The Creatures of the World Tree

What is happening in the World Tree?

Many creatures live in the World Tree. In Gylfaginning, a wise eagle perches in its branches. Between the eagle's eyes sits a hawk named Vedrfolnir. A squirrel named Ratatosk runs up and down the trunk.

In The Sayings of Grimnir, Ratatosk carries the words of the eagle above to Nidhogg below. In Gylfaginning, he carries insults between the eagle and Nidhogg.

Among the branches, 4 deer nibble the leaves. Many snakes live beneath the tree, and Nidhogg gnaws at it from below. The Sayings of Grimnir tells us that its trunk is rotting too. The tree endures far more suffering than people know.

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