World Tree: Difference between revisions

The [['''World Tree]]''' may exist ''between'' worlds, with its roots in one and its branches in another. It may even be a [[Pocket Dimension|Wood Between The Worlds]]. It's naturally a [[Genius Loci]]. See also [[The Tower]].

The health of the [[World Tree]] is [[Empathic Environment|tied to that]] of the [[Fisher King|world itself]]; injuring it may have [[EndoftheThe End of the World Asas We Know It|catastrophic consequences]].

** It should be noted that Yggdrasil is the name of a Linux distribution (which was released four years after ''[[Ah! My Goddess]]'' started).

* The 8th ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'' movie ''<nowiki>[[Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew]]</nowiki>'' features a (living) rock formation resembling a tree, called the Tree of Beginning, which is linked to the Legendary Pokémon Mew.

** The film version offers a more scientific explanation: {{spoiler|1=it's a part of the universe that contains the "Nine Realms", nine planets<ref> possibly in separate dimensions as well as galaxies</ref> including Earth/Midgard, Asgard, and Jotunheim. It's simply a collection of galaxies that happens to be tree-shaped.}}

* ''[[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]'' (2009) features a planet whose ecology is powered by World Trees and [[GaiasGaia's RevengeVengeance]].

** Given that [[The Tower]] appears in some form in every universe, but only as a tower in the "keystone" world, and that at least one of these forms is a plant (a rose), it's entirely possible that somewhere it is a literal [[World Tree]].

** ''[[The Magician's Nephew]]'' features a Tree of Life. The White Witch eats an apple to gain immortality, and the title nephew brings back an apple to protect Narnia from her, and then receives an apple that cures his sick mother.{{context|reason=How is this an example of this trope?}}

** The apple drops a seed in the Real World which grows up to be another tree. When cut down many years later, it is {{spoiler|made into a wardrobe for Digory}}. Meanwhile, the lantern-crossbar thrown by Jadis grows into an eternally-burning gaslamp in the heart of Narnia.{{context|reason=How is this an example of this trope?}}

* [[Discworld]], much like [[Narnia]], occasionally mentions Yggdrasil (a world with a World Tree is briefly seen in ''[[Discworld/Equal Rites|Equal Rites]]'', along with one surrounded by the Midgard Serpent). More recently in ''[[Discworld/Making Money|Making Money]]'' the Cabinet of Curiosity, an endless magical cabinet where drawers extend from the sides of other drawers, opens out into an enormous fractal tree-shape.

* In Dan Simmons Hyperion/Endymion-series there is a world called Gods' Grove which consisted of forests of Mammoth-trees and a large world tree. It is burned due to an attack of aggressive aliens; its burned stump is some kilometers high. Later events consist of a Dyson sphere made out of a tree--whichtree—which is also burnt.

* Telperion and Laurelin, the World Trees from [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', used to alternately shine with silver and gold light like night and day... until Morgoth and Ungoliant absorbed their power and corrupted the trees. What was left of them was made into the Moon and the Sun. The only pure and untainted light left of them was caught in the Silmarils, made by Fëanor before the incident.

* Before ''Episode III'', the [[Expanded Universe]] of [[Star Wars]] had long described the Wookiees' homeworld of Kashyyyk as having an ecology that was like a layered deathtrap. The core was the ''wroshyr'' trees, kilometers tall and so massive the entirety of the Wookiees' civilization--everycivilization—every city and town--istown—is built atop just the highest layer of them. Further, they're so big that the further down you go, the ecology notably shifts, becoming harsher (and thus requiring more deadly animals and secondary plants to survive in it). There are several layers, and going down at least two or three for a hunt is a rite of passage for young Wookiees--andWookiees—and only in stories has anyone made it to the bottom layer and come out alive. On top of this, when she visits Leia notices that the branches seem to have grown together, and realizes that all the trees in a cluster, if not in the entire planet, must be one giant organism.

== [[Live -Action TV]] ==

* Certain editions of ''[[Dungeons and& Dragons]]'', most prominently 2nd edition's ''[[Planescape]]'' setting, featured the 'world ash' Yggdrasil, a huge tree growing inbetween the planes. Its branches ended in portals to other planes, making it one of the major nexus points for travelers of the multiverse (Sigil, the main setting for Planescape, being another such nexus).

* The Tree of Life, upon which Suldanessellar -- theSuldanessellar—the hidden city of the [[Our Elves Are Different|Amnian Elves]] -- is—is situated is {{spoiler|the penultimate location}} in ''[[Baldur's Gate]] II: Shadows of Amn''. The massive tree is deeply connected to the elves' pantheon of the Seldarine and, in some way, their long lifespan.

* The (apparently sentient) Lover's Tree in ''[[Chu LipChulip]]''.

** ''[[Dragon Quest IX]]'' has the Observatory, a floating island that houses guardian angels known as Celestrians. Their task: to nourish the [[World Tree]] Yggdrasil. Legend states that when Yggdrasil bears fruit, the Celestrians will be relieved of their duty and sent back up into heaven. {{spoiler|Later on, the tree is revealed to be the goddess Celestria, daughter of the Almighty.}}

* In ''[[Odin Sphere]]'', a [[Because Destiny Says So|prophecy]] states that the armies of the [[Lethal Lava Land|fire kingdom]] will invade [[The Lost Woods]] of the [[Our Elves Are Different|elves]], and be destroyed once they reach the [[World Tree]]... Except that there is not and has never been a world tree in the world of ''[[Odin Sphere]]''. When the prophecies begin to come true, {{spoiler|we learn that the elf queen Mercedes's true name was Yggdrasil, and that she was the [[World Tree]] that would stop them. She [[No Body Left Behind|dies]] defeating the king of the [[Lethal Lava Land|fire kingdom]], and on that spot, an actual world tree grows.}}

* In ''[[Wild ArmsARMs 3]]'', one of the locations is a large technology-heavy tower called Yggdrasill, which was designed {{spoiler|to rejuvenate the dying planet on which the game takes place}}.

** The Vhenadahl tree in Kirkwall's Alienage seen in ''[[Dragon Age II]]'' isn't treated any better. Dalish elves such as Marethari and Merrill treat it with reverence at least. Merrill is shocked that people made a Wallop Mallet -- aMallet—a child's toy -- fromtoy—from its wood.

* In ''[[Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning]]'', Nyarlim is a sentient tree that is one of the oldest living mortals in existence. In the "The Legend of Dead Kel" DLC {{spoiler|the "god" worshipped by the islanders, Akara, is another tree. Akara also reveals that there were once twelve such trees in the world.}}