Yggdrasil

Size: 30,3 x 22,6 cm

Materials: Watercolour on watercolour paper

Number eleven of the symbols is Yggdrasil, the World Tree from Norse mythology. This stylized version appears on the Överhogdal Tapestry from 1066 which depicts the events of Ragnarok. The tree connects the nine worlds in Norse cosmology. In one of the myths, it’s said that its branches extend all over the world over the heavens, and it’s supported by three roots that reach far out into other realms. One theory is that the tree was a way to explain the cosmos, a way of explaining the unexplainable. Another is that the tree is what binds everything together. It weaves through the nine worlds, joining them together. Odin found the wisdom of the runes by hanging in the tree for nine days. Several creatures live in the tree itself, all with their own function and symbolism. A couple of those are Nidhoggr gnawing at the roots of the tree, and the Eagle Vidofnir at the top with the Squirrel Ratatoskr being the messenger bringing insults and news between the two.

I created the background by masking off the red area before adding the green.