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NIDHOOG norse mythology

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NIDHOGG

Norse Mythology

Nidhogg (Old Norse Níðhöggr, literally “Curse-striker” or “He Who Strikes with Malice”) is the foremost of several serpents or dragons who dwell beneath the world-tree Yggdrasil and eat its roots. This is highly injurious to the tree, which holds the Nine Worlds of the cosmos. Nidhogg’s actions have the intention of pulling the cosmos back to chaos, and he, along with his reptilian cohort, can therefore surely be classified among the giants (or, as they were called in pre-Christian times, “devourers”).

From this it would make sense for Nidhogg to have a prominent role in Ragnarok, the downfall of the cosmos. This does indeed seem to be the case. In one especially important Old Norse poem (the Völuspá or “Insight of the Seeress”), Nidhogg is described as flying out from beneath Yggdrasil during Ragnarok, presumably to aid the giants’ cause.

Later in the same poem, Nidhogg is also said to preside over a part of the underworld called Náströnd (“The Shore of Corpses”) where perjurers, murderers, and adulterers are punished. However, this conception of the afterlife as marked by moral retribution is totally foreign to the indigenous worldview of the Norse and other Germanic peoples, and must be an instance (one of many) of Christian influence upon the poem.

Several other serpents as well as Nidhogg's sons dwelling in Hvergelmir as it is mentioned in the Prose Edda. The Nidhogg's plan is to destroy the World Tree as he knows that the destruction of Yggdrasil will mark the end of 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 Ragnarok Era. The prophecy says that when Ragnarok comes the serpent will be free again leading the Giants to attack the Norse Gods.

There is also another interesting story about Nidhogg that can be found in the Poetic Edda. While the serpent Dragon resides in the bottom of Yggdrasil a wise eagle lives on the top of the World Tree. Ratatoskr, the tricky squirrel, knowing that the Nidhogg and the wise eagle despise each other, enjoys to running up and down the tree spreading his lies between them, making up insults that the other supposedly said. In the storyline is mentioned that one day Nidhogg felt very offended and after his vow to kill the eagle, he shook the foundations of the mythical tree so hard resulting to tremble the entirety of the Nine Worlds and setting himself free of Yggdrasil's roots. The liberation of the Dragon and the shaking of the Nine Worlds considered to be two important signs of the coming of Ragnarok.

Art: Nidhogg and Ratatosk, by Kahito Slydeft

Source's:

• The Poetic Edda. Grímnismál, stanzas 32-35.

• The Poetic Edda. Völuspá, stanza 66.

• Ibid. Stanzas 38-39.
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