Yggdrasil

[Teslas Shadow]

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find anything on it when I searched: Could Demonreach be built on the site of Yggdrasil? We know that there are roots there that go down lower than any plant puts down it's roots which seems like something that Yggdrasil could do. The leyline there has been referred to as the Well. Which brings to mind the Well of Mimir (which one of Yggdrasil's roots reaches into.) Odin taught Merlin. Merlin 'built' Demonreach. It just seems like a really good fit.

[Snark Knight]

It's been speculated before. The other theory for Yggdrasil is that it would be at Monoc headquarters.

Heck, if its roots are supernatural, the main tree could be in Scandinavia and its roots reach across the world to below Lake Michigan.

[Griffyn612]

I liked the idea that the Well was literal, and was one of the three wells at the base of Yggdrasill.  One has ties to a triple goddess, one has ties to a trapped dragon, and one has ties to Mimir (spirit of intellect?) and wisdom.

http://www.anindependentasatru.com/-blog/yggdrasils-three-wells

[Kindler]

I liked the idea that the Well was literal, and was one of the three wells at the base of Yggdrasill.  One has ties to a triple goddess, one has ties to a trapped dragon, and one has ties to Mimir (spirit of intellect?) and wisdom.

http://www.anindependentasatru.com/-blog/yggdrasils-three-wells

Oh butts, how did I not pick up on that before? That makes an awful lot of sense, especially considering Jim's pointed references to dragons at various appearances. Nidhoggr, Malice-Striker... Pyrovax, Ferrovax, or a third? Did Michael already kill it? (Doubtful).

Mimisbrunnr is where Odin lost his eye; he traded it for a sip of the well of wisdom. (That reflection chamber also happens to be the place where Harry heard Uriel's voice and learned a very important lesson).

[Quantus]

Just to add fuel to this particular Frre, that room of the "Least" in the Well, Alfred said it's Purpose was for "“MEMORY. REFLECTION.”

So what if:
Memory:Reflection::Memory:Thought::Huginn:Muninn 

[jonas]

Just to add fuel to this particular Frre, that room of the "Least" in the Well, Alfred said it's Purpose was for "“MEMORY. REFLECTION.”

So what if:
Memory:Reflection::Memory:Thought::Huginn:Muninn

I like it, but as we have both the 'bird-brains' elsewhere I'm not sure I see a signifigence beyond another layer in the metastory.(like Archive being a strange combo of the two... cousins? lol)

[Griffyn612]

I lean toward Hvergelmir, rather than Urdarbrunnr or Mimisbrunnr.  Mostly because it fits best with the Raphael/Demonreach theory.

• Dudael, the earthly prison that Raphael created, holds the fallen Grigori Azazel (and other Grigori, maybe), where he (and the others) are to be held until the day of Judgement, at which time they'll be cast into the fire.
• Dudael means Cauldron of God.  There's an interesting potential for creative interpretations for a cauldron and a fire, especially in the Dresdenverse.
• Azazel translates as Scapegoat (of God), i.e. the angel blamed did, and punished for, the failings of the Grigori. 
• Hvergelmir is the prison for the dragon/serpent Nidhogg. There, he's said to gnaw on the corpses of the wicked that are imprisoned there with him.
• Nid translates as "loss of honor" and was used as a social stigma for villains.  If not an exact match, then at least a similar stigma attached to the scapegoat?
  
• One source, the poem Völuspá of Poetic Edda, seems to imply that Nidhogg will eventually be freed and carry upon his wings the bodies of the dead.  This will presumably be during Ragnarok.
• Demonreach is an earthly prison (like Dudael) set within deep roots (like Hvergelmir) that contains Naagloshi (messenger angels of their pantheon that betrayed their duty, like the Grigori) and other evil creatures (like the cursed of Hvergelmir) that (according to Alfred) would be burned in a fiery safeguard (like the fires at Judgement) should they be on the verge of release.

[Quantus]

I like it, but as we have both the 'bird-brains' elsewhere I'm not sure I see a signifigence beyond another layer in the metastory.(like Archive being a strange combo of the two... cousins? lol)

More that where Merlin made a Room, Odin spun off lesser Mantles (basically his version of a Knight).  The Idea would be that his Ravens would serve a similar metaphysical purpose/function, simply bound to a geographic location rather than a Host entity.  Which makes sense given Demonreach

[Kindler]

I lean toward Hvergelmir, rather than Urdarbrunnr or Mimisbrunnr.  Mostly because it fits best with the Raphael/Demonreach theory.

