ArchTale 38. The World-Tree

He put enmity between The-Woman and her own serpent power.

And to her serpent power He said

“I will put enmity between you and The-Woman, and between your descendant and her descendant.”

No more could she control her bodily soul.

Her spiritual soul and her bodily soul were enemies.

No longer could she choose to climb back up to The-Man and join with him there, though from then on climbing up to The-Man was her greatest desire.

The Cosmic-Tree had become the World-Tree

The-World Tree and the Downcast Serpent

Yakut of Siberia

Kybai-khotun was a Yakut goddess of childbirth and fate-goddess. She was consort of Ar-tojon who is the same as Ajy-Tangara their supreme god. She lives in the Zambu, tree which grew in paradise. She gave nourishment from her breasts to mankind. . A dragon lives at the base of the tree and two rivers are said to emerge from the base of the tree.

-Coleman. J. A. p. 252.

Aztec

The tree of the Middle Place rises from the body of the Earth Goddess, who lies upon the water serpent from which Earth was made. The tree of the middle place is surmounted by the quetzal bird

-ALEXANDER. H. B. pp. 55-71.

Batak of Sumatra

Mula Dyadi, the highest deity, dwelt in the uppermost of the seven heavens and had two birds as his servants. Having created three male beings, he caused a tree to exist in one of the lower heavens, its branches reaching to the sky; next he made a hen, which perched on the tree and later laid three eggs, from which came three maidens whom Mula Dyadi gave as wives to his three sons. The daughter of one of these sons refused to marry a cousin of hers because he had a face like a lizard and a skin like a chameleon, and devoted her time to spinning. One day she dropped her spindle, which fell down from the sky-world. On the thread so unrolled she then descended to the surface of the sea which stretched everywhere below. In this primeval ocean swam or lay a great serpent.

-DIXON. R. B. pp. 160-161

Enmity in The World Tree

The bird represents her spiritual soul while the serpent represents her bodily soul.

Ancient Scandinavia

An eagle sits in the branches of the ash, between its eyes sits a hawk. The squirrel runs up and down the ash. He tells slanderous gossip provoking the eagle and Nidhogg. Four stags move about in the branches of the ash, devouring the trees foliage. In Hvergelmir there are so many serpents with Nidhogg that no one could count them.

Mongolia

Near the foot of the world tree is Abyrga the sea dragon living in a lake full of milk. At the top of the world tree is the bird Garide who attacks the sea dragon.

Polynesia

In the fairy land of Kupolu lived the renowned chief Rata, who resolved to build a great double canoe, with a view of exploring other lands. Shouldering his axe, he started off to a distant valley where the finest timber grew. Close to the mountain stream stood a fragrant pandanus tree, where a deadly combat was going on between a beautiful white heron (ruru), and a spotted sea-serpent (aa). The origin of the quarrel was as follows…The heron was accustomed, when wearied with its search after fish, to rest itself on a stone rising just above the waters of the coral reef, and chanced to defile the eyes of a monstrous sea serpent, whose hole was just beneath. The serpent, greatly enraged at this insult, resolved to be revenged.

-Gill. W. W. p. 142.

Iran

The “Tree of All Seeds” was given out and grew up in the middle of the sea Vourukasha, where it causes every species of plant to increase. Near to the “Tree of All Seeds” the Gaokerena tree was produced to avert decrepitude. This is necessary to bring about the renovation of the universe and the immortality that will follow; everyone who eats it becomes immortal, and it is the chief of plants. The Evil Spirit Angra Mainyu whose form was that of a lizards body formed a lizard in the deep water of Vourukasha that it might injure the Gaokerena tree.

-A. BERRIEDALE KEITH. pp. 275-289.