Before reading this article, I strongly recommend starting with the one about Yggdrasil, the tree of life. It is a huge ash tree bearing the 9 worlds in Norse mythology. Discover the meaning of Yggdrasil by reading this article.
Nidhogg is a dragon serpent that gnaws at one of the roots of Yggdrasil, the tree of life in Norse mythology. It is considered very powerful, malevolent, and evil, with legendary physical strength and gigantic size. It is also mentioned that Nidhogg chews on the corpses of murderers and those who break oaths at Nastrond. This is how the Vikings discovered Nidhogg, seeing it devour the most heinous criminals who end up in Hell, hence its name which means "malice striker" or "he who strikes with malice" in Old Norse.
NIDHOGG AND THE YGGDRASIL TREE
The Dragon Serpent dwells at the center of Niflheim, in the famous Hvergelmir, one of the three major springs at the root of Yggdrasil. Several other serpents as well as the offspring of Nidhogg live in Hvergelmir, as mentioned in the Prose Edda. Nidhogg’s plan is to destroy the World Tree, because it knows that the destruction of Yggdrasil will mark the end of the Gods. If the mythical tree falls, the Norse cosmos will fall back into chaos. There is also the idea that the roots of Yggdrasil keep the Dragon trapped until the era of Ragnarok. The prophecy says that at the time of Ragnarok, the serpent will be free again and the giants will attack the Norse gods.
There is also another interesting story about Nidhogg found in the Poetic Edda. While the Dragon Serpent resides at the bottom of Yggdrasil, a symbol for the Vikings, a wise eagle lives at the top of the world tree. Ratatoskr, the cunning squirrel, knowing that Nidhogg and the wise eagle despise each other, amuses itself by running up and down the tree spreading lies between them, inventing insults that the other supposedly said. In the story, it is mentioned that one day Nidhogg felt very offended and, after swearing to kill the eagle, shook the foundations of the mythical tree to the point of making all Nine Worlds tremble and freeing itself from the roots of Yggdrasil. The Dragon’s release and the shaking of the Nine Worlds are considered two important signs of the arrival of Ragnarok.
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REPRESENTATIONS OF NIDHOGG IN THE MODERN WORLD
The myth of Nidhogg and its legendary nature continue to inspire many artists who tell its story in books, films, illustrations, and much more. Nidhogg appears in several video games such as Age of Mythology, Ragnarok Online, World of Warcraft, and the dedicated fencing game named Nidhogg, released in 2014. It also appears in fantasy books and in the Marvel film Captain America: The First Avenger.
Pause your reading to watch this video about Nidhogg.
IN CONCLUSION...
Thank you for reading, it is a pleasure to write for Odin's Hall, the reference brand in accessories inspired by Norse mythology.
You can visit our collections to find a piece of jewelry representing the dragon serpent Nidhogg.
You can continue your reading with other Viking stories, discover the story of Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse, for example.
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