Tree of Salvation : Yggdrasil and the Cross in the North

Winner of the 2014 Mythopoeic Myth & Fantasy Studies Award At the heart of the mythology of the Anglo-Scandinavian-Germanic North is the evergreen Yggdrasil, the tree of life believed to hold up the skies and unite and separate three worlds: Asgard, high in the tree, where the gods dwelled in their great halls; Middlegard, where human beings lived; and the dark underground world of Hel, home to the monstrous goddess of death. With the advent of Christianity in the North around the year 1000, Yggdrasil was recast as the cross on which Christ sacrificed himself. G. Ronald Murphy offers an insightful examination of the lasting significance of Yggdrasil in northern Europe, showing that the tree's image persisted not simply through its absorption into descriptions of Christ's crucifix, but through recognition by the newly converted Christians of the truth of their new religion in the images and narratives of their older faith. Rather than dwelling on theological and cultural differences between Christianity and older Anglo-Scandinavian beliefs, Murphy makes an argument internal to the culture, showing how the new dispensation was a realization of the old. He shows how architectural and literary works, including the Jelling stone in Denmark, the stave churches in Norway, The Dream of the Rood, the runes of the futhark, the round churches on Bornholm, the Viking crosses at Middleton in Yorkshire and even the Christmas tree, are all indebted to the cultural interweaving of cross and tree in the North. Tree of Salvation demonstrates that both Christian and older Northern symbols can be read as a single story of salvation. At The Heart Of The Mythology Of The Anglo-scandinavian-germanic North Is The Evergreen Yggdrasil, The Tree Of Life Believed To Hold Up The Skies And Unite And Separate Three Worlds: Asgard, High In The Tree, Where The Gods Dwelled In Their Great Halls; Middlegard, Where Human Beings Lived; And The Dark Underground World Of Hel, Home To The Monstrous Goddess Of Death. With The Advent Of Christianity In The North Around The Year 1000, Yggdrasil Was Recast As The Cross On Which Christ Sacrificed Himself. Murphy Offers An Insightful Examination Of The Lasting Significance Of Yggdrasil In Northern Europe, Showing That The Tree's Image Persisted Not Simply Through Its Absorption Into Descriptions Of Christ's Crucifix, But Through Recognition By The Newly Converted Christians Of The Truth Of Their New Religion In The Images And Narratives Of Their Older Faith. Murphy Shows How The New Dispensation Was A Realization Of The Old. He Shows How Architectural And Literary Works Are All Indebted To The Cultural Interweaving Of Cross And Tree In The North. Introduction : Yggdrasil And The Cross -- Yggdrasil And The Stave Church : Protection From The End Of The World By Being In The Tree -- Bornholm's Round Churches And Baptismal Font : Protection By Being Around The Tree Trunk And Under The Starry Branches -- Entering Yggdrasil : The Viking Crosses At Middleton In Yorkshire : Safety And Salvation For The Dead By Burial In The Tree -- The Trembling Tree Of The Dream Of The Rood : The Tree Yggdrasil Speaks Through Runic Writing For The Cross And Christ -- Yggdrasil And The Sequence Of The Runes In The Elder Fuþark : The Twigs Of The Tree And Origins Of Communication Over Time By Reading Runes And Knowing Myth, A Reading Of Woden's Bracteates -- Yggdrasil And The Christmas Tree : Isaiah And The Evergreen Tree As Prophets Of Life's Salvation From Winter ; The Birth Of Christ And The Wheeling Of The Yuletide Sun ; The Holly And The Ivy. G. Ronald Murphy, Sj. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. **Winner of the 2014 Mythopoeic Myth & Fantasy Studies Award**At the heart of the mythology of the Anglo-Scandinavian-Germanic North is the evergreen Yggdrasil, the tree of life believed to hold up the skies and unite and separate three worlds: Asgard, high in the tree, where the gods dwelled in their great halls; Middlegard, where human beings lived; and the dark underground world of Hel, home to the monstrous goddess of death. With the advent of Christianity in the North around the year 1000, Yggdrasil was recast as the cross on which Christ sacrificed himself. G. Ronald Murphy offers an insightful examination of the lasting significance of Yggdrasil in northern Europe, showing that the tree's image persisted not simply through its absorption into descriptions of Christ's crucifix, but through recognition by the newly converted Christians of the truth of their new religion in the images and narratives of their older faith. Rather than dwelling on theological and cultural differences between Christianity and older Anglo-Scandinavian beliefs, Murphy makes an argument internal to the culture, showing how the new dispensation was a realization of the old. He shows how architectural and literary works, including the Jelling stone in Denmark, the stave churches in Norway, The Dream of the Rood, the runes of the futhark, the round churches on Bornholm, the Viking crosses at Middleton in Yorkshire and even the Christmas tree, are all indebted to the cultural interweaving of cross and tree in the North. __Salvation__