Dr. Donald Blake & Thor Odinson (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ifwebeworthy) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2026-02-19 10:06 am
ifwebeworthy) wrote in fandomhigh2026-02-19 10:06 am
Entry tags:
Norse Mythology, Thursday, Second Period
"This week is also not the week you get to learn about why Loki's kids are like that," Don told his class, apologetic, "because we're covering something a bit more basic first. You'll have to remain in suspense for another...two weeks, actually. Today we're going to talk about the world. Or, more accurately, the worlds. Nine of them, hanging on a tree.
"The Norse believed that at the heart of the universe there was a massive ash tree, Yggdrasil. Creatures lived within the tree itself--a squirrel, a hawk, several stags, a dragon...you know, your usual forest creatures that you might find living in a tree." Note sarcasm. "Amongst the branches of Yggdrasil are nine worlds: Asgard, the realm of the Aesir; Vanaheim, the realm of the Vanir; Alfheim and Svartalfheim, the realms of the light and dark elves; Jotunheim and Muspelheim, the realms of the frost and fire giants; Nidavellir, the realm of the dwarves; and Niflheim, the primordial realm of ice and water. Sometimes instead of Niflheim, Hel is one of the worlds on the tree, depending on who you ask. And, of course, Midgard, the realm of men, the one we are standing in. Sort of. I don't really know how interdimensional nexus points work. In theory, one can access the other worlds by traveling out of their world and along the tree, but that way is roundabout, so most entities that can traverse worlds do so by other means, such as the rainbow bridge known as the Bifrost, which allows the Aesir to travel between Asgard and Midgard.
"So," Don said. "What do you think? Is the universe a tree? If you don't buy into it, what might have made the Norse conceptualize the world this way? Why do both a squirrel and a dragon live in the tree? Discuss."
"The Norse believed that at the heart of the universe there was a massive ash tree, Yggdrasil. Creatures lived within the tree itself--a squirrel, a hawk, several stags, a dragon...you know, your usual forest creatures that you might find living in a tree." Note sarcasm. "Amongst the branches of Yggdrasil are nine worlds: Asgard, the realm of the Aesir; Vanaheim, the realm of the Vanir; Alfheim and Svartalfheim, the realms of the light and dark elves; Jotunheim and Muspelheim, the realms of the frost and fire giants; Nidavellir, the realm of the dwarves; and Niflheim, the primordial realm of ice and water. Sometimes instead of Niflheim, Hel is one of the worlds on the tree, depending on who you ask. And, of course, Midgard, the realm of men, the one we are standing in. Sort of. I don't really know how interdimensional nexus points work. In theory, one can access the other worlds by traveling out of their world and along the tree, but that way is roundabout, so most entities that can traverse worlds do so by other means, such as the rainbow bridge known as the Bifrost, which allows the Aesir to travel between Asgard and Midgard.
"So," Don said. "What do you think? Is the universe a tree? If you don't buy into it, what might have made the Norse conceptualize the world this way? Why do both a squirrel and a dragon live in the tree? Discuss."