ZAP’S FACTS!
NORSE

The Vikings believed a giant tree connected nine different worlds.

According to Norse myth, an enormous ash tree called Yggdrasil grew at the center of the universe and held the whole cosmos together.

2 min read
The Vikings believed a giant tree connected nine different worlds.
THE FULL STORY

The Vikings imagined the universe as a single enormous tree. According to Norse mythology, this tree was called Yggdrasil. It was an ash tree so huge that its branches reached above the sky and its three giant roots stretched down through nine different worlds, including the world of humans, the world of the gods, and the world of the dead.

All sorts of creatures were said to live in the tree. An eagle perched in its top branches and a fierce dragon called Nidhoggr chewed at one of the roots. A squirrel named Ratatoskr scampered up and down the trunk every day, carrying mean messages between the eagle and the dragon.

The Vikings believed Yggdrasil was eternal, but not safe. The dragon was slowly eating through it, and four magical deer constantly nibbled its bark. The myths said the tree would survive even Ragnarök, the end of the world, and two humans would hide inside its trunk to start the human race all over again.

The Valkyries were flying warrior women who chose who lived and died in battle.
DID YOU KNOW? The Valkyries were flying warrior women who chose who lived and died in battle. According to Norse myth, Valkyries swooped over battlefields on flying horses, picking out the bravest warriors to take to Valhalla. 1 min read
The Vikings believed a rainbow bridge connected Earth to the home of the gods.
DID YOU KNOW? The Vikings believed a rainbow bridge connected Earth to the home of the gods. According to Norse myth, the Bifrost was a flaming rainbow bridge that linked the human world to Asgard, where the gods lived. 2 min read
The Norse gods chained up a giant wolf named Fenrir with a magic ribbon.
DID YOU KNOW? The Norse gods chained up a giant wolf named Fenrir with a magic ribbon. According to Norse myth, Fenrir was so strong that only a ribbon made from impossible ingredients could hold him. 2 min read