World Tree | First Church of Druwayu

WORLD TREE | AND THE UNIVERSE

The World Tree is a powerful and ancient symbol found in many mythologies and spiritual traditions across the globe. It represents the cosmic axis, connecting the heavens, the earthly realm, and the underworld, serving as a bridge between different planes of existence. In various cultures, the World Tree is seen as the source of life, wisdom, and balance, embodying the interconnectedness of all things as a collective organism in a sense. The term World Tree is largely a modern construct. The earliest original source using the exact phrase "World Tree" is William Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon’s The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs (1870), where they describe Yggdrasil as "the World Tree, Yggdrasil, which binds the heavens, earth, and the realms below" (notes to Chapter 2, p. 15). This marks the first known use of the phrase in English, referring to a cosmic tree connecting all realms. No earlier English texts exist.

1. William Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon, The Story of the Volsungs and Niblungs (1870)

Source: A translation of the Völsunga Saga, a 13th-century Icelandic saga, published in London in 1870.
Context: In their notes, Morris and Magnússon discuss Yggdrasil, the Norse cosmic tree, to provide background for the symbolic tree Barnstokkr in the saga. They use the phrase "World Tree" to describe Yggdrasil’s role.
Exact Quote: "This is the World Tree, Yggdrasil, which binds the heavens, earth, and the realms below" (notes to Chapter 2, p. 15).
Sense: "World Tree" refers to a cosmic tree that connects all realms of existence—heavens (Asgard), earth (Midgard), and underworld (Hel).

This 1870 usage is the earliest verifiable instance of the exact phrase "World Tree" in an English text, based on available digitized records and historical translations.

2. Confirmation of Absence in Earlier Texts

Thomas Percy, Northern Antiquities (1770): A translation of Paul-Henri Mallet’s 1755 French work, this text describes Yggdrasil as "the great ash tree" or "the tree of the universe" (p. 48), but does not use "World Tree."
Benjamin Thorpe, The Elder Edda (1866): Thorpe’s translation of the Poetic Edda refers to Yggdrasil as "the ash Yggdrasil, the chief and most holy seat of the gods" (Völuspá, p. 3), without using "World Tree."
Rasmus B. Anderson, Norse Mythology (1875): Published after 1870, Anderson calls Yggdrasil "the great tree of the universe" (p. 137), not "World Tree."

Later Use for Context

James Steven Stallybrass, Teutonic Mythology (1882–1888): A translation of Jacob Grimm’s Deutsche Mythologie (1835). While Grimm’s original German uses Weltbaum ("world tree") in some contexts, Stallybrass’s English translation opts for "universal tree" or "the great ash" for Yggdrasil (Vol. 2, p. 797), not "World Tree." This is after 1870 anyway, but it shows the phrase was not yet standardized.

However, the English word "World" derives from Old English weorold (also spelled woruld or werold), which is one of the earliest forms of the word in the English language. Old English texts, written between the 5th and 11th centuries CE, provide the oldest attestations of this word. The literal meaning would be Old Man, which itself eco other concepts of the world being created from a Giant's body. From wer/war/weor/were "man," + old/ald/uld "aged."

Earliest Source: Vespasian Psalter (c. 825 CE)

Source: The Vespasian Psalter, an illuminated manuscript of the Book of Psalms, written in Latin with Old English interlinear glosses, dated to around 825 CE. predates other surviving Old English texts that use weorold, such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (earliest copies from c. 892 CE) or Beowulf (manuscript dated to c. 1000 CE, though possibly composed earlier). It was produced in southern England, likely in Canterbury or Mercia, during the Anglo-Saxon period. Weorold evolves into world (e.g., world in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, c. 1400), dropping the initial we- and simplifying the spelling.
Context: The Old English glosses translate Latin terms into the vernacular, providing early examples of Old English vocabulary. The word weorold appears as a gloss for Latin saeculum ("age, generation, world") and mundus ("world, universe").
Specific Text: In Psalm 96:10 (Psalm 95:10 in some modern numbering), the Latin text reads:
- Original Text: Dicite in gentibus quia Dominus regnavit a ligno; etenim correxit orbem terrae, qui non commovebitur: iudicabit populos in aequitate.
- Structured Translation: Say among the nations because the Lord has reigned from the wood; indeed, He has corrected the world, which shall not be moved; He will judge the peoples in fairness.
- Common Translation that intentionally changes or inserts a different words and order: "Say among the nations that the Lord has reigned from the wood; for He has established the world, which shall not be moved: He will judge the peoples with equity.".
- The Old English gloss for orbem terrae ("world of the earth") is weorolde (a variant of weorold).
- Old English Gloss (Vespasian Psalter): cweþaþ in þeodum þæt drihten ricsade of treowe
- Structured Translation: Say among the peoples that the Lord ruled from the tree..
Exact Quote: The gloss reads:
- Original Text: cweþaþ in þeodum þæt drihten ricsade of treowe; forþon riht geworhte weorolde þæt ne biþ astyred: he demþ þeoda in rihtwisnesse.
- Structured Translation: Say in nations that the Lord ruled from the tree; for He rightly made the world, that shall not be moved: He judges nations in righteousness.
- Common Translation: "Say among the nations that the Lord reigned from the tree; for He has rightly made the world that will not be moved: He judges the peoples in righteousness."
  - Sense: Here, weorold (translated as "World" in modern English) means the earth or the created order, reflecting its early usage as the inhabited human realm or the physical world established by divine power. But the Tree itself ties to a completely different tradition.

