Terrified by this prospect, just as the serpent’s body is reaching the surface, Hymir cuts the fishing line, letting the monster sink back down into the depths. Hymir knows immediately that this is Jormungandr, as what other creature would be able to challenge the god.ĭespite Hymir’s warnings, Thor is undeterred and starts to pull the creature up, and readying his hammer to batter the beast. He warns Thor against fishing in these waters, but the god pays no heed.Įventually something mighty pulls on Thor’s line, almost unbalancing the god. This makes Hymir extremely nervous, as he knows that this is where Jormungdar dwells, and he knows the prophecy that Thor and Jormungandr will encounter during Ragnarok. But when Hymir asks Thor to row them back to shore, Thor’s thoughts are revealed, as he decides to take the boat deeper in order to catch bigger fish. While this enrages Hymir, the heads nevertheless prove excellent bate, and the giant king catches two whales that will surely be enough to feed the god.Īccording to Norse mythology, Thor did not help Hymir with the fishing, simply looking out over the sea. He expects that Thor will hunt some small game to use, but instead Thor slays what remains of Hymir’s bulls and cuts off their heads to use as bait. Hymir then decides to go fishing, as he cannot spare any more of his cattle to feed the god of thunder.Īnnoyed with Thor, Hymir enlists him to help, sending him to get the bait. But to his dismay, Thor ate two of the beasts in just one meal. Hymir, aware of the stories of Thor’s appetite, slew three of his bulls in order to provide meat for the visit.
The Fishing TripĪccording to one story, during an unusual period of peace between the Aesir gods and the giants, Thor goes to visit the giant king Hymir in order to retrieve a large cauldron that will be needed for a mighty feast.
The most important role that Jormungand has to play in Norse mythology is as part of Ragnarok, the prophesied end of the world, but he also appears in two other stories from Norse mythology. Jormungandr pieces in the VKNG Collection In most cultures this serpent symbol represented the circle of life, that has no true beginning or end, with everything simply transforming into something new. The Greek philosopher Plato refers to the Ouroboros as the first living creature in existence. While this symbol does not seem to have been particular common among the Vikings, it has appeared across cultures throughout time, being present in ancient Egypt and ancient India. Jormungandr was associated with the Ouroboros, a symbol of a serpent biting its own tail and forming an unending circle. This story marks a connection between Thor and Jormungandr that will continue, and the Midgard Serpent is often characterised as Thor’s ultimate nemesis. Finally, he threw the then small serpent Jormungandr into the ocean that surrounds Midgard, which is why he is also known as the Midgard Serpent.īefore this, when Jormungandr was small, he was tied to a pine tree in order to keep him under control, but Thor warned the gods to keep their distance as the serpent had spat black venom at him, but missed.
He chained Fenrir up in Asgard using an enchanted ribbon made by the dwarves. He sent Hel to the underworld to reign over the land of the dead. Odin was so fearful of the havoc that these beings might cause on the universe that he placed each of them somewhere that they could cause the least harm. Jormungandr was brother to two further children of the giant couple, the giant wolf Fenrir, and the giantess Hel. While Jormungandr has the appearance of a mighty serpent, he is in fact a giant, son of the trickster Loki, who despite living alongside the Aesir gods in Asgard was a giant, and the giantess Angrboda, whose name means ‘bringer of anguish’ in old Norse. Jormungandr : The World Serpent of Norse Mythology Who is Jormungandr