I wrote (quoting Thorpe):

> > I know that I hung,
> > on a wind-rocked tree,
> > nine whole nights,
> > with a spear wounded,
> > and to Odin offered,
> > myself to myself;
> > on that tree,
> > of which no one knows
> > from what root it springs.
> >
> > This is much more accurate.
> > My only complaint is with the needless change of plural
> > to singular in "rótum; roots". [Unless that is a
> > transcription error in the online edition.]

Josh replied:

> This is not a minor change: one of the most important characteristics of
> the Ash is that it has three roots.

All too true. This is a case where you can benefit from even a smallish
education in Old Norse. Something you learn early on is that a noun only
has the ending -um in plural dative. When you see the form "rótum" in the
original you will know that it is a plural form.

At least this is better than Bray who has the tree rise from roots to
"heaven" - never mentioned in the strophe. In Snorri's description of
the world tree it has one of its roots in heaven so it wouldn't have
to rise thence thither.

Regards,
Haukur