TREES IN RELIGION

The trees in different cultures can be seen in two different ways:

- as a source of life (tree of life)

- as a link between earth and heaven( world tree)

The cross of Christ is identified with the world tree stretching from earth to heaven.
The cross was fashioned of wood from the tree of good and evil, which grew in the garden of Eden.
Beyond the tree lies Adam’s Buried Skull, baptized in Christ’s blood.
The cross-tree gives forth oil wheat grapes and herbs used to prepare the materials for the sacrament that revitalize a fallen world.
YGGRADSIL
It’s the cosmic tree, a fraxinus representing the universe.
The name means "terrible horse", the trunk is very strong and supports the entire cosmos.
The branches extend themselves over nine different worlds: the world of gods Aesirthe world of Vani, the world of light elves, the world of dark elves, the world of men (Midgard), the world of giants (Jotunheim), the world of the dead (Hel), the world of the sons of Muspell and the world of the dwarves.
It has three big roots one in the land of the giants (it assumes water from a well called Heurgelmin), one in Niflheimr, near the font of the wise Timir.
The third one is in the sky by the Asi.
A lot of animals live on the tree of life:

- an eagle (Knowledge)

- an owl (Vedhrfölnn) between its eyes.

- snakes eating the roots (for example the dragon Nidhoggr in Niflheimr)

- a squirrel (Ratatosk) that runs up and down from the tree.

- a wolf (Fenrir) hidden behind the tree

- four deer (Dainn, Dvalinn, Duneyn Durathon) eating its trunk and leaves.

At Ragnarok (the day of the end of the world) the tree will fall down and with it the entire universe.
The Nordic god Odin hung from this tree nine nights staring at the abyss of Niflheimr and thus won the knowledge of the magic Runes which gave him power over all things.
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