He, 'The Lord,' (God/Godan) made the world and "rules" from the Tree." This was later intentionally rearranged to compare the "World and Tree" and therefore the origins of the centuries later concept of the World Tree to be given a different association, specifically the Catholic Cross which itself as a word comes from Crux meaning Crutch in reference to the T shape. Using the T shape form that is an arrow shape, it was sometimes applied as shown in the example here, from left to right as representing woodland, forest, dark forest and a jungle more or less. This also tended to depend on the intent of the one carving such a symbol that might simply represent a pine tree with many side branches of the image and nothing more or less. Sometimes one finds such inverted suggesting other plants, bushes and growth in general artistic expressions.

Many concepts survive in modern terminology, often without many realizing it that comes from such Tree symbolism, such as Roots representing ancestors, the Trunk representing the presently alive, the Boughs and Branches representing heirs, fruit representing offspring, seeds representing potential and new life, and even the words love, life and leaf derive or "stem" from the same origins or "root words." Again, the image here is merely a sample/example of the symbolism. Yet it must not be ignored either the connection of the Supreme God as the source of the world, and ruling from a Cosmic/World Tree is not what many have been led or raised to believe.

The Nine Worlds model, often attributed to Norse mythology, is largely a modern construct. While popularized as a cornerstone of Norse cosmology, Icelandic texts like the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda do not explicitly limit the cosmos to nine realms. Instead, the concept likely emerges from a blend of pre-Christian Norse beliefs, Christian-influenced reinterpretations, and later scholarly assumptions. This mythological framework, centered on the World Tree Yggdrasil, shares striking parallels with modern scientific ideas about dark matter, dark energy, and the universe’s structure. Both systems—ancient and contemporary—envision a cosmos woven together by hidden forces, organized chaos, and interconnected realms or dimensions of reality, both known and unknown.

The Nine Worlds: A Modern Mythological Construct

Origins and Misinterpretations

The idea of nine distinct worlds in Norse mythology is not explicitly detailed in primary sources. The Eddas, compiled between the 10th and 14th centuries CE, describe various realms—such as Asgard (home of the Aesir), Midgard (the human world), Jotunheim (land of giants), Vanaheim (home of the Vanir), Alfheim (realm of elves), Svartalfheim (domain of dwarves or dark elves), Niflheim (world of ice), Muspelheim (world of fire), and Hel (underworld)—but never enumerate them as exactly nine. The Nine Worlds model likely arose from:

Directional Symbolism: The eight compass directions (north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest) plus a central point, aligning with ancient spatial cosmologies. The Ninth, or First world as the center would of course be aligned with the concept of Midgard (Middle Yard, often applied as Middle Earth though there are no other 'Earths' mentioned).

This synthesis created a compelling but anachronistic model, projecting modern systematization onto fluid, pre-Christian beliefs. Often Obscured is the same concepts of the One and Three (God as the source of the life of the Tree, and Three Goddesses as attendants to the Tree recording histories of all beings, or determining such influences 'etched' into the Tree) are known facts, though this is often obscured in the concepts and confused ideas such as Mimir (all knowing source of all memories and knowledge) and the Three Norns (the shapers of fates and destinies) demonstrating some clear intentions to tie in Greek and Roman content and context.

