In Norse lore, the creation story involves Odin and his two brothers using parts from a giant to make the world, and everything in it. They walked the beautiful land they created and knew it was missing something. They came across some driftwood and decided to create beings to inhabit Midgard (Earth).
Those beings they created were humans. Odin took the driftwood and he and his brothers shaped it and breathed life into it. They gave them understanding and movement. They gave them clothes and names, Ask and Embla. From those two, all humans in Midgard were created.
The driftwood used to create the beginning of human life was said to be from 2 trees. The same trees where their names derived from, Ash & Elm.