In Norse mythology’s Ragnarok, Yggdrasil shakes during the final catastrophe.
Yggdrasil is the immense cosmic tree that connects the major worlds of Norse mythology. Its branches and roots provide the framework for the universe, so its movement during Ragnarok reflects the instability of the entire cosmos rather than the destruction of an ordinary tree.
The Poetic Edda describes the tree trembling as the gods and hostile forces move toward their final confrontation. This image appears alongside other signs of upheaval, including earthquakes, monsters breaking free, and the collapse of cosmic boundaries.
Yggdrasil is not simply chopped down by an enemy, nor is it swallowed by Fenrir. The tree remains connected with the renewed world after the catastrophe. Líf and Lífþrasir hide in its associated woodland refuge, Hoddmímis holt, and survive to repopulate the earth.