World Tree: Yggdrasil as Cosmic Scaffold

At the heart of Norse cosmology lies Yggdrasil, the World Tree, a vast ash tree that binds the cosmos. Described in the Poetic Edda (Völuspá and Grímnismál), Yggdrasil connects the realms through its roots, branches, and trunk, serving as both a structural and spiritual axis. Its imagery—tangled, vine-like branches interwoven with roots—evokes a web of interconnected realms, embodying organized chaos. Key features include:

Three Roots: These extend to different realms, often linked to Niflheim (near the well Hvergelmir), Jotunheim (near Mímisbrunnr), and Asgard (near Urðarbrunnr, the Well of Fate). Each root ties to a cosmic well, symbolizing knowledge, fate, or primal forces.
Inhabitants: Creatures like the dragon Níðhöggr (gnawing at the roots), the squirrel Ratatoskr (running between realms), and four stags (eating the leaves) represent dynamic interactions within the cosmos.
Spiritual-Physical Duality: Yggdrasil bridges the physical (realms like Midgard) and spiritual (realms like Hel or Alfheim), reflecting a worldview where material and metaphysical are interwoven.

Ancient artwork, such as Viking-era carvings and runestones, often depicts Yggdrasil as a chaotic yet ordered network of vines, spirals, and branches, symbolizing the universe’s complexity. This imagery resonates with the Norse view of the cosmos as a living, interconnected system, where realms are not isolated but entangled.

Scientific Parallels: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Cosmic Webs

Modern cosmology offers a striking parallel to the Yggdrasil-centered Nine Worlds model, particularly in concepts like dark matter, dark energy, and the universe’s large-scale structure. Just as Yggdrasil acts as a scaffold binding Norse realms, these invisible forces shape the cosmos, weaving a web of organized chaos.

Dark Matter: The Cosmic Scaffold

Dark matter, estimated to comprise ~27% of the universe’s mass-energy, is a mysterious substance that does not emit or absorb light. Its gravitational influence, however, is profound:

Structural Role: Dark matter forms a cosmic web—filaments, walls, and voids—that serves as the universe’s hidden scaffolding. Normal matter (stars, galaxies) arranges itself along these filaments, much like realms clustering around Yggdrasil’s branches.
Gravitational Binding: Dark matter’s gravity pulls normal matter into galaxies and clusters, analogous to how Yggdrasil’s roots anchor disparate realms.
Invisible Framework: Like the unseen spiritual forces in Norse cosmology, dark matter is inferred through its effects, not direct observation, echoing the mystical Dii Involuti (Veiled Ones) in Etruscan myths tied to the Aiser.

Dark Energy: The Expansive Force

Dark energy, making up ~68% of the universe, is an enigmatic force driving cosmic expansion:

Counterbalance to Gravity: While dark matter binds, dark energy pushes, accelerating the universe’s growth. This tension mirrors the Norse cosmos’s balance between creation (Muspelheim’s fire) and destruction (Niflheim’s ice).
Cosmic Dynamics: Dark energy’s role in stretching space parallels the dynamic interplay of Yggdrasil’s creatures (e.g., Níðhöggr eroding roots, Ratatoskr carrying messages), maintaining cosmic equilibrium through constant change.
Mystical Echoes: Dark energy’s unknowable nature aligns with Norse concepts of fate (Urðr) or the chaotic potential of Ginnungagap (the primordial void).

The Cosmic Web: A Tangled Vine

Computer simulations, such as those from the Illustris or Millennium projects, model the universe’s evolution using dark matter, normal matter, dark energy, and physical laws. These reveal:

Filamentary Structure: The universe forms a web of filaments (dense regions), walls (flatter structures), and voids (empty spaces), resembling Yggdrasil’s tangled branches and roots.
Organized Chaos: The cosmic web is both structured and chaotic, with galaxies forming along filaments like realms along Yggdrasil’s axes, yet subject to unpredictable mergers and collisions.
Temporal Scale: Simulations span billions of years, tracing the universe from the Big Bang to today and the Universe's ultimate probable ends, akin to Norse myths framing the Cosmos from Creation to Ragnarök (cosmic destruction).

Ancient Norse art depicting Yggdrasil as a vine-like network anticipates this web, blending physical (material realms) and spiritual (fate, divine forces) elements into a unified, dynamic whole.

