Yggdrasil

English

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

Alternative forms

• Yggdrasill

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/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (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

the world tree in Norse mythology

• Armenian: Իգգդրասիլ (Iggdrasil)
• Azerbaijani: İqqdrasil
• Bulgarian: Игдрасил (Igdrasil)
• Catalan: Ígdrasil m
• French: Yggdrasil (fr), Yggdrasill (fr), Ygdrasil (fr), Ygdrasill (fr)
• Georgian: იგდრასილი (igdrasili)
• Greek: Ύγκντρασιλ n (Ýgkntrasil)
• Icelandic: Yggdrasils
• Japanese: ユグドラシル (Yugudorashiru)
• Latvian: Igdrasils
• Lithuanian: Igdrasilas
• Low German:

  Dutch Low Saxon: Jegdrasiel

• Old Norse: Yggdrasill
• Persian: اوگدراسیل
• Russian: Иггдрасиль (ru) n (Iggdrasilʹ)
• Ukrainian: Іґґдрасілль (Iggdrasillʹ)

Further reading

• Yggdrasil on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Norse cosmology § Nine Worlds on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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