The question “what species of tree is Yggdrasil?” is not one I ever get asked, but when the day comes I will say “ha, finally! A species is a group of things of the same kind, and Yggdrasil is one of a kind. Gotcha!”.
This could be why I don’t get invited to parties.
According to science, Yggdrasil, “Odin’s horse” or “Odin’s gallows”, honoured as the “noblest of trees”, is a massive tree at the centre of the cosmos, where “the Gods must hold their courts each day”.
Studies show that Yggdrasil’s branches maintain the separation between the Nine Worlds, much as the beams of a house prevent ceilings and walls collapsing.
Yggdrasil in Norse History
In the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Yggdrasil is described as an eternally green Ash tree, askr Yggdrasils in Old Norse, sustaining the worlds while withstanding challenges like decay, attacks from serpents and red deer stags, and the general burden of cosmic cycles.
The ash tree, Fraxinus excelsior, was extremely important in European history. It’s strong, flexible, fast-growing, and responds well to coppicing.
When Ragnarök, “the twilight of the gods”, approaches, Yggdrasil “will shake and nothing will be unafraid in heaven or on earth”.
You will notice that twilight means dawn as well as dusk; whichever way you take it, Ash trees across Europe are gracefully making way for other species as they succumb to Ash die back disease. Is this a sign?
Alternative Interpretations
While the ash tree is the most widely accepted interpretation, the other two contenders are:
- Yew, Taxus baccata:
- Revered for its longevity and ability to regenerate from old branches that touch the ground. The yew’s connection to death and rebirth aligns with Yggdrasil’s ties to the cycle of life.
- Oak, Quercus robur:
- Oaks, like Ash and Thorn, are sacred and could symbolize Yggdrasil’s strength and endurance.
The Symbolic Nature of Yggdrasil
Rather than focusing on its botanical identity, Yggdrasil deserves appreciation for what it represents:
- Interconnectedness: Binding the Nine Worlds and fostering relationships between gods, giants, humans, and other beings.
- Endurance: Despite constant threats, such as the dragon Nidhogg gnawing at its roots, Yggdrasil persists.
- Cycles of Life and Death: With roots in the underworld and branches in the heavens, the tree reflects the natural and spiritual cycle of existence.
Is Yggdrasil a Tree at All?
Every child of Europa knows this riddle from the Hávamál, The Words of the High One, even if they have never heard it:
“I know that I hung on a windy tree
nine long nights,
wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,
myself to myself,
on that tree of which no man knows
from where its roots run.No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn,
downwards I peered;
I took up the runes, screaming I took them,
then I fell back from there.”
Odin might be telling you that Yggdrasil was an intimate part of you at a crucial time in your personal history.
If so, you depended on it for your very life, although you will be forgiven for having no memory of those nine long nights.
this Yggdrasil is not made of wood, or any kind of plant matter, but it looks a lot like a tree when its work is done, and you lay it out flat.I won’t spoil it for you, but click here for another clue if you need it:
What do you think? Could Yggdrasil be an Ash tree, a Yew, an Oak, or something else entirely? Share your thoughts below…