 'gallows'." This refers to a myth in which Odin

The Norse universe was based a tree. As explained by the World History Encyclopedia, at the center of the world was a great ash tree called Yggdrasil. Interestingly, the name Yggdrasil means "Odin's Horse," according to "Tracing Old Norse Cosmology," which is described as "poetic metaphor... for 'gallows'." This refers to a myth in which Odin hanged himself on the tree.

Yggdrasil formed the framework and nourished the nine worlds, or realms, of Norse mythology. The tree was fed by three immortal wells. The first was Urd, where the Norns, who guided destiny, dwelled. The second was Mimir's Well. The third was Hvergelmir, where the dragon Nidhogg (sometimes Nithog) gnawed on the roots of Yggdrasil. In fact, Yggdrasil was positively alive with struggle. The Norse myths tell how serpents chewed on the tree's roots while mythical deer feed on its buds. Meanwhile, an eagle sits at the top of the tree and relay informations to Nidhogg through a divine squirrel.

As for the nine realms, "Norse Mythology A to Z" maintains that these were staggered into tiers that descended downward. However, the geography is never terribly clear. The upper worlds were the homes of the gods and the light elves, the middle levels included the realms of men, dwarfs, giants, and dark elves, while the roots of the great tree reached into realms of fire, ice, and the undead.

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