Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Yggdrasil: In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense and central sacred ash tree. Its roots and branches extend across the nine worlds, connecting and supporting the realms of the universe, including Earth (Midgard), Heaven (Asgard), and the underworld (Hel).

Usage

• Proper noun:
  • In the myths, the gods hold their daily council at the base of Yggdrasil.
  • The serpent Nidhogg gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil.

Advanced Usage

• "The World Tree": A common epithet for Yggdrasil, emphasizing its role as the cosmic axis.

  • Scholars often refer to Yggdrasil as the World Tree of Norse cosmology.

• "Shaken to its roots": Used metaphorically to describe a fundamental crisis, alluding to the shaking of Yggdrasil during Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse.

  • The scandal shook the company to its very roots, like the events foretold for Yggdrasil.

Variants and Related Words

• Yggdrasill: An alternate spelling of the same name.
• Ash tree (common noun): The type of tree Yggdrasil is described as being.

Synonyms

• The World Tree: The cosmic tree.
• The Cosmic Ash: A descriptive synonym highlighting its material and universal scale.

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Ragnarok: The prophesied end of the world in Norse myth, during which Yggdrasil will tremble.
• The Nine Worlds: The realms, such as Asgard and Midgard, connected by Yggdrasil.
• The Well of Urd: A sacred well located beneath one of Yggdrasil's roots.

Noun

1. (Norse mythology) a huge ash tree whose roots and branches hold the earth and Heaven and Hell together