Yggdrasil is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Yggdrasil is an immense ash tree that is central and considered very holy. The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to hold their courts. The branches of Yggdrasil extend far into the heavens, and the tree is supported by three roots that extend far away into other locations; one to the well Uroarbrunnr in the heavens, one to the spring Hvergelmir, and another to the well Mímisbrunnr. Creatures live within Yggdrasil, including the wyrm (dragon) Niohoggr, an unnamed eagle, and the stags Dainn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Durapror.
In the second stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Voluspa, the volva (a shamanic seeress) reciting the poem to the god Odin says that she remembers far back to "early times", being raised by jotnar, recalls nine worlds and "nine wood-ogresses" (Old Norse nio idioiur), and when Yggdrasil was a seed ("glorious tree of good measure, under the ground"). In stanza 19, the volva says:
An ash I know there stands,
Yggdrasill is its name,
a tall tree,
showered with shining loam.
From there come the dews
that drop in the valleys.
It stands forever green
over Uror's well.
Disclaimer:
Do not approach this series lightly. If this were only a 500' bushwhack, I would call it hellish. The roots will trip you, the branches will shred you and poke your eyes, and the insects will consume you. But it's not 500'. It's over 12 bloody miles! I highly recommend you bring snake boots, lots of water, long pants, long sleeve shirt, lots of water, good hat, pokey stick, lots of water, spare everything, bug spray, lots of water, writing utensils, cell phone, lots of water.
Did I mention bring lots of water?
You may find a laminated clue slip in this cache. If you do, you might want to solve the riddle. This will help you locate the Gaia puzzle cache nearby. Please leave clue slips in the caches you find them in.
