My short story Secrets of the Ash Tree is from the book I am
writing which is based on Norse Mythology and Norwegian Fairy Tales. It is
about a young woman who discovers her true nature through the unraveling of
buried secrets. Her story starts when she digs up a chest that was buried by
her father under the ash tree in her garden. In Norse mythology the ash tree is
very sacred. It is known as the tree of life, so today I thought I would tell
you a little about the mythology that surrounds it.
Yggdrasil is the name for the tree of life. It is an eternal
green ash tree with branches that stretch out over the nine worlds, extending
up and above the heavens. Yggdrasil is supported by three enormous roots.
The first root from Yggdrasil goes to Asgard, the home of
the gods. This is where the gods hold daily meetings. The second root from
Yggdrasil goes to Jotunheim, the land of the giants. The third root from
Yggdrasil goes to Niflheim, close to the well Hvergelmir. It is here the dragon
Nidhug lives sucking on the blood of dead bodies and gnawing on one of
Yggdrasils roots.
At the very top of Yggdrasil lives an eagle. The eagle and
the dragon Nidhug are bitter enemies. They truly despised each other. A
squirrel named Ratatosk, spends a lot of time each day, running up and down the
tree. Ratatosk enjoys keeping the hatred between the eagle and the dragon Nidhug
alive. Every time Nidhug says a curse or an insult about the eagle, Ratatosk hastens
up to the top of the tree, and informs the eagle what Nidhug had said. The
eagle was equally rude in his comments about Nidhug. It is because of Ratatosk’s
love for gossip that the eagle and the dragon remain constant foes.
The roots from the tree of life connect everything together,
even the most bitter of enemies. As long as there is a squirrel that loves
gossip there will always be a dragon gnawing on its own foot and an eagle
without a nest.
Hope you enjoyed this bit of wisdom. Come back later today to hear what I have to say about chocolate! Have a great week and
try to avoid squirrels that cause trouble.
11 comments:
Hidden secrets are a source of mystery in themselves. I love the sound of your story.
Someone needs to shoot the squirrel - he's a trouble-maker.
Sounds interesting. Though I'm with Alex, just shoot the squirrel and be done with it.(:
Yes. I love the sound of your story and can hardly wait to get to it.
Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
http://www.shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/
http://secondhandshoesnovel.blogspot.com/
i know someone just like that sneaky little squirrel. Love your mythological stories and facts even if I sometimes miss them. I didn't today. I think the ash is also a special tree in black magic, isn't it?
I've woven Yggdrasil in several of my novels:
In THE BEAR WITH 2 SHADOWS, Hibbs gains his 2nd shadow on his quest to rescue Ratatosk from the maw of Nidhug (the gleeful squirrel having related one insult too many) -- how does Hibbs free Ratatosk from the impervious jaws of Nidhug? He tells the dragon a joke that has the creature convulsing in laughter.
Naruda, the cursed, sentient dagger made from one of Nidhug's fangs, turns up in END OF DAYS, LOVE LIKE DEATH, BEAR and many other of my novels.
I have fun with Norse mythology, interweaving it with Native American and Celtic myths.
I never myth one of your Norse posts. :-) Have a great week, Roland
I can't wait to read your whole novel. It sounds intriguing and mysterious! Roland
I got here too early. I'll come back later to read your chocolate post. :)
Your story sounds great. Why are squirrels always a problem?
this is going to be a great book--might become a classic :)
I love a bit of mythology. What a pesky squirrel!
we hiked the woods with Maxine Stone in search of all things natural, and hopefully a few things fungal. Tree Nursery Co
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