'Arbor Mundi' in traditional oral poetry: old Icelandic and Lithuanian perspectives

ENThe article discusses the world tree as reflected in the Old Icelandic collection of poems the Poetic Edda and in Lithuanian folk songs. The author investigates the poetic diction of the selected sources of traditional oral poetry to disclose their symbolic meaning and connection to myth. The analysis focuses on the poetic manifestations of the world tree as a model of the cosmos and as an evergreen tree of life. The selected Eddic poems and Lithuanian folk songs reveal the significance of the world tree as a structural marker, which defines the relationship of the centre vs. periphery, i.e., the known (organised) vs. the unknown (chaotic) space. The emphasis on the tree’s upward orientation is viewed as an implication of its sacred status. The life-giving characteristics of the world tree are explored in relation to the image of dew, which symbolises the fertility and fecundity of nature in the Poetic Edda and the health and fertility of the bride in Lithuanian folk songs. Key words: world tree, traditional oral poetry, Lithuanian folk songs, the Poetic Edda. [From the publication]

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