The Poetic Edda, assembled in the 13th century from older traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, published in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, both mention Yggdrasil. According to both versions, Yggdrasil is a massive ash tree that is the center of the cosmos and is exceedingly sacred. It has three roots that reach into the heavens, one for each direction. From the trunk of the tree grow all kinds of plants, including food crops and medicinal herbs. The world axis runs through the center of the tree's trunk.
In modern usage, "yggdrasil" most commonly refers to an image or concept derived from the above descriptions- especially among members of the Germanic faith- but it can also refer to any tree that resembles an ash tree.
As far as we know, there is only one ash tree in North America: the American sycamore. But there are several species of European ash trees that might be called yggdrasiliensis if they were native here- such as the Italian white ash and the French rowan.
Yggdrasil (from Old Norse Yggdrasill) is a massive and major holy tree in Norse cosmology. Every day, the gods congregate at Yggdrasil for their ruling assembly. The World Tree is rooted at the top of Mount Himmel in heaven and spreads out through all four corners of the earth with its branches.
In one version of the story, the world was created from the wood of this single tree. In another, the tree is mentioned but not shown; instead, it is said that Yggdrasil is the limit of any journey a person can make by foot. It is believed that the path leading up to the tree begins in Valhalla, the home of slain heroes, and ends in Frigg's hall, where it meets with her throne.
The third version states that Yggdrasil is an evergreen oak tree growing on Valhalla. Its roots are buried in the ocean near the edge of the world. Each day, the gods gather there to decide what deeds will be done that day by humans. If a man dies without having told his secret thoughts, then Yggdrasil grows from his body.
In some stories, Odin is given a choice between three bowls of food, each containing something different. The first two are empty, but the third contains the secrets of all men.
According to Norse mythology, the entire world is a tree called Yggdrasil (pronounced "igg-dreh-sell") that sits in the center of the cosmos. Yggdrasil, according to tradition, is a massive living ash tree with branches that spread above the skies and a trunk that is tightly hooked into the earth by three large roots. It is here where Mimir, one of Odin's ravens, resides, drinking from the well of knowledge at the root of each branch.
In old English literature, the term "yggdrasill" refers to an immovable object or thing. For example, in the Anglo-Saxon poem The Wanderer, yggdrasill is used to describe an invincible king who can never be defeated in battle.
In modern usage, the word yggdrasill has come to refer to an ideal or perfect model on which something else can be based. For example, the structure of the human brain has been compared to yggdrasill, because it is thought to serve as a model for how brains develop in general.
Yggdrasil is believed by many traditionalists to be a real tree that stands today in Uppsala, Sweden. However, there are also claims that it is a sculpture made out of stone.
People have speculated about what kind of tree Yggdrasil is supposed to be.
The ginkgo tree is thought to be one of the most resilient plants to have survived the ice age, making it one of the oldest tree species known to scientists. Its mandarin name is Yin Xing (Yin Xing), and it is also known as the maidenhair tree in western culture. It is believed that the shape of the Ginkgo leaf mimics a female sexual organ, which may explain why the tree is associated with fertility.
In China, the ginkgo tree is called "the maiden's hair tree" or "the old man's hair". It is said to grow particularly large trees near ancient tombs. The term "maiden's hair" refers to the plant's coarse, soft hairs. It is this quality that makes the ginkgo useful for creating brushes. As for the old man's hair, this is because the leaves of the ginkgo resemble those of a human head.
It is believed that the first ginkgo trees grew around 2700 B.C. in what is now China. They were used for food and medicine and also provided shade and cooling air like other trees of their time. Over thousands of years, these trees spread across Asia where they were even planted in Egypt. In Europe, they were introduced by ship captains who found them attractive for their bright yellow flowers that appear before any other tree species. Today, there are ginkgo trees everywhere from Asia to America!
The tembusu is a big evergreen tree endemic to Southeast Asia in the Gentianaceae family (from Indo-China to New Guinea). Cyrtophyllum fragrans has a Malay name (synonym: Fagraea fragrans). It has a dark brown trunk with severely fissured bark that resembles a bittergourd. The leaves are alternate, thickish, leathery, mostly around 10 cm long but sometimes up to 20 cm, with a petiole up to 7 cm long. The flowers are small, greenish-white, arranged in umbels at the end of branches. Each flower has three sepals and three petals joined at their base to form a tube around the ovary. The fruit is a red capsule containing up to 25 black seeds with wrinkled surfaces.
In Indonesian culture, the tembusu tree is respected as a sacred tree. It is associated with spiritual beliefs relating to fertility and good fortune. The tree's fruits are used in traditional medicine to treat fever, coughs, and stomach problems. The wood is used for making tools and weapons because of its hardness. Today, some farmers also use the seeds as a source of oil for cooking.
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