Comparing Myth and Science: A Unified Cosmos

The Nine Worlds and modern cosmology share a conceptual core: the universe as an interconnected, dynamic system shaped by hidden forces. Key parallels include:

1. Interconnectedness

Myth: Yggdrasil links realms through roots and branches, with creatures facilitating communication (e.g., Ratatoskr). No realm exists in isolation.
Science: The cosmic web connects galaxies via dark matter filaments, with gravitational and expansive forces (dark energy) driving interactions across vast scales.

2. Hidden Forces

Myth: Invisible forces like fate (Urðarbrunnr), chaos (Níðhöggr), or divine will (Aesir, Vanir) shape the cosmos, often beyond mortal understanding.
Science: Dark matter and dark energy, invisible yet critical, govern the universe’s structure and expansion, detected only through their effects.

3. Organized Chaos

Myth: Yggdrasil’s structure is orderly (realms, wells) yet chaotic (creatures, Ragnarök’s inevitability), reflecting a cosmos in flux.
Science: The cosmic web is structured (filaments, walls) but chaotic (galactic collisions, unpredictable evolution), driven by competing forces.

4. Spiritual-Physical Duality

Myth: Yggdrasil unites physical realms (Midgard, Jotunheim) with spiritual ones (Hel, Alfheim), blending material and metaphysical.
Science: The universe combines observable matter (stars, planets) with intangible forces (dark matter, dark energy), suggesting a deeper unity.

5. Cyclical Time

Myth: Norse cosmology envisions cycles of creation and destruction, culminating in Ragnarök, followed by renewal and concepts time flows two ways where the future and the part interact and are co-influenced in the present.
Science: While the universe’s ultimate fate is debated (e.g., Big Crunch, heat death), cyclic models (e.g., oscillating universes) echo mythic renewal, and simulations trace cosmic evolution as a narrative arc.

Expanding the Nine Worlds: Additional Realms and Contexts

Beyond the commonly cited realms, Norse texts hint at other cosmological layers, further complicating the Nine Worlds model:

Ginnungagap: The primordial void before creation, a chaotic space where Muspelheim and Niflheim met to spark existence. It parallels the quantum vacuum in physics, a state of potential energy.
Ljossalfheim vs. Svartalfheim: Some sources distinguish Alfheim (light elves) from Svartalfheim (dark elves or dwarves), suggesting a dualistic elven cosmology akin to Aiser Si and Aiser Seu in Etruscan myths.
Utgard: The outer regions of Jotunheim, home to chaotic giants, may represent a liminal space beyond ordered realms, akin to the universe’s voids.
Andlang and Vídbláinn: Mentioned in the Prose Edda, these heavens above Asgard suggest additional celestial layers.

These ambiguities highlight the fluidity of Norse cosmology, resisting rigid categorization and aligning with the universe’s complexity in scientific models.

Scientific Context: The Role of Simulations

Modern cosmology relies on simulations to visualize the universe’s structure:

Input Parameters: Simulations incorporate dark matter (gravitational scaffolding), normal matter (visible galaxies), dark energy (expansion), and physical laws (gravity, electromagnetism).
Output: A dynamic web of filaments, with galaxies forming at nodes, evolving over 13.8 billion years.
Limitations: Simulations are models, not direct observations, much like the Nine Worlds are interpretive frameworks, not literal geographies.

These simulations mirror the Norse approach of using Yggdrasil as a metaphorical map—a way to conceptualize an incomprehensible cosmos.

Cultural and Artistic Reflections

Norse art, from runestones to ship carvings, depicts Yggdrasil as a swirling, vine-like structure, often entwined with animals or serpents. This imagery reflects:

Cosmic Unity: The tree as a single entity binding diverse realms, like the cosmic web uniting galaxies.
Dynamic Tension: Serpents (Níðhöggr) and stags eating the tree suggest entropy, akin to dark energy’s expansive pull.
Spiritual Resonance: The tree’s wells (Urðarbrunnr, Mímisbrunnr) symbolize knowledge and fate, paralleling science’s quest to decode dark matter’s mysteries.

The Nine Worlds model, though a modern construct, reflects the Norse attempt to map a complex, interconnected cosmos, with Yggdrasil as its binding web. Modern science, through dark matter, dark energy, and the cosmic web, echoes this vision, portraying a universe of hidden scaffolds, dynamic forces, and organized chaos. Both frameworks—mythic and scientific—grapple with the unseen, blending physical and metaphysical to weave a narrative of cosmic unity. By exploring these parallels, we uncover a timeless human impulse: to observe, interpret, and connect the tangled vines of existence.

