Infopanel 2

YGGDRASIL - The World Tree

According to the Edda - a collection of Norse poems and stories about gods and heroes compiled in Iceland in the late 13th century - Yggdrasil is the great 'World Tree' of Norse mythology.

It represents the structure of creation itself: spanning space, time, and all existence. Its branches rise into the heavens, while its roots stretch deep in three directions, supporting the many realms of the cosmos. 
These include 
Asgard (home of the Aesir gods), 
Vanaheim (home of the Vanir), 
Midgard (humankind), 
Jotunheim (giants), 
Muspellsheim (fire), 
Svartalfaheim (black elves), 
Niflhel (mist, cold and ice), 
and Hel (the realm of the dead).
The precise arrangement of these worlds is never fully described in the sources. Asgard - home of the principal gods - seems to lie above Midgard, with Vanaheim nearby as the homeland of another divine family.

At the foot of Yggdrasil stands Urd’s Well, or the 'Well of Fate'. Its name derives from urðr, meaning “fate” or “destiny.” Here, beneath the shelter of the great tree, the gods gather to deliberate. 
The three Norns live close by - Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld - who spin and shape the destinies of gods and humans alike.
Another of Yggdrasil’s roots reaches Mimir’s Well, a source of deep wisdom. It was here that Odin sacrificed one of his eyes in exchange for the knowledge guarded by the giant Mimir.
Despite the many realms described in myth, their boundaries were fluid. In stories - especially folktales - gods, giants, spirits, and humans cross between worlds with ease, reflecting the Vikings’ own willingness to explore beyond the limits of what is known.