World Tree




 * This article is about the World Tree. For the Great Trees the portals to the Emerald Dream, see Great Trees

A World Tree is a giant tree grown by powerful Night elf Druids. There are only three confirmed World Trees.

Nordrassil
Nordrassil, which means "Crown of the Heavens", was the original World Tree planted on the summit of Mount Hyjal after the War of the Ancients. It was blessed by the Dragon Aspects to grant immortality to the night elves and to allow their druids to enter the Emerald Dream. The power was unleashed after the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Sadly, Nordrassil was destroyed by this event, however, in Cataclysm Nordrassil has partly regrown.

Teldrassil
Located on an island of the same name, off the coast of northern Kalimdor, the Giant Tree Teldrassil — which means "Crown of the Earth" — was an unsuccessful attempt by Archdruid Fandral Staghelm and his compatriots to restore the night elves' immortality, lost with the destruction of Nordrassil. Teldrassil is currently the only standing (uncorrupted) world tree.

Vordrassil
Vordrassil was a failed attempt at a World Tree, located in the Grizzly Hills of southern Northrend. Destroyed by the ancient druids, it is now the site of the furbolg city of Grizzlemaw. The Old God Yogg-Saron sleeps beneath its roots, and appears to have been responsible for the corruption of the furbolg. Yogg-Saron's corruption of Vordrassil, was also the motivation for the destruction of Vordrassil.

Other possible World Trees
Another possible World Tree is shown in a piece of concept art titled Idrassil and is found in The Art of World of Warcraft. However, it is probably just an early version of Teldrassil.

Another candidate is known as the Great Tree of Life, and appeared in the official Azure Tower Defense scenario map for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.

Mythology
The idea of a World Tree is almost certainly a reference to the World Tree of Norse mythology, Yggdrasil. Their names are similar, they both have wells underneath them: the Well of Eternity beneath Nordrassil, and the Well of Urd beneath one of the roots of Yggdrasil. Also, a dragon, Nidhoggr gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil, which could reference back to either Deathwing or Archimonde. These parallels only apply to Nordrassil, the "true" World Tree, and not Teldrassil, the "false" one. (The idea of a beast gnawing at the roots may have some sort of connection to Yogg-Saron and Vordrassil as well)