Níðhöggr or Nidhogg ("He Who Delivers Hateful Blows", or possibly "He Who Strikes from Darkness"[1]) is a legendary dragon found in Norse Mythology. The mighty dragon chews on the roots of the ash tree Yggdrasill, also known as the World Tree, which holds the Nine Realms of Norse mythology together. He hopes one day to topple Yggdrasill and destroy all the realms.
Description[]
Snorri Sturluson identifies Níðhöggr as a serpent or dragon in the Gylfaginning, the first book of the Prose Edda, noting the dragon gnaws at Yggsdrasil's roots alongside countless snakes.[2] According to Jackson Crawford, Níðhöggr has wings which make him capable of flight, a trait that is uncommon among dragons from Norse mythology. The wings also have feathers in them.[3] In early artwork, the dragon is depicted as a lindworm.
Mythology[]
Níðhöggr has a rivalry with the unnamed eagle that lives at the top of the World Tree and the two exchange harsh words through Ratatöskr, the squirrel, that bears the words between the two. This feud is mentioned in the Grimmismal poem alongside Nighogg's constant gnawing on Yggsdrasil, which reads the following:[2]
- "32. Ratatosk is the name of the squirrel who shall run on the ash of Yggdsdrial, words of an eagle he shall carry down and say to Nidhogg below"
- ― Grimmismal
It is said that the Níðhöggr is the portend of Ragnarök, the Norse “Twilight of the Gods”, of which he will survive into the reborn world afterward. In the Voluspa poem, which is alleged to have been through the perspective of a seeress detailing the coming of Ragnarök, Níðhöggr is mentioned alongside the impending chaos of Ragnarök with "There Níðhöggr sucked / the corpses of the departed / the wolf tore men apart". The last stanza of the poem reads the following:[2]
- "There the dark dragon comes flying. The gleaming snake, down from the Nidfjoll. In his feathers he carries - he flies over the field- Does Nidhogg, corpses- now she must sink down."
- ―Voluspa Stanza 66
The usage of this passage as the last stanza suggests that the wording was to come of a surprise to the reader. Regardless of minute details in different scholarly interpretations of the poem, this passage cements Níðhöggr as an important symbol of chaos in the coming event of Ragnarök.[2]
In Popular Culture[]
- In the computer video game Age of Mythology, worshipping the Norse deity Hel rewards you with the ability to summon the Nidhogg dragon, one of the three flying units in the game, the others being the Phoenix and the Roc.
- In the video game Lord of Arcana, Nidhogg is the first and second last boss creature, and resembles a winged dragon.
- The dragon Pokemon Zygarde is believed to be based on Nidhogg.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Claude Lecouteux (2016) Encylcopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic Inner Traditions pp.206
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 John Lindow (2002) Norse Mythology: A Guide to its Gods, Heros, Rituals, and Beliefs Oxford University Press pp.237, 320
- ↑ Jackson Crawford (June 27, 2017) Dragons in Norse Myth YouTube
External Links[]
- Níðhöggr on Wikipedia