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In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( or ; from Old Norse Yggdrasill, pronounced ) is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology, in connection to which the nine worlds exist. Yggdrasil is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Yggdrasil is an immense ash tree that is central and considered very holy. The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to assemble at their things. The branches of Yggdrasil extend far into the heavens, and the tree is supported by three roots that extend far away into other locations; one to the well Urðarbrunnr in the heavens, one to the spring Hvergelmir, and another to the well Mímisbrunnr. Creatures live within Yggdrasil, including the wyrm (dragon) Níðhöggr, an unnamed eagle, and the stags Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór. Conflicting scholarly theories have been proposed about the etymology of the name ''Yggdrasill'', the possibility that the tree is of another species than ash, the relation to tree lore and to Eurasian shamanic lore, the possible relation to the trees Mímameiðr and Læraðr, Hoddmímis holt, the sacred tree at Uppsala, and the fate of Yggdrasil during the events of Ragnarök. ==Name== The generally accepted meaning of Old Norse ''Yggdrasill'' is "Odin's horse", meaning "gallows". This interpretation comes about because ''drasill'' means "horse" and ''Ygg(r)'' is one of Odin's many names. The ''Poetic Edda'' poem ''Hávamál'' describes how Odin sacrificed himself by hanging from a tree, making this tree Odin's gallows. This tree may have been Yggdrasil. Gallows can be called "the horse of the hanged" and therefore Odin's gallows may have developed into the expression "Odin's horse", which then became the name of the tree. Nevertheless, scholarly opinions regarding the precise meaning of the name ''Yggdrasill'' vary, particularly on the issue of whether ''Yggdrasill'' is the name of the tree itself or if only the full term ''askr Yggdrasil'' (where Old Norse ''askr'' means "ash tree") refers specifically to the tree. According to this interpretation, ''askr Yggdrasils'' would mean the world tree upon which "the horse (horse ) of the highest god () is bound". Both of these etymologies rely on a presumed but unattested '' *Yggsdrasill''. A third interpretation, presented by F. Detter, is that the name ''Yggdrasill'' refers to the word ''yggr'' ("terror"), yet not in reference to the Odinic name, and so ''Yggdrasill'' would then mean "tree of terror, gallows". F. R. Schröder has proposed a fourth etymology according to which ''yggdrasill'' means "yew pillar", deriving ''yggia'' from '' *igwja'' (meaning "yew-tree"), and ''drasill'' from '' *dher-'' (meaning "support"). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Yggdrasil」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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