Difference between revisions of "ASGARD"
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=== AXIS MUNDDI: YGGDRRASSIL === | === AXIS MUNDDI: YGGDRRASSIL === | ||
| + | Yggdrasil, the World Tree, serves as the Axis | ||
| + | Mundi for Asgard, as it did for Vanaheimr and | ||
| + | Alfheim before their severing. It serves as the | ||
| + | supernatural “spine” of the Norse frame of reference, | ||
| + | existing on a spiritual and metaphysical level that | ||
| + | those with sufficient Legend can perceive as clearly | ||
| + | as a human can perceive a mundane tree. | ||
| + | Asgard (and the other Godrealms) nests in the | ||
| + | great spirit-ash’s branches, while around its trunk | ||
| + | are located Midgard (i.e., the World) and the | ||
| + | Norse terrae incognitae: Jotunheim (home of the | ||
| + | frost giants), Nidavellir (home of the dwarves), | ||
| + | and Svartalfheim (home of the svartalfar). Its roots | ||
| + | even stretch “down” into the Underworld. | ||
| + | Those who can perceive Yggdrasil (primarily | ||
| + | Gods, Titans, Scions or dead souls of the Aesir’s | ||
| + | religion) know it to be a tree unlike any other. | ||
| + | Its trunk is so great as to seem to | ||
| + | be a nearly flat wall of light gray | ||
| + | bark that, as suits the ancient | ||
| + | ash’s age, is rough and scaled | ||
| + | with long diamond-shaped | ||
| + | crevices so deep a man | ||
| + | could hide inside them. | ||
| + | This rough texture | ||
| + | provides | ||
| + | adequate | ||
| + | handholds for those | ||
| + | who would climb its | ||
| + | heights—or descend to | ||
| + | the depths of its roots— | ||
| + | although such a journey | ||
| + | might take a mortal several | ||
| + | lifetimes, assuming he were | ||
| + | even able to perceive the tree in | ||
| + | the first place. | ||
| + | Yggdrasil’s leaves are verdant and | ||
| + | shaped like a long, slim pointed oval. These | ||
| + | leaves are constantly nibbled at by four great stags | ||
| + | that stand taller than a man at the shoulder and | ||
| + | have antlers as broad as a house. (For each stag, | ||
| + | Storytellers may use traits for an elephant on p. 331 | ||
| + | of Scion: Hero). Yggdrasil is tended by the three | ||
| + | Norns: Urd, Verdandi and Skuld. These women | ||
| + | spend their days near the Well of Urd, weaving the | ||
| + | tapestry of Fate, as well as fulfilling their duties to | ||
| + | maintain the health of Asgard’s Axis Mundi. | ||
| + | Yggdrasil can be used by Gods (Legend 9 or | ||
| + | higher) to move between Asgard and the World. | ||
| + | This is done not by a simple touch, as with many | ||
| + | Axes Mundi, but by physically climbing the tree | ||
| + | itself while spending a point of Legend and focusing | ||
| + | on the location one desires to attain. By climbing | ||
| + | down Yggdrasil in Asgard, a God who desires to | ||
| + | travel to the World can chose any ash tree whose | ||
| + | location she is aware of and, after spending the | ||
| + | required Legend, will find herself descending that | ||
| + | tree, rather than Yggdrasil. Similarly, by spending | ||
| + | a point of Legend and scaling any ash tree that has | ||
| + | previously been used as a link to Yggdrasil, a God | ||
| + | finds himself arriving (after a lengthy climb) in the | ||
| + | Sacred Fortress of Asgard. The ash tree must be | ||
| + | alive; dead wood, no matter how freshly harvested, | ||
| + | will not work. | ||
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| + | <br> | ||
| + | <br> | ||
=== === | === === | ||
'''Valaskjalf''' -- Valhalla was, indeed, the hall where Odin received the souls of the warriors who perished in valiant battle. Importantly, Odin ("The Furious") had another hall, Valaskjalf, which contained his throne (Hiloskjalf or "High Seat") from which he surveyed and contemplated the universe. As well, half of the honorably slain in battle were chosen by Freya ("Lady), the goddess of war, to go with her to Folkvangr, translated as "the field of the host" or "field of the army" among other renditions. Please note that accounts of these mythologies are not invariant which can as well be said of the orthography of some of the Norse names which are given here without diacritical marks. | '''Valaskjalf''' -- Valhalla was, indeed, the hall where Odin received the souls of the warriors who perished in valiant battle. Importantly, Odin ("The Furious") had another hall, Valaskjalf, which contained his throne (Hiloskjalf or "High Seat") from which he surveyed and contemplated the universe. As well, half of the honorably slain in battle were chosen by Freya ("Lady), the goddess of war, to go with her to Folkvangr, translated as "the field of the host" or "field of the army" among other renditions. Please note that accounts of these mythologies are not invariant which can as well be said of the orthography of some of the Norse names which are given here without diacritical marks. | ||
Revision as of 17:09, 4 April 2020
[[]]
ASGARD : THE FORTRESS HOME OF THE AESIR
When the time came to create a Godrealm for themselves, the fierce warriors and dedicated protectors of Northern Europe crafted Asgard, a world as challenging and dynamic as they themselves were. Lush green pastures, thigh-high with fertile grasses, run along the bases of great majestic mountains whose snow-capped peaks stretch far into an impossibly blue sky. Great sea-lakes encompass vast portions of the realm, with deep fjord inlets, black pebble beaches and sheer glacial cliff walls on their shores. Raging rivers crisscross the land, with more peaceful tributaries feathering out from them to provide water for the realm’s cities, villages and halls.
