SV: [ejlist] The trees of life and the titans

["Bertil Häggman" <bertil.haggman@helsingborg.se>]

>About Yggdrasil I´m not quite sure if we are dealing with the same tree. I´d
>say Yggdrasil is more an "axis mundi" tree than a tree of knowledge or life.
>Odin offered an eye in order to drink from Mimir, the fountain of knowledge
>( here the idea of suffering is not in vain). The image of the cosmic tree
>is quite common in mythologies, specially among hindus ( katha upanishad or
>bhagavad G among others), scandinavians or north - asians in general. Some
>other traditions seem to prefer talking about Holy Mountains or even cities,
>such as the Heaven Jerusalem. The balance of the world depends on the tree,
>on the axis mundi. I find curious to realize that a snake tryes to destroy
>Yggdrasil from the roots and a hawk prevents this everyday in a battle that
>seems eternal. I don´t know if the snake has been elicit from the christian
>world.


On Yggdrasil can be noted that it actually means
"the terryfying", referring to the horse of Odin.
Y, is generally an eternal green world tree,
possibly because Odin himself once hanged
there. It is also called Mimer's tree. Yggdrasil
represents the middle of earth. It is seen as a
huge ash-tree. Under its protection the gods 
assemble to hold ting. At the roots, that go
deep down inte the underworld, are three
springs. 

One is connected with the world of the gods, where
the three norns weave the fate. The second, the spring
of wisdom is garded by Mimer. The third, Vergelmer, waters
hell (Nifelheim). All rivers on earth are supposed
to start here. At Nifelheim Nidoegg is torturing
those who did not fall in battle and went to Valhalla.

Actually I don't think it is so much a snake
at the root system of the tree as Nidhoegg,
the dragon. And it is not a hawk at the top
but an eagle.

With Juengerian greetings

Bertil Haggman