. . . . . . . . . . Yggdrasil Artist: Ana Title: Yggdrasil Date: January 2006 Medium: Translucent enamel paint on glass Size: 18" x 30" Description: Yggdrasil is the world tree in Norse mythology. The nine worlds of the universe are anchored to it. In this image we see Asgard, the city of the gods, high in the branches, with knotwork to represent Alfheim, the world of the elves, in the branches below. At ground level is Midgard, the world of mortals, and this is connected to Asgard by Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. Underground are Svartalfheim, the world of dwarves, represented by hammer and anvil, and Helheim, the world of the dead, represented by a lake with swans and burial mounds. Among the roots we see Nidhogg, the serpent which gnaws at the roots in an attempt to bring about the end of the universe. In the branches is an unnamed eagle who sees everything that happens, and Ratatosk the squirrel runs ever back and forth between Nidhogg and the eagle relaying messages, gossip, and rumors. Also at the roots of the tree we see the Well of Wyrd where the norns throw carved runes to create the fates of humans. People also can affect their fates by adding "layers" at the bottom of the well to create their histories, and thus change their futures which must build on the past. The four worlds not shown are on the same level as Midgard and extend away from the tree in the four cardinal directions, making them difficult to depict in a flat image. They are Niflheim, the world of ice and mist, in the north; Muspelheim, the world of fire and lava, in the south; Vanaheim, the world of nature deities, in the west; and Jotunheim, the world of giants, in the east.