Yggdrasil, the World Tree of Norse Mythology as imagined by North Room Students

Yggdrasil, the World Tree

Soon after the new year began, the stairwell at Lake and Park began to fill with the world of Norse Mythology, as imagined by the students of the North Room.  At the top of the rainbow bridge is Asgard, home of the Aesir. At the very top of Asgard sits Odin's throne, the Lidskjalf. From this perch, he could see the whole world.

The Eagle 

On the top of Yggdrasil

The world tree

Sits an eagle

Scanning the 4 corners of the world

With his apprentice 

A little hawk

Sitting on his beak

But little do they know

That the eagle is a Jotun 

-Ken

Asgard, home of Odin and the Aesir

Students were inspired to write poetry and prose in response to the stories of Norse Mythology.

Asgard

All is shining 

toward the gods

Tread along 

a sparkling rainbow bridge 

If you are not welcome 

your feet 

will burn to smithereens

Odin the All-father of the gods, 

gave one eye 

to drink from the 

Well of Wisdom.  

Thor the thunder god 

has a hammer that is invisible,  

Mjolnir the hammer 

will always return to him.

Frey first lived in Vanaheim and

after the Aesir-Vanir war 

he moved to Asgard. 

He has a sister--

she is Freya. 

-Tillie

Asgard

A place where there are clouds and

towers. You go there and you will fight

 with all different people.

Pretty abstract and different

 than all the other nine worlds.

The guards are not too good at keeping the good in 

And the bad out.

Has lots of drama.

And when you go there make sure

To watch you back.

-Sophie

Vanaheim

The Sun, A Song

When the moon goes down the sun comes up.

Her silky golden hair

shines bright

in the light of her chariot. 

Riding,riding across the sky.

Her eyes glitter like the stars. 

She waves to the animals on the earth.

When she speaks her voice is like a nightingale.

 And that is the sun. 

-Stazy

The Land of the Brave

This is Valhalla

where the brave go

chosen by the Valkyries

after their death

They smell the flowers

on their ascent

and taste the feasts

whenever they please

Preparing for the war

known as Ragnarok

the war to end the world--

this is Valhalla

-Teague

Midgard-the Earth

Midgard

A place of humans

Kept safe by eyelashes 

Was made so people can 

Worship the gods 

In the middle of a flat disk.

By Leah  

The North Wind

As the north winds blow,

A ship made from ash and elm, and hands from long ago.

As the ship sits below wind and wave, storm and sky, rain and rapids,

a fire burns, a flickering flame, and it gives light and warmth to 

those on a far off cost.

And as the red flower flows, a storyteller sits, and he speaks of trolls, of Midgard, of Odin, of ships that sailed long ago.

-Owen

Alfheim - World of the Elves

Alfheim

Lovely

Fun

Hidden in

Moss

-Caroline

Jotunheim

This place where  

Frost Giants roam.  

They came from Ymir 

the first giant to come.

Then goes Ymir.

Odin, Hoenir, and Lodur

Killed him and trapped 

all the frost giants into 

Jotunheim and that’s where

the frost giants live.

-Lola

Ginnungagap

Giants and people-- 

there are none here,

Nobody.

 Nobody utters a sound,

(Nobody but the gods 

Touch here when they pass.

All they say is,”Ahh”.

Silence.)

Except when Ymir died and his brine

 overflowed 

And this place became Jotunheim

 where the giants now live.

-Leah

Bifrost

Beautiful

Indestructible

Frost giants 

Run away

Over the valleys to Jotunheim

Seeming like fire 

This is Bifrost

~Boden

Surtr's Sword

To the south of Niflheim, the ice world is Muspell, the world of fire and lava.

Standing in the midst of the flames, Surtr waits for Ragnarok, the end of the

world, to emerge with his flaming  sword in hand and strike down all the gods, then

immerse the world in fire.

-River

The Man in the Flames

To the north was Niflheim, but to the south was Muspell, a land of burning embers,

scorching fire, stifling black vapor, molten lava, and searing ashes. That was Muspell,

and  nothing more than that can describe it. And at the edge of all that blistering flame

stood Surtr, and he still stands there today, brandishing his flaming sword, waiting and

waiting until Ragnarok, the end of the world. Then and only then will he depart his station,

to flourish his sweltering sword of fire, and burn the world, and one by one all the gods will

burn at his feet.

~Rhea

Helheim

The suffocating smell 

of burnt hair and blood 

fills my lifeless caverns

The cowards of war

Flee to me with open arms

Screams echo through my empty halls,

Driving you to insanity

The tastes of starvation and torture

 lingers in my air

Where am I?

-Ayar

To learn more about Norse mythology ask any child at Lake and Park.