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Yggdrasil, the World Tree, Irminsul, was Odin's axis mundi horse. He hung there for nine nights, symbolic of the Nine Worlds of the Heathen Norse cosmology, in order to obtain the runes. The entire universe depended on the World Tree which rose from the center of Midgard. Its roots reached into the world of human beings, the world of the frost giants, and Hel; while, its branches reached up over Asgard. Niddhogg the dragon and many snakes gnawed at the roots and four stags gnawed at the bark of Yggdrasil, but, waters from the Urda Well of Wyrd sprinkled by the Norns, the three goddesses of Fate, healed it each day. The Well of Wyrd from which the World Tree springs was guarded by three Fates, the Norns. They were the Etin maiden goddesses, Urđr (the past), Verđandi (the present), and Skuld (the future). The Norns reached into one's past and sprinkled the Heathen World Tree with woven patterns of the future. Mimer's Well and Hvergelmer Well also fed Yggdrasil. All trees were sacred to the Norse, Germanic, and Celtic peoples.
On the shores of the primal sea, the Odin, Vili, and Vé made the first two humans, Askr and Embla, Ash and Elm, from driftwood tree trunks. A great rainbow bridge was built by the goddesses and gods called Bifröst that extended from heaven (Asgard), to Middle Earth, (Midgard). They rode over this Rainbow Bridge everyday. An Earth based faith, Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú mythos included the belief that they were the offspring of the union of the Sky Father and the Earth Mother and lived in one of the Nine Worlds, Midgard. The Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú goddesses and gods resided in Asgard, the uppermost world. The Holy Elves, the "Alfar", were friends of mankind. The Dark Dwarves, the "Dokkalfar", were sometimes friendly and sometimes unfriendly. The Giants, the "Jotnar", were catalysts for change for both the deities and for humans. Heimdall, who was a light sleeper, guarded Bifröst. It was predicted by the Norns that if the future they saw based on past actions by some of the gods and goddesses was not altered by corrective right actions in the present, the Rainbow Bridge would collapse at Ragnarok when the Frost Giants rode over it.
Although Iceland took
Christianity as their official religion about a thousand years ago so that other
countries would keep trading with them, Icelanders continued to practice
Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú, and, Ásatrú has been recognized by the Icelandic state
as an official religion...
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