Jormungand

Dragon, Dragon's Lair

Translations / modern equivalents are given in brackets {}

Description

Jormungand or Jormungandr, the Midgard or World Serpent, is one of Loki's offspring. Loki and the giantess, Angrboda had three 'children', Fenris, Hel and Jormungand. Whilst they were young Odin had the three brought to him by the gods when it was realised the havoc they would cause in later times. Fenris was bound and tied to a rock, at the cost of Tyr's hand, Hel was banished to Niflheim to rule there and Odin hurled Jormungand into the sea.

In the sea Jomungand grew to enormous size, so large that it would eventually bite at it's own tail, encircling the world. This circling of the world links Jormungand to the Ouroboros, the cyclic serpent.

Thor and Jormungand meet on at least three occasions. The final on proving mutually fatal.

1. Thor journeys to Utgard {the outer world} where he tackles the tasks set him by Utgard-Loki, the giant living there. One is to lift the giant's cat. He fails because Utgard-Loki has cast an illusion and the cat is in fact, Jormungand.
   
   
2. Thor and the giant Hymir go fishing for Jormungand using an ox head as bait. The Midgard Serpent is caught, but puts up such a fight that the boat is nearly dragged under the sea. Hymir panics and cuts it free. Relations between Hymir and Thor are somewhat cold afterwards.
   
   
3. Thor and Jormungand meet at Ragnarok, where Thor kills the serpent, but then succumbs to the venom, which it has spat at him.

In the Eddas

Gylfaginning {the tricking of Gylfi} - 33,46
Volustha {the prophesy of the seeress} - 50
Skaldskaparmal {the languge of poetry} - 16

References

Gods Of The North - Brian Branston
Dictionary Of Northern Mythology - Rudolf Simek
Poetic Edda - Caroline Larrington (translator)
Edda - Snorri Sturluson
The Norse Myths - Kevin Crossley-Holland

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