Celtic World Tree Traditions

Celtic mythology, spanning Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Gaul, lacks a single named World Tree like Yggdrasil but features tree-centric cosmologies, often tied to sacred groves and individual trees. Trees symbolized the cosmos, bridging earth, sky, and underworld:

Bile: In Irish mythology, bile (sacred trees, often ash, yew, or oak) served as cosmic axes. For example, the Eó Mugna (an oak), Eó Rossa (yew), and Bile Tortan (ash) were revered as world-connecting trees, their roots reaching the underworld and branches touching the heavens.
Sacred Groves: "Druids" worshipped in nemeton (sacred groves), viewing trees as conduits to the Otherworld, a spiritual realm parallel to Alfheim or Hel. Tacitus (1st century CE) notes Celtic reverence for groves as cosmic centers.
Triadic Cosmology: Celtic myths often divide the cosmos into three realms—Land (Tír), Sky (Magh), and Sea (Muir)—linked by a central tree. This mirrors Yggdrasil’s three roots and the Norse triad of Asgard, Midgard, and Hel.

The Otherworld and Interconnectivity

The Celtic Otherworld (e.g., Tír na nÓg, Annwn in Welsh lore) is a fluid realm of gods, spirits, and ancestors, accessed via trees, wells, or mounds. Unlike the Norse Nine Worlds, the Otherworld is less rigidly defined, blending with the physical world:

Tree as Portal: Trees like the hazel in the Salmon of Knowledge myth connect mortals to divine wisdom, akin to Yggdrasil’s Mímisbrunnr.
Seasonal Cycles: Celtic trees (e.g., oak for summer, holly for winter) reflect cosmic renewal, paralleling Yggdrasil’s role in surviving Ragnarök for a new cycle.
Artistic Depictions: Celtic art, such as the Gundestrup Cauldron (1st century BCE), shows tree-like motifs entwined with animals, evoking a web-like cosmos similar to Yggdrasil’s vine-like imagery.

Parallels with Norse Cosmology

Interconnected Realms: Both Celtic and Norse traditions see trees as binding diverse realms, with roots and branches facilitating spiritual-physical exchange.
Dynamic Forces: Celtic trees, like Yggdrasil, host tensions (e.g., seasonal cycles, Otherworld conflicts) akin to Níðhöggr’s chaos or Ratatoskr’s chatter.
Sacred Centers: The Celtic bile and Norse Yggdrasil serve as cosmic hubs, aligning with sacred wells or springs (Urðarbrunnr, Connla’s Well).

Slavic World Tree

Slavic mythology features a World Tree, often an oak, connecting three cosmic levels:

Upper World: Branches reach the heavens, home of gods like Perun (thunder god), akin to Asgard.
Middle World: The trunk represents the human realm, similar to Midgard.
Underworld: Roots extend to the realm of Veles (god of earth and death), paralleling Hel or Niflheim.

The Slavic tree, described in folklore and rituals, is a ladder for souls, with birds (divine messengers) and serpents (underworld forces) mirroring Yggdrasil’s Ratatoskr and Níðhöggr. Slavic art, such as embroidered textiles, depicts tree-like patterns with cosmic motifs.

Baltic World Tree

In Lithuanian and Latvian mythology, the World Tree (often an oak or lime) links sky, earth, and underworld:

Austra’s Tree: In Latvian lore, this tree supports the cosmos, with stars in its branches and roots in the underworld, akin to Yggdrasil’s cosmic span.
Sacred Oaks: Baltic pagans revered oaks as divine, with rituals at their bases, similar to Celtic nemeton and Norse Yggdrasil worship.
Cosmic Order: The tree embodies balance, with gods like Dievas (sky) and Velnias (underworld) interacting through it, echoing Aesir-Vanir dynamics.

Baltic art, including wooden carvings, shows trees entwined with serpents or birds, reflecting a web-like cosmos.

Germanic and Anglo-Saxon Traditions

Beyond Norse mythology, continental Germanic and Anglo-Saxon traditions reference sacred trees:

Irminsul: A Saxon pillar or tree (destroyed by Charlemagne in 772 CE) symbolized the cosmos, linking earth and sky, much like Yggdrasil.
Donar’s Oak: Dedicated to Donar (Thor), this tree was a cosmic center, felled by Christian missionaries, reflecting its spiritual weight.
Anglo-Saxon Cosmology: The Dream of the Rood (7th–8th century CE) portrays the cross as a cosmic tree, blending Christian and pagan imagery, with roots in underworldly suffering and branches in heavenly salvation.

