Miðgarðsormr

From Nordic Names - www.nordicnames.de - All rights reserved.

Nameguide note desktop.png

Nameguide note mobile.png

The Midgard Serpent (Old Norse Miðgarðsormr = 'World Serpent') is a monster in the Northern mythology. It lives in the primeval ocean surrounding the world and winds itself around the world. Its father is Loki and its mother is Angrboða. Its siblings are Hel and Fenrir.

A famous story is about Þórr having baited his fishing line with the scull of an ox in order to catch the Miðgarðsormr. He is about to kill the monster with his hammer when the terrified giant, Hymir, cuts through the line.

At Ragnarǫk, Þórr will meet the Miðgarðsormr again and kill it, but he will die himself because of its poisonous breath.

Names for the Miðgarðsormr

Jarðar Reistr = 'Twisted One of the earth'
Jǫrmungandr = 'Huge monster'
Ormr = 'serpent, snake'
Naðr = 'adder, snake'

[1]

References

  1. Rudolf Simek: Dictionary of Northern Mythology (1993)