Yggdrasil, the giant ash tree at the center of Norse mythology, connects the nine worlds of the Viking cosmos and sustains all life. But just how vast are its mythical dimensions? As a tech geek fascinated by world mythology, I decided to dive into the ancient Norse texts and uncover clues about the grand size and scale of this mystical world tree.
Spanning the Heavens and the Underworld
The ancient Norse viewed Yggdrasil as an eternally tall ash tree, with its branches reaching up into the heavens and its roots descending into the underworld depths. Several sources provide vivid descriptions that underscore its immense height:
- The Prose Edda depicts Yggdrasil‘s height as spanning "over heaven and under the earth."
- In the poem Grímnismál from the Poetic Edda, Odin states Yggdrasil‘s branches "spread themselves" over all the nine worlds.
- The 10th century poem Hávamál also describes the great tree "standing over earth, reaching up into the heavens."
Based on these accounts, we can envision Yggdrasil as a cosmic pillar or axis ascending from the underworlds below to the celestial realm of the gods and beyond. The world tree serves as a bridge between the different planes of the Norse mythological universe.
Artistic depiction of Yggdrasil connecting the nine worlds between heaven and the underworld depths
Connecting and Supporting the Nine Worlds
Rather than an ordinary tree, Yggdrasil is better conceived as a vast structure that literarily holds up the nine worlds believed to comprise the Norse mythological cosmos. These include:
The Upper Worlds
- Asgard: Realm of the main Norse gods like Odin, Thor and Frigg
- Vanaheim: Land of the Vanir, a secondary tribe of gods
- Alfheim: World of the light elves
The Middle World
- Midgard: The mortal realm of humans
The Lower Worlds
- Jotunheim: Land of the giants
- Nidavellir: Dwarven realm
- Svartalfheim: World of the dark elves
- Niflheim: Misty underworld
- Muspelheim: Land of fire giants
- Helheim: The underworld ruled by Loki‘s daughter Hel
The tree‘s central location emphasizes its integral role in sustaining this cosmos. The alternative names Mitgartr (Middle Enclosure) and Lerad (Support) for Yggdrasil also signify its function as the "world pillar" upholding the centerpoint of the universe.
Spanning the Diameter of the Earth
Though no exact measurements are provided in the Norse texts, some scholars have extrapolated the possible diameter of Yggdrasil by connecting it to the concept of the axis mundi – the pole around which the heavenly spheres pivoted in ancient cosmologies.
Based on this, they estimate Yggdrasil could have a gargantuan base diameter on par with the circumference of the Earth itself:
- The Earth‘s circumference is 24,901 miles (40,075 km) around the equator.
- This means a world tree anchored at the celestial pole and spanning across the planet would need a diameter of around 7,926 miles (12,756 km).
- So in Norse cosmology, Yggdrasil‘s trunk would need to be wide enough to cross the entire length of the mortal realm of Midgard.
Of course, as a mythical cosmic tree, Yggdrasil transcends any real-world measurements. But this helps envision just what a mind-boggling scale the ancient Vikings imagined for their all-encompassing world tree!
The Three Roots Reaching into Otherworldly Realms
Yggdrasil‘s size and scope is also conveyed by the three colossal roots that secure it, with each delving into a different primordial realm:
- Asgard Root: Anchors the tree into the home of the gods
- Jotunheim Root: Extends into the domain of the giants
- Niflheim Root: Reaches down into the icy underworld of the dead
The ancient Norse understood these roots as metaphysical pathways connecting Yggdrasil to each of the upper, middle and lower worlds. They allowed the traffic of gods, giants and souls between realms.
For instance, the rainbow bridge Bifröst is imagined as an extension of the Asgard root, allowing the gods to traverse up and down Yggdrasil to the mortal world of Midgard. The roots essentially serve as the " highways" of the Norse mythic universe.
The Tallest Tree in Mythology
In comparative mythology, Yggdrasil stands out as one of the tallest and most expansive world trees in global belief systems:
- Norse Yggdrasil: Spans the universe from the heavens to the underworld
- Indian Banyan Tree: Reaches heavenward but not into the underworld
- Mayan Ceiba Tree: Sustains the heavenly and underworld planes but isn‘t as colossal as Yggdrasil
- Chinese Kien-Mu: Extends high into the heavens but doesn‘t have underworld roots
The enormous scale of Yggdrasil thus appears unique in envisioning a world tree that fully connects the primordial planes into a unified nine-world cosmology. It serves as the grand cosmic axis sustaining the balance between the worlds above and below.
A Tree of Life – Renewing Itself through Ragnarök
Despite being subject to decay from above by the stags and below by the dragon Nidhogg, Yggdrasil is described in the myths as forever green and everlasting. This symbolizes its role as the eternal Tree of Life.
According to Norse belief, even after the cataclysmic destruction of Ragnarök, the cycle begins anew. Yggdrasil itself survives and a new world emerges from its primordial roots and giant trunk. Its immortality represents renewal after death – a core aspect of Norse religion.
So in summary, when we imagine the mythic dimensions of Yggdrasil from its heavenly canopy to its deep underworld roots, spanning across the nine worlds, what emerges is a picture of a world tree of almost unfathomable size and primordial power in Norse cosmology. Yggdrasil is no mere tree – it is the grand cosmic pillar that sustains all of existence!
