{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"RENATURED","provider_url":"https:\/\/o-matic.com\/blog","author_name":"Marina","author_url":"https:\/\/o-matic.com\/blog\/blog\/author\/admin\/","title":"Squirrel Facts (Ratatoskr)","html":"

\"Yggdrasil<\/a><\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Yggdrasil the world tree.\u00a0 W\u00e4gner, Wilhelm. 1882. Nordisch-germanische G\u00f6tter und Helden<\/dd> <\/dl><\/div>\r\nIn Norse mythology<\/a>, Ratatoskr<\/strong> (Old Norse<\/a>, generally considered \"drill-tooth\"<\/a><\/sup> or \"bore-tooth\"<\/a><\/sup>) is a squirrel<\/a> who runs up and down the world tree<\/a> Yggdrasil<\/a> to carry messages between the unnamed eagle<\/a>, perched atop Yggdrasil, and the wyrm<\/a> N\u00ed\u00f0h\u00f6ggr<\/a>, who dwells beneath one of the three roots of the tree. Ratatoskr is attested in the Poetic Edda<\/a><\/em>, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda<\/a><\/em>, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson<\/a>. Scholars have proposed theories about the implications of the squirrel.<\/span>The name Ratatoskr<\/em> contains two elements rata-<\/em> and -toskr<\/em>. The element toskr<\/em> is generally held to mean \"tusk\". Gu\u00f0brandur Vigf\u00fasson<\/a> theorized that the rati-<\/em> element means \"the traveller\". Vigf\u00fasson says that the name of the legendary drill Rati<\/a> may feature the same term. According to Vigf\u00fasson, Ratatoskr<\/em> means \"tusk the traveller\" or \"the climber tusk.\"<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nI am looking for more information on this character.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"320\" caption=\"Image of Rataoskr from the Edda Oblongata, Icelandic manuscript, 1680\"]\"Image<\/a>[\/caption]\r\n\r\nHere's a nice map of the Tree's cosmology:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"420\" caption=\"Map of tree from the blog,\u00a0 Le paganisme germanique et scandinave\"]\"Map<\/a>[\/caption]","type":"rich"}