The Symbol of the World Tree - Part One

make up the universe. Stretching high into the sky, reaching the abode of the gods, sheltering man's earth, touching the underworld, it is the symbol of the structure of the cosmos. The ancient Norsemen had a structured and highly organized view of the universe with the Great Ash Tree in the middle holding everything together.

But what did this vivid picture of the World Tree found in the Ragnarok myth really mean to the devotees of the pagan Norse religion? Come back next time to explore further ideas on this Sacred Tree and on the Ragnarok myth.

Works Consulted:

Branston, Brian. Gods of the North, London: Thames and Hudson, 1955.

Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Scandinavian Mythology, London: Paul Hamlyn, 1969.

Munch, Peter Andreas. Norse Mythology Legends of Gods and Heroes, New York: AMS Press Inc., 1970.

Sturluson, Snorri. The Prose Edda, trans. by Arthur G. Brodeur, London: Oxford University Press, 1929.

The fabulous image above is by the artist Augustus Knapp. You can purchase a print of this image through here

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