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In [[:Category:Origin: Norse Mythology|Norse Mythology]], '''Níðhöggr''' is a Norse dragon who eats the roots of the World Tree, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yggdrasil Yggdrasill]; threatening to destroy it. The serpent is always bickering with the eagle that houses in the top of the tree. | |||
[[Image:Nidhoggr.png|thumb|right|300px|Níðhöggr gnaws the roots of Yggdrasill in this illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript.]] | [[Image:Nidhoggr.png|thumb|right|300px|Níðhöggr gnaws the roots of Yggdrasill in this illustration from a 17th century Icelandic manuscript.]] | ||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
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===Prose Edda=== | ===Prose Edda=== | ||
According to the ''[ | According to the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gylfaginning Gylfaginning]'' part of Snorri Sturluson's ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prose_Edda Prose Edda]'', Níðhöggr is a being which gnaws one of the three roots of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yggdrasil Yggdrasill]. This root is placed over Niflheimr and Níðhöggr gnaws it from beneath. The same source also says that "[t]he squirrel called Ratatöskr runs up and down the length of the Ash, bearing envious words between the eagle and Nídhöggr" (''Gylfaginning'' XVI, Brodeur's translation.). | ||
In the ''[ | In the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk%C3%A1ldskaparm%C3%A1l Skáldskaparmál]'' section of the ''Prose Edda'' Snorri specifies Níðhöggr as a serpent in a list of names of such creatures: | ||
:"These are names for serpents: dragon, Fafnir, Iormungand, adder, Nidhogg, snake, viper, Goin, Moin, Grafvitnir, Grabak, Ofnir, