Jormungandr; The Midgard Serpent

Published by

jasmineecer

on

13th Jun 2024

As Hymir turned to stand at the helm, Thor gave out a cry, hurling his hammer at Hymir’s ox, which had been resting against the side of the ship. The creature screamed as the hammer struck against bone, and there was a hideous crunch before the head was knocked clean off.

“HEY!” Hymir bellowed, shooting Thor a withering glare.

“Enough of this. Take me further out. We aren’t close enough yet.” Thor ordered, his eyes cold and hard.

Hymir said nothing, merely pursing his lips as he held his hands on the wheel.

“I’m sorry.” Thor added, a little gruffly. “I’ll get you another. But first, I need him gone.”

“As you please.” Hymir said.

As they moved across the ocean and neared Jormungandr’s territory, the water began to churn and foam increasingly, heaving the ship over treacherous waves so high Thor was sure that he and Hymir would be swallowed whole. The sky had transformed from white to a deep, ugly grey, and the water below was as black as coal, devoid of forgiveness.

Hymir gritted his teeth, straining against the force. “Is this enough?” He shouted, his voice booming across the endless expanse of inky blackness that surrounded them.

Thor nodded. “This will do. Give me the line.”

Hymir tossed his strongest line and hook to the god, and Thor hastily fastened the ox’s head to the end of it, leaning over the side to drop it into the water.

After a few moments of strained silence, a great roaring sound filled the air as an enormous creature burst from the waves, drenching the two men and nearly toppling the ship as it clenched its jaw around the ox’s head, spouting poison in the process. Its bright red eyes, mere centimetres from Thor’s face, narrowed in recognition of its enemy. The scaled skin gleamed like dark, shiny gems, and its body writhed in the water around it.

“Gods.” Hymir exclaimed, paling as he staggered back from the poison that landed on the wood before him, sizzling through the material.

“I’ve got you.” Thor whispered, triumphant, before heaving the fishing line back to jerk Jormungandr’s head upwards. Jormungandr roared with pain, opening his mouth to spit more poison. Thor did not flinch, but seized the heavy warhammer from beside him with his free hand, taking aim at the serpent while still holding the rod firmly in place.

As Thor lifted the weapon to smash it down on Jormungandr’s head, Hymir, overcome by terror, drew his own sword, breaking the line with a powerful blow. Thor bellowed with fury as Jormungandr plunged back into the black water, his enraged glare fixed on Thor as he slowly vanished once more into the darkness, retreating to his place surrounding the earth.

Also known as the Midgard serpent, Jormungandr is an enormous snake, or worm, in Norse tradition. It dwelled in the depths of the Midgard (Earth) sea.

FAMILY

Jormungandr was one of three children born to the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboða. His siblings were Hel, Queen of the Dead, and Fenrir, a formidable giant wolf.

Fearing the destruction that Jormungandr was destined to bring, Odin cast the serpent from Asgard, the realm of the gods, and into the depths of the sea. This was a decision doomed to end in failure, igniting in Jormungandr a festering rage against Odin and the other gods for making him an outcast.

A GIANT OF THE SEA

As time passed underwater, Jormungandr’s appetite grew, and he began to devour more and more of the creatures that lived alongside him.

Before long, he had transformed from a small serpent into an enormous sea snake, his size so large that it was predicted he could one day encircle the entire earth until he bit his own tail. Such an act was symbolic of the death – and rebirth – of the world…and the gods feared it.

But despite his might, Jormungandr was lonely, as he was the last of his kind, and his hatred soured with the knowledge that all of the gods had condemned him to a life of misery and isolation.

APPEARANCE AND ATTRIBUTES

Because of his immense size, Jormungandr was able to manipulate the movement of the waves, creating storms whenever ships passed over his territory. If the ships were not sunk, Jormungandr would emerge from the depths to swallow them whole.

Although a sea serpent, Jormungandr was said to look more like a dragon. His scales were sharp, and shiny, and he possessed a venomous bite. Those who laid eyes on him were often left frozen in terror at his appearance.

JORMUNGANDR AND THOR

As well as Odin, Jormungandr had a deep hatred for Thor of Thunder, who was destined to kill him and protect the world from his chaos. The two enemies engaged in ongoing conflicts, but Thor’s legendary warhammer, the sole weapon capable of destroying the beast, was the only thing Jormungdar feared, and the only thing that kept him at bay.

There are numerous tales recounting Thor’s encounters with Jormungandr, in which Thor endeavours to kill the serpent. One of the most well known stories involves Thor’s voyage to sea with the giant Hymir. In this legend, Thor attempts to lure Jormungandr with an ox’s head on a fishing hook, but his efforts are sabotaged when Hymir, stricken with terror at Jormungandr’s appearance, cuts the fishing line.

RAGNAROK; THE NORDIC END OF DAYS

Jormungandr played a pivotal role in the events of Ragnarok, the mythological prophecy of the end of the world. It was foretold that Jormungandr would open his mouth and release his tail, wreaking havoc across the waters. The sea would then spill onto land, and Jormungandr would thrash against the earth, appearing at the field of Vigrid where the final battle against the gods was prophesied to take place.

Facing Thor in a vicious battle, Jormungandr would ultimately meet his demise. Thor’s victory, though long awaited, would be short lived, as he would manage only nine steps from the fallen serpent before succumbing to death himself, Jormungandr’s venom having pierced Thor’s skin during their fierce combat.

REFERENCES

Ethereal Chronicles