This well is the mythical source of the River Shannon while another well, a “secret well” called Nechtan’s Well is the source of the River Boyne (interesting how these wells fed geographical locations while the wells in Norse mythology may also have been actual geographical locations) Anyone who drank the water, ate the nuts or salmon would acquire all of the wisdom. The nuts fell into Connla’s well and fed the salmon swimming in its waters. Either way, over the well were nine sacred hazel trees whose nuts contained wisdom, knowledge and inspiration. This is a well that may be located under the sea or in the land of promise. Connla’s Well: Celtic Sacred Equivalent to Mimir’s WellĬonnla’s Well: a sacred well in the Celtic cosmology that scholars liken to Mimir’s Well of Norse mythology. This is why when a field is cleared, one single tree is ALWAYS left standing. And I’m not the first, by any means.Ĭrann Bethadh is the concept of the world tree to the ancient Celts. I recently have been reading Celtic Cosmology and noticed some crazy uncanny similarities between the Celtic concept of the World Tree and the Norse Yggdrasil. Celtic World Tree Mythos Mirroring Yggdrasil In the prose eddas, we get a little more info on the 9 realms and the Norse cosmology in general. Then also in the prose edda in the gylfaginning and skaldskaparmal.
#Nine worlds yggdrasil plus#
Donar’s Oak.Īttested to in the Poetic and Prosa Eddas by Snorri Sturluson (we read a few stanzas of the Voluspa in the intro) plus in the Havamal when Odin hangs himself from its branches and in the Griminismal. There were actual ash trees and other types of trees that our ancient Germanic and Norse ancestors considered a physical representation of Yggdrasil and thus were sacred places of worship i.e.
And the 3rd ends in Urdabrunnr also known as the Well of Urd (or Wyrd). Another root ends in Jotunheim in Mimisbrunr otherwise called Mimir’s Well. One root terminates in Niflheim in the well Hvergelmir this is where an ancient serpent/dragon named Nidhogg is gnawing at the root which is said to eventually topple the tree over (the Nornir prevent this from happening on a daily basis by pouring healing waters of the wells over the root to make it whole again). There are three main taproots that feed into three manifestations of the Sacred Well in Norse Cosmology: This is the realm of humans and the living. The trunk of Yggdrasil represents the middle realms where we are currently and is called Midgard. Let’s also note that Vanaheim and the realm of elves was once thought part of the earth and therefore alongside Midgard, indicating once again changes made to the nine realms by Sturluson in the Dark Ages when he committed the mythos to paper. And still others support Vanaheim, another realm of elves but more specifically the Vanir (a race elven gods). Other branches support Alfheim, the realm of the elves. Asgard connects to Midgard via a rainbow bridge called Bifrost. Asgard was originally thought to exist alongside Midgard. (It’s interesting to note scholars believe this part was added into the Norse mythos by Snorri and wouldn’t necessarily be part of a pre-Christian Scandinavia).
The branches extend into the heavens and support Asgard, the realm of the Aesir, the sky gods. The make-up of Yggdrasil: there are 3 main parts the branches, trunk and its roots. The 3 Parts of Yggdrasil: The Branches, Trunk and Roots Still another scholar proposes Yggdrasil actually means “Sacred Pillar”. Other scholars claim “steed” means “gallows”…though I’m not quite sold on that conclusion personally. Yggdrasil means Yggr’s Steed or Terrible Steed Yggr is another name for Odin and thus we can draw some conclusions as to why the Norse World Tree is intricately linked to the god of wisdom, the wanderer, the king of the gods who hung himself from Yggdrasil for 9 days and nights in order to receive the wisdom of the runes also may have to do with the fact that Odin wanders the realms and thus he “rides” up and down the tree as a mode of transportation. It just always has been before the gods even. It is outside of time and space and therefore was not created by the gods. Put simply, Yggdrasil (pronounced igg-drah-zil) is the world tree in Norse Mythology and Cosmology thought to be a giant ash (sometimes yew) tree at the center of the cosmos that ties all the worlds/realms together considered holy. Come with us on a ride up and down the Norse World Tree called Yggdrasil, step lightly into each of the nine realms of Norse cosmology, and finally, meet the Norns with us.
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