In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil embodies the entire cosmos as the world tree. It stands as the axis at the center of the universe, connecting the nine worlds – from the realm of the gods, Asgard, through the world of humans, to the underworld. As an emblem of the order of creation, life, death, and rebirth, it symbolizes the inseparable interconnectedness of all beings and planes of existence. Furthermore, it is considered the tree of knowledge, as Odin sacrificed himself to it to gain the secrets of the runes.