| Nidhogg | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Other Names |
Níðhöggr or Níðhǫgg |
|
First Appearance |
Norse Myth |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
In Norse mythology, Níðhöggr or Níðhǫggr, often anglicized to Nidhogg, is a worm (dragon) who gnaws at the roots of the world tree, Yggdrasil.
According to the Gylfaginning part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, Níðhǫggr is a being which gnaws one of the three roots of Yggdrasill. It is sometimes believed that the roots are trapping the beast from the world. This root is placed over Niflheimr and Níðhǫggr gnaws it from beneath. The same source also says that "[t]he squirrel called Ratatoskr runs up and down the length of the Ash, bearing envious words between the eagle and Nídhǫggr [the snake]."
In the Skáldskaparmál section of the Prose Edda Snorri specifies Níðhǫggr as a serpent in a list of names of such creatures:
These are names for serpents: dragon, Fafnir, Jormungand, adder, Nidhogg, snake, viper, Goinn, Moinn, Grafvitnir, Grabak, Ofnir, Svafnir, masked one.
Snorri's knowledge of Níðhǫggr seems to come from two of the Eddic poems: Grímnismál and Völuspá.
Later in Skáldskaparmál, Snorri includes Níðhǫggr in a list of various terms and names for swords.
The poem Grímnismál identifies a number of beings which live in Yggdrasill. The tree suffers great hardship from all the creatures which live on it. The poem identifies Níðhǫggr as tearing at the tree from beneath and also mentions Ratatoskr as carrying messages between Níðhǫggr and the eagle who lives at the top of the tree. Snorri Sturluson often quotes Grímnismál and clearly used it as his source for this information.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Nidhogg from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Prose Edda
- Gylfaginning
- Skáldskaparmál
- Poetic Edda
- Grímnismál
- Völuspá