t grows.'

So the Ash became the Banyan of Northern faith, and the great meeting
place of the gods--as the reader may see in the following extracts from
the Edda:

GANGLER demanded: 'Which is the capital of the Gods, or the sacred
city?' HAR answereth: 'It is under the Ash-tree YDRASIL, where the
Gods assemble every day and administer justice.' 'But,' sayeth
GANGLER, 'What is there remarkable about that place?' 'That Ash,'
answereth JARNHAR, 'is the greatest and best of all trees. Its
branches extend themselves over the whole world, and reach above
the heavens. It hath three roots, extremely different from each
other; the one of them is among the Gods; the other among the
Giants, in that very place where the abyss was formerly; the third
covereth Neflheim, or Hell, and under this root is the fountain
Vergelmer, whence flow the infernal rivers: this root is gnawed
upon below by the monstrous serpent Nidhoger. Under that root which
stretcheth out toward the land of the Giants, is also a celebrated
spring, in which are concealed Wisdom and Prudence. He who hath
possession of it is named MIMIS: he is full of wisdom, because he
drinketh thereof every morning. One day the Universal Father
(AL-FADER) came and begged to drink a cup of this water; but he
was obliged to leave in pledge for it one of his eyes, according as
it is said in the Voluspa: 'Where hast thou concealed thine eye,
ODIN? Lo! I know where; even in the limpid fountain of MIMIS. Every
morning doth MIMIS pour Hydromel upon the pledge he received from
the Universal Father. Do you, or do you not understand this?' The
third root of the Ash is in Heaven, and under it lieth the holy
fountain of Time-Past (_fons praeteriti temporis--Urdar Brun_). 'Tis
here that the Gods sit in judgment. Every day they ride hither on
horseback, passing over the Rainbow, which is the Bridge of the
Gods. * * * * As for _Thor_, he goeth on foot to the tribunal of
the Gods, and fordeth the rivers Kormt and Gormt. These he is
obliged to cross every day on foot, on his way to the Ash Ydrasil,
for the Bridge of the Gods is all on fire. * * * *

'Near the fountain which is under the Ash, stands a very beautiful
city, wherein dwell three virgins, named URDA, or the Past;
VERDANDI, or the Present; and SOKULDA, or the Future. These a