These traditions share Yggdrasil’s role as a cosmic axis, often depicted in art as a central tree or pillar surrounded by animals or spirits.

Finno-Ugric World Tree

In Finnish and Estonian mythology, the World Tree (often an oak or birch) connects cosmic realms:

Sampo’s Tree: In the Kalevala, the Sampo (a magical artifact) is forged near a tree-like structure, symbolizing cosmic creation, akin to Yggdrasil’s role in Norse genesis.
Sky Pillar: The tree’s branches support the sky, with stars as leaves, while roots reach the underworld, mirroring Baltic and Norse models.
Shamanic Travel: Shamans climbed the tree to access spiritual realms, similar to Odin’s ascent of Yggdrasil for wisdom.

Finno-Ugric art, such as bronze pendants, depicts tree-like forms with cosmic motifs, emphasizing interconnectivity.

Comparative Analysis: Myth and Science

1. Interconnected Cosmos

Norse: Yggdrasil links realms via roots and branches, with Ratatoskr facilitating exchange.
Celtic: Bile and groves connect earth, sky, and Otherworld, with trees as portals.
Other European: Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic trees bind upper, middle, and lower worlds, often with birds or serpents as messengers.
Science: The cosmic web connects galaxies via dark matter filaments, with gravity and dark energy driving interactions.

2. Hidden Forces

Norse: Fate (Urðarbrunnr), chaos (Níðhöggr), and divine will shape the cosmos.
Celtic: The Otherworld’s mystical forces, accessed via trees, govern cosmic balance.
Other European: Slavic Veles or Baltic Velnias embody underworldly forces, countered by sky gods, through the tree.
Science: Dark matter and dark energy, invisible yet pivotal, sculpt the universe’s structure.

3. Organized Chaos

Norse: Yggdrasil’s order (realms, wells) coexists with chaos (Níðhöggr, Ragnarök).
Celtic: Bile balances seasonal cycles and Otherworld conflicts, reflecting flux.
Other European: Slavic and Baltic trees mediate divine tensions (e.g., Perun vs. Veles), embodying dynamic equilibrium.
Science: The cosmic web is structured (filaments) but chaotic (collisions), driven by competing forces.

4. Physical-Spiritual Duality

Norse: Yggdrasil unites material (Midgard) and spiritual (Hel) realms.
Celtic: Bile bridges earth and Otherworld, blending tangible and metaphysical.
Other European: Slavic and Baltic trees connect physical worlds with divine or ancestral realms.
Science: The universe merges observable matter with intangible forces (dark matter, dark energy).

5. Cyclical Time

Norse: Creation to Ragnarök and renewal.
Celtic: Seasonal cycles and Otherworld rebirth narratives.
Other European: Slavic and Baltic myths emphasize renewal through rituals at sacred trees.
Science: Cyclic cosmological models (e.g., oscillating universes) and simulation arcs echo mythic renewal.

Cultural and Artistic Reflections

European World Tree imagery underscores cosmic unity:

Norse: Runestones show Yggdrasil as vines with serpents, symbolizing chaos within order.
Celtic: The Gundestrup Cauldron depicts tree-like figures with animals, evoking a web-like cosmos.
Slavic/Baltic: Embroidered textiles and carvings show oaks with birds or stars, linking earth and sky.
Germanic: Irminsul carvings blend tree and pillar motifs, emphasizing cosmic centrality.

These depictions parallel the cosmic web’s filaments, where galaxies cluster like mythic realms along a tree’s branches. Norse Yggdrasil, Celtic bile, and other European World Trees reflect a shared vision of the cosmos as interconnected, dynamic, and shaped by hidden forces. These myths, like modern cosmology’s dark matter, dark energy, and cosmic web, portray a universe of tangled vines—structured yet chaotic, physical yet spiritual. By weaving together Norse, Celtic, Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic traditions with scientific models, we see humanity’s enduring quest to map the cosmos, from sacred trees to cosmic filaments, as a unified, living whole. Furthermore, none of this conflicts with the Drikeyu when one understands the Tree is to be taken symbolically and not literally as one imagines an actual tree.

