Jörmungandr
Sign in to savethumb|Jörmungandr in the sea during Ragnarök, drawn by the Norwegian illustrator [[Louis Moe in 1898.]] In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (, see Etymology), also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent (, "worm of Midgard"), is an unfathomably large and monstrous sea serpent or worm who dwells in the world sea, encircling the Earth (Midgard) and biting his own tail, an example of an ouroboros. As a result of him surrounding Midgard, the beast is referred to as the World Serpent. Jörmungandr releasing his tail is one of the signs of the beginning of Ragnarök.
AI overview
Jörmungandr, also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent, is a massive sea serpent in Norse mythology that encircles the Earth while biting its own tail. The creature is significant because its release of its tail is considered one of the signs that Ragnarök—the end of the world—is beginning.
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Article
13 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Sources
- Stories
- Lifting the cat
- Thor's fishing trip
- Ragnarök
- Analysis
- Eponym
- Popular culture media appearances
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
thumb|Jörmungandr in the sea during Ragnarök, drawn by the Norwegian illustrator [[Louis Moe in 1898.]] In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (, see Etymology), also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent (, "worm of Midgard"), is an unfathomably large and monstrous sea serpent or worm who dwells in the world sea, encircling the Earth (Midgard) and biting his own tail, an example of an ouroboros. As a result of him surrounding Midgard, the beast is referred to as the World Serpent. Jörmungandr releasing his tail is one of the signs of the beginning of Ragnarök.
Jörmungandr is said to be the middle child of the god Loki and the jötunn Angrboða. According to the Prose Edda, Odin took Loki's three children by Angrboða – the wolf Fenrir, underworld ruler Hel, and the serpent Jörmungandr – and removed them from Asgard (the world of the Æsir). The serpent Jörmungandr was tossed into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. There the serpent grew so large that he was able to surround the Earth and grasp his own tail. The old Norse thunder god, Thor, has a lengthy feud with Jörmungandr and the serpent is regarded as his archenemy. During Ragnarök, Thor and Jörmungandr engage in a ferocious battle, culminating in both of their deaths.