• Dudael, the earthly prison that Raphael created, holds the fallen Grigori Azazel (and other Grigori, maybe), where he (and the others) are to be held until the day of Judgement, at which time they'll be cast into the fire.
• Dudael means Cauldron of God.  There's an interesting potential for creative interpretations for a cauldron and a fire, especially in the Dresdenverse.
• Azazel translates as Scapegoat (of God), i.e. the angel blamed did, and punished for, the failings of the Grigori. 
• Hvergelmir is the prison for the dragon/serpent Nidhogg. There, he's said to gnaw on the corpses of the wicked that are imprisoned there with him.
• Nid translates as "loss of honor" and was used as a social stigma for villains.  If not an exact match, then at least a similar stigma attached to the scapegoat?
  
• One source, the poem Völuspá of Poetic Edda, seems to imply that Nidhogg will eventually be freed and carry upon his wings the bodies of the dead.  This will presumably be during Ragnarok.
• Demonreach is an earthly prison (like Dudael) set within deep roots (like Hvergelmir) that contains Naagloshi (messenger angels of their pantheon that betrayed their duty, like the Grigori) and other evil creatures (like the cursed of Hvergelmir) that (according to Alfred) would be burned in a fiery safeguard (like the fires at Judgement) should they be on the verge of release.

Sure, I could see an interpretation there. Not sure I'm sold on Raphael and such, but I don't have anything to dispute it, and I could see it being true.

There's an interesting potential for creative interpretations for a cauldron

You mean Large Cooking Pot?

[Griffyn612]

Sure, I could see an interpretation there. Not sure I'm sold on Raphael and such, but I don't have anything to dispute it, and I could see it being true.

The biggest argument against it is the line in one of the books, I think Proven Guilty, where Lash says the sigil work on the Carpenter saferoom looks like Raphael's work (implying he's still active and around).  The counter argument is that she then immediately appended "or one of his lieutenants", which could imply that her first thought was Raphael, but recalled he's off the board, and corrected herself without clarifying her mistake.

You mean Large Cooking Pot?

Some folks like the idea of Harry completing a Darkhallow on Demonreach.  In that context, the prison is the cauldron, and the prisoners are the stew waiting to be devoured.

[WereElephant]

Some folks like the idea of Harry completing a Darkhallow on Demonreach.  In that context, the prison is the cauldron, and the prisoners are the stew waiting to be devoured.

Mmmm. Tasty. Bit heavy on the Naagloshi, though. Next time, maybe add some powdered Titan and a pinch of Kulkulkan dust to smooth that out.

[Talby16]

I like to believe that Yggdrasil can be in multiple points at once. Its roots are present in multiple areas including DR which now thanks to Griffyn I think is Hvergelmir. It would make sense for Merlin to build a prison around a location that was already being used somewhat for that purpose. It probably lessened his work load. I think Monoc is also connected to Yggdrasil, but as representation of Asgard in the mortal world.

[Quantus]

In cosmological terms I think the closest thing that fits Yggdrasil is to say The World Tree = The Inside

[raidem]

I'm going to take inspiration from Amber Chronicles.  Yggdrassil was a branch taken from the tree Ygg by Corwin in the Amber Chronicles and made into a staff. Corwin planted this staff into the ground to hold it there while he went about creating a new Pattern, the basis of which created a twinned multiverse.  In planting this staff in the ground upon/while Corwin created the Pattern/new multiverse, Yggdrassil grew into it's current form and it stands 'guard' near the Pattern of this new multiverse.  So using the Amber Chronicles as the template, Yggdrassil exists straddles two multiverses.  It's father tree Ygg also straddles a divide between Chaos and Order.  This could mean that the Blackstaff is either a branch of Yggdrassil or of the more ancient Ygg.  This could mean that the Blackstaff could be used to create another Yggdrassil.

I could see Harry having to replant Yggdrassil.

[WereElephant]

I'm going to take inspiration from Amber Chronicles. 

Didn't see that coming...