Yggdrasil

English

An illustration depicting Yggdrasil, by Oluf Olufsen Bagge, for 1847, Northern Antiquities, an English translation of the Prose Edda

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Norse Yggdrasill; commonly accepted as being composed Yggr (terrible) + drasill (steed), where “steed” refers to a hanging tree or possibly from *dʰer- (to hold, support).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɪɡdɹəsɪl/
    • (file)

Proper noun

Yggdrasil

  1. (Norse mythology) An immense ash tree that is central in Norse cosmology, believed to connect the nine worlds.
    • 1863, The London Quarterly Review, volumes 113-114, page 117:
      Yet it is not easy to pluck out the heart of its mystery; and the descriptions of certain ancient representatives of Yggdrasil do not lessen the difficulty.
    • 1963, Spike Milligan, chapter 1, in Puckoon, page 1:
      With nostrils and legs akimbo, she towered over him like some human Yggdrasill, blotting out the sun.
    • 1996, Carolyne Larrington (editor and translator), The Seeress's Prophecy, The Poetic Edda, page 6,
      I know that an ash-tree stands called Yggdrasill,
      a high tree, soaked with shining loam;
      from there come the dews which fall in the valley,
      ever green, it stands over the well of fate.
    • 2007, Bob Curran, Ian Daniels, Walking with the Green Man: Father of the Forest, Spirit of Nature, page 66:
      In Norse mythology, for example, the World Tree, or Yggdrasil, connected the nine existences that straddled the worlds of gods and men with its mighty roots. Yggdrasil was reputedly a gigantic ash tree (and was the central feature of Norse cosmology), around the base of which the serpent Níôhöggr had twisted its body.
    • 2007, J. A. Hunsinger, The Settlers: An Axe of Iron Novel, page 333:
      Yggdrasil!” Gudbjartur's voice was filled with awe. “It is Yggdrasil, the world-tree!” He looked at Halfdan, his eyes wide. “The Sacred Grove is here in this land!

Translations

Further reading

Faroese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old Norse Yggdrasill, from Yggr + drasill (steed).

Proper noun

Yggdrasil m

  1. (Norse mythology) Yggdrasil

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

  • Ygdrasil (alternative spelling)
  • Yggdrasel, Ygdrasel

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Old Norse Yggdrasill, from Yggr + drasill (steed).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /²ʏɡːˌdraːsɪl/, (more commonly) /²ʏ(ɡ)draˌsiːl/

Proper noun

Yggdrasil m

  1. (Norse mythology) Yggdrasil
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