At the center of the realm is the city of Asgard, surrounded by the Plain of Idavoll where the residents of Valhalla come each day to practice their warcraft. The final battle of Ragnarök is prophesied to take place on this plain.
AXIS MUNDDI: YGGDRRASSIL
Yggdrasil, the World Tree, serves as the Axis Mundi for Asgard, as it did for Vanaheimr and Alfheim before their severing. It serves as the supernatural “spine” of the Norse frame of reference, existing on a spiritual and metaphysical level that those with sufficient Legend can perceive as clearly as a human can perceive a mundane tree.
Asgard (and the other Godrealms) nests in the great spirit-ash’s branches, while around its trunk are located Midgard (i.e., the World) and the Norse terrae incognitae: Jotunheim (home of the frost giants), Nidavellir (home of the dwarves), and Svartalfheim (home of the svartalfar). Its roots even stretch “down” into the Underworld.
Those who can perceive Yggdrasil (primarily Gods, Titans, Scions or dead souls of the Aesir’s religion) know it to be a tree unlike any other.
Its trunk is so great as to seem to be a nearly flat wall of light gray bark that, as suits the ancient ash’s age, is rough and scaled with long diamond-shaped crevices so deep a man could hide inside them.
This rough texture provides adequate handholds for those who would climb its heights—or descend to the depths of its roots— although such a journey might take a mortal several lifetimes, assuming he were even able to perceive the tree in the first place.
Yggdrasil’s leaves are verdant and shaped like a long, slim pointed oval. These leaves are constantly nibbled at by four great stags that stand taller than a man at the shoulder and have antlers as broad as a house. (For each stag, Storytellers may use traits for an elephant on p. 331 of Scion: Hero). Yggdrasil is tended by the three Norns: Urd, Verdandi and Skuld. These women spend their days near the Well of Urd, weaving the tapestry of Fate, as well as fulfilling their duties to maintain the health of Asgard’s Axis Mundi.
Yggdrasil can be used by Gods (Legend 9 or higher) to move between Asgard and the World. This is done not by a simple touch, as with many Axes Mundi, but by physically climbing the tree itself while spending a point of Legend and focusing on the location one desires to attain. By climbing down Yggdrasil in Asgard, a God who desires to travel to the World can chose any ash tree whose location she is aware of and, after spending the required Legend, will find herself descending that tree, rather than Yggdrasil. Similarly, by spending a point of Legend and scaling any ash tree that has previously been used as a link to Yggdrasil, a God finds himself arriving (after a lengthy climb) in the Sacred Fortress of Asgard. The ash tree must be alive; dead wood, no matter how freshly harvested, will not work.
Valaskjalf -- Valhalla was, indeed, the hall where Odin received the souls of the warriors who perished in valiant battle. Importantly, Odin ("The Furious") had another hall, Valaskjalf, which contained his throne (Hiloskjalf or "High Seat") from which he surveyed and contemplated the universe. As well, half of the honorably slain in battle were chosen by Freya ("Lady), the goddess of war, to go with her to Folkvangr, translated as "the field of the host" or "field of the army" among other renditions. Please note that accounts of these mythologies are not invariant which can as well be said of the orthography of some of the Norse names which are given here without diacritical marks.
