Jörmungandr
The world-serpent, son of Loki, whom the gods cast into the sea; he encircles the world and will kill Thor at Ragnarök.
Who they are
- The world-serpent; encircles Midgard and bites his own tail [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
- Son of Loki and Angerboa [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
- Thor slays him at Ragnarök but dies of his venom [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Connections
Family & kinship
Conflict & enmity
Their corner of the divine world
- parentage
- marriage ♥
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3 stories
Loki's Children
Loki, in the form of a mare, mated with the stallion Svaðilfari and bore Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of Odin. With the giantess Angerboa, Loki fathered the great monsters: the wolf Fenrir, the world-serpent Jörmungandr, and Hel, the ruler of the dead [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Ragnarök (The Fate of the Gods)
At the end of the world, a great winter (the Fimbulwinter) precedes Ragnarök. The bonds break: Fenrir breaks free, Jörmungandr rises from the sea, and the ship Naglfar (built from the nails of the dead) sails with the hosts of the dead. Heimdall sounds the horn Gjallarhorn; the gods ride to the field of Vígríðr. In the great battle, Odin is swallowed by Fenrir (avenged by Víðarr), Thor slays Jörmungandr but dies of his venom, Freyr is slain by Surt (having given away his sword), and Heimdall and Loki kill each other. Surt's fire destroys the world; from the ashes, a new world rises [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Thor and the Giantess (Geirðröðr)
Thor, disguised as a servant, went to the home of the giantess Geirðröðr to win her as a wife. He lifted the cat (which was actually the world-serpent Jörmungandr in disguise) and drank from a horn that was bottomless (the ocean). He was matched by the giant Utgarda-Pöki, who turned out to be the giant who had been deceiving him with illusions [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Depictions
