JORMUNGANDR

Jӧrmungandr

Jӧrmungandr, whose name means “huge monster,” is a brother of Fenrir, who is a fearsome mythological wolf and the goddess Hel. Jӧrmungandr is the middle child of parents Angrboda and Loki. Jӧrmungandr is a sea serpent. He is also referred to as Midgard Serpent, which translates to “The World’s Serpent.”

According to legend, Jӧrmungandr was taken from his parents at an early age. He was thrown into the ocean, where he grew a tail so large that it encompassed the entire planet. It was only after Jӧrmungandr unwound his tail from the world that life on earth was able to begin. Jӧrmungandr’s arch enemy is the god named Thor, who is also known as the god of thunder.

Giant Sea Serpent
Jormungandar Creature

powers and abilities

Immense size and strength: Jormungandr is said to be so large that he encircles the entire world, with his tail in his mouth. His immense size gives him great strength and power, and he is said to be able to cause massive storms and waves with his movements.

Poisonous venom: According to legend, Jormungandr was so venomous that his very breath was enough to poison the air. His venom was said to be so potent that even the gods feared it.

Endless growth: In some myths, it is said that Jormungandr will continue to grow until he is large enough to destroy the entire world. This endless growth is seen as a symbol of the serpent’s power and influence.

Symbolic significance: Jormungandr is seen as a symbol of chaos and destruction in Norse mythology, and his battles with the god Thor are often seen as representative of the struggle between order and chaos.

Interesting Facts

There are two significant battles between Jӧrmungandr and Thor recorded in the book of Prose Edda, which is a book dedicated to Norse mythology. In the first major battle, Thor set out to catch Jӧrmungandr by luring him with bait made from an ox’s head. The serpent set off to eat the bait, and even got a bite of the severed head. Before he could be captured, however, the serpent was saved from the fate of capture by a giant named Hymir. Hymir was concerned that the serpent’s capture would raise Ragnarok, who is a much-feared god with the power to destroy all other Norse gods. Hymir cut the luring line cast for Jӧrmungandr, which in turn caused the Midgard Serpent to return to his lair on the ocean floor.

In the second confrontation between Hymir and the serpent, both lives were on the line, as the two set out to kill each other. The battle proved equally victorious, although there was no real winner. Thor first killed the serpent, but during the course of the battle the serpent managed to fatally poison Thor with his venom. After slaying the serpent, Thor walked fewer than 10 steps before collapsing, dead. The battle is memorialized in several tombstones and the book of Prose Edda.

Jormungandr Creature

Associated sites