Norse Tree of Life (Yggdrasil): Meaning and How to Display It
Share
The Norse tree of life, Yggdrasil, is one of the best-known images from Norse mythology. Here is what it means, where the story comes from, and a few plain ideas for displaying tree of life wall art at home.
What is Yggdrasil?
In the Old Norse poems and stories, Yggdrasil is an enormous ash tree that stands at the center of the world. Its branches and roots reach across the nine worlds, tying them together. Most of what we know comes from two medieval Icelandic sources: the Poetic Edda, a collection of older poems, and the Prose Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century.
The roots, the wells and the creatures
- Three roots: the Prose Edda describes one root reaching to the gods (the Æsir), one to the frost giants, and one to Niflheim, the cold, misty world.
- Wells: beneath the roots lie wells, including the Well of Urd, where the Norns, who shape fate, water the tree, and MĂmir's well, the well of wisdom.
- Creatures: an eagle sits in the top branches, the dragon NĂĂ°höggr gnaws at the roots, and the squirrel Ratatoskr runs up and down the trunk carrying insults between them. Deer graze on the branches.
- Odin's sacrifice: in the poem Hávamál, Odin hangs on the tree for nine nights to win the knowledge of the runes. The name Yggdrasil is usually read as "Ygg's (Odin's) horse", a poetic name for the tree he hung on.
What the tree of life stands for
People who hang a Norse tree of life usually see in it the same ideas the myths carry: everything is connected, life keeps renewing itself, and roots and family matter. That makes it a natural fit for a family name sign or a heritage gift for Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or Icelandic families, and for anyone who follows the Norse path or simply loves Norse mythology.
A note on style: the round tree of life with knotted roots that you see on wall art today is a modern design. It borrows from both Norse and Celtic art and is not copied from a single Viking Age artifact.
Our Norse tree of life pieces
- Norse Tree of Life Metal Wall Art: our Yggdrasil steel sign, powder-coated for indoors or out, in 14 colors and sizes from 12" to 36".
- Tree of Life Metal Art on Wood: the tree in metal, mounted on a wood background, for a warmer, rustic look indoors.
- Personalized Tree of Life Metal Sign and Tree of Life Custom Name and Date Sign: tree of life signs made to order with your family name, or a name and date.
- Vegvisir Norse Compass Metal Art on Wood: the Norse "wayfinder" compass, a good companion piece.
How to display Yggdrasil wall art
- Give it space. A round tree reads best centered on a wall with room around it: over a sofa, a bed or a mantel.
- Use contrast. The cut-out design shows up when the wall color differs from the sign. A dark sign suits a light wall; copper, gold or white suit darker walls.
- Size to the wall. Smaller sizes suit an entryway or a gallery wall; the larger sizes work as a single focal point.
- Indoors or out. Our powder-coated steel signs can hang outside on a fence, shed or porch. Metal-on-wood pieces are made mainly for indoor display.
- Pair it. Hang the tree of life with the Vegvisir compass or a Viking family name sign for a Norse-themed wall.
Want more Norse history? Read Exploring Norse, Viking, Icelandic and Celtic Culture Through Metal Art on Wood.