The Yggdrasil (The Tree of Life) Flap

One of the more fascinating shared elements between the differing belief systems and creation myths of the wold is that of the Tree of Life. The Tree takes forms both humble and sublime: it is a shrub, a woody vine, a cross, and a towering Yew. Depending on the culture, it may yield Truth, Knowledge, Life, Death, Love, or even fruit with the power to grant immortality. In the Norse tradition, Yggdrasil was not only a figurative representation of the power of life, it was also a massive Ash tree that united every facet of creation. The 9 worlds of Norse cosmology were knit together by Yggdrasil, and the life-affirming aspect of trees was honored further by Vikings, who held their Things (assemblies) beneath the branches of “warden trees” that dominated the landscape.

The Celtic Leatherworks Yggdrasil Interchangeable Flap is a verdant and detailed representation of the collective mytheme of the “Tree of Life”. The roots of our tree spring from the knotted border that encloses it, uniting the terrestrial with the heavenly in the vein of the Yggdrasil myth. Perched within the branches of the tree is a hidden face. Numerous living creatures are associated with the powerful Norse Tree of Life, but we elected to give this honor to Hræsvelgr, a corpse-eating giant who assumes the form of an eagle that lives within Yggdrasil's uppermost branches, seated at the edge of Heaven.