Though I chose to specifically address these primarily European sources with their Mediterranean connections though such as Greek and Romans, as well as many others, the concept exists in one form or another among all cultures, be they Eurasian, Pan African, or the Americas to name a few, the basic principles ultimately remain the same at their core. This also should be taken as another example where the claims of needing to have a specific ethnocentric connection to anything as being "ethnically relevant" is in actuality separatist rhetoric and denial of the common shared threads we all have in common, regardless the linguistic expressions.

The Nine Worlds/Realms and the Tree

Most of the various "layouts" of the associated "Nine Worlds" concept of the World Tree called Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil is a combination of Yggr/Uggly = terrible + drasil = dresil "drizzle/mist." The context of it meaning more of an awe-inspiring, ominous haze, and aligns more with the description of "shining loam" (hvíta auri) that also evokes a sense a misty, ethereal substance, which could imply the tree as a conduit for chaotic or primordial forces, with its branches and roots enveloped in a misty, otherworldly aura that inspires fear and awe across the cosmos which is also enveloped within an immense immeasurable void.

Because of problems with trying to translate words that were either errors, having occurred in only one source, I redefined the so called "9 worlds/realms" commonly used by various sources so they make sense with the usual given "cosmology" and align them to their proper directions as echoed through various sources of folklore as show above. While a lot of these might have words like "heim" at the end and so forth, I present the examples of what is known to clarify the intended changes.

Midgard – The realm of humans, positioned between divine and chaotic forces. I retain this spelling.
Asgard – The home of the Aesir, a fortified realm of order and power.
Utgard – The outer realm beyond Midgard, often associated with giants and chaos.
Innangard – Meaning "Inner enclosure", symbolizing order and civilization. I reduce it to Inngard.
Utangard – Meaning "outside the enclosure", representing chaos and wilderness.
Helgardh – A name sometimes associated with Hel, the realm of the dead.
Mannagard – Sometimes used as an alternate name for Midgard, meaning "land of men."
Jotungard – A name linked to Jotunheim, the realm of the giants.
Niflgard – Associated with Niflheim, the cold and misty realm of the dead.

I keep the Five "Guards." Using the usual duality concepts applied which does not betray anything is to ply the associated Light and Dark Elves in position and as forerunners of the other two Homes of Fire and Ice. This is to only demonstrate that this "Cosmology" and its variations various sources have put together that are "inauthentic" using their own arguments, I have simply clarified the concepts are more or less associated with the directions and associated seasonal cycles. Now, pulling away from the common "primitive" concepts thereby clarified, I will present how the concept of this cosmic tree symbolism has other, much deeper connections clearly lost to time. As with everything else about Druwayu, it will be considered controversial, however, in such a case, consider it more of our own defined and conceptual perspective.

1. Cosmic Filaments and the "Dreadful Mist"

Astrophysics describes the universe’s large-scale structure as a web of dark matter filaments, acting as unseen gravitational pathways where matter is drawn, compressed, and structured. These filaments determine where galaxies form and merge, much like an invisible framework shaping reality. By interpreting Yggdrasil as "dreadful mist," it becomes:

A cosmic veil, shrouding existence in uncertainty in a mysterious fog.
A fearful presence, reinforcing its mystical power, and God's own terrifying power and incomprehensible mind.
A force between chaos and order, harmony and disaccord, where mist signals not just uncertainty but the potential for a deeper transition and transformation of mind and awareness.

Yggdrasil, envisioned as a towering entity wrapped in dreadful mist, reflects this unseen connective force—it holds structure together while remaining an obscure and omnipresent power. This mist-like presence mirrors dark matter, which governs the universe’s expansion without direct visibility.

2. Godan as the Indwelling Source

Just as the Cosmic Web provides unseen but fundamental support to the universe, Godan dwells within Yggdrasil, acting as its formative power. Godan does not merely exist alongside the Tree but is within it, providing the force that animates its mist-veiled presence. In this sense it is metaphorically his "horse."

Godan’s indwelling essence extends through the Three Sister Goddesses —Weva (Weaver), Spinna (Spinner), and Kuta (Cutter)—who tend to the mist-wrapped Tree just as they are associated with Three Wells. Each Well serves as a deep reservoir of cosmic influence, reinforcing their connection to fate and formation, much like points within the Cosmic Web where galaxies compress and expand.

3. Dreadful Mist as Cosmic Uncertainty

Dark matter forms gravitational wells, where galaxies grow, combine, and shift, yet remains unseen, known only by its effects. Similarly, the dreadful mist of Yggdrasil signals an ethereal presence shaping existence, a veil that both connects and divides reality.

In astrophysics, dark matter itself is unseen, yet it guides the formation of galaxies, much like a mystical force shaping reality.
The idea of dreadful mist could evoke the eerie, formless haze of the cosmic abyss, similar to how dark matter surrounds galaxies yet remains undetectable.
Mist is often used as an expression of that which shrouds boundaries between worlds.
Dark matter bridges the visible universe, linking galaxies through gravitational interaction, forming transitional spaces between vast cosmic realms.

Matter in the universe moves along dark matter filaments, just as Yggdrasil’s mist flows through the Three Sister Goddesses, ensuring continuity while preserving cosmic balance.

4. The Three Goddesses and Structural Balance

The Cosmic Web forms the unseen foundation where galaxies take shape—the filaments are dynamic, holding structure in place while allowing for transformation. Similarly, the Three Sister Goddesses — named in this sense as Weva, Spinna, and Kuta—govern the shifting structure of Yggdrasil, guiding fate through their woven, spun, and cut threads. Their association with Three Wells reflects their role in maintaining flow within the unseen forces, much like how the universe’s dark matter scaffolding dictates movement and evolution.

Alignment of Concepts

By interpreting Yggdrasil as "dreadful mist," its parallel to the Cosmic Web of dark matter filaments suggests:

A connective cosmic structure, guided by unseen forces.
An indwelling presence, with Godan acting as the fundamental source.
A force guiding formation, like dark matter shaping galaxy structures.
A transition between certainty and uncertainty, where mist signifies transformation.
A sacred entity tended by the Three Sister Goddesses , ensuring balance within their wells, just as gravitational wells dictate cosmic evolution.

This perspective fully integrates your framework, connecting Yggdrasil, dreadful mist, Godan, and the Three Sister Goddesses to modern astrophysical models of cosmic filaments and gravitational wells which takes things into a much deeper perspective than what many tend to consider or properly make such connections with. If we consider the many diverse terms for this symbolic tree of cosmic concepts, we gain even more insight.

Many names for this Cosmic Tree

One of the oldest examples referencing this Cosmic Tree includes ""mjötvið mœran fyr mold neðan"

mjötvið – Often interpreted as "measuring tree" or "mighty tree"
mœran – Can mean "glorious", "famous", or "renowned".
fyr – Means "before" or "in front of".
mold – Translates to "earth", "soil", or "ground".
neðan – Means "below" or "underneath".
Exact Order: Measuring Tree renowned, before soil below.

Here are the exact translations of these Old Norse names:

Hoddmímis Holt – Translates to "Head-Mím’s Hold" or more precisely "Hold of Memory's Head". It is associated with survival after Ragnarök, where Líf (Life )and Lífþrasir (Life Thrasher) are said to take refuge. "Hold of Memory’s Head" emphasizes Mímir’s role as the keeper of wisdom, reinforcing the concept of a secured place preserving knowledge and insight. This interpretation aligns with the idea of continuity, fate, and deep-rooted knowledge sustained through time.
Mímameiðr – Translates to "Mid-Mim's" from Mima "Mim's + meiðr/miðr "mid/middle" — something central, vital, andtied to wisdom and sacrifice. It is described as a tree whose branches stretch over every land, bearing fruit that aids pregnant women, and is often considered another name for Yggdrasil.
Læraðr – The meaning of Lær (Old English lār, meaning "lore, learning, knowledge") and áðr (Old Norse "before, already, ere"), the interpretation of Læraðr as "lost lore." This suggests a forgotten or ancient knowledge, potentially something hidden or obscured over time, much like wisdom buried in myth or history ad ties to this the concept of the Tree of All Knowledge.

What should really strike most is how the Tree is linked specifically with the namesake of Mimir which itself in concept likes to all the qualities and faculties of the mind, which itself tends to give some pause when they consider may of the representations of Dark Matter as the scalding of the universe reminds them of neuron (brain cells) and their complicated paths of connection and having a sense this cosmic tree is the source of all knowledge by connecting one's mind to it (which also comes with many warnings such as too much knowledge beyond what we are able to handle will destroy our minds, because no single mind can hope to absorb it all and continue to truly exist). What knowledge one may gain from this "tree" and its "wellsprings" of truth, knowledge, wisdom and understanding will change them, while it also being acknowledged you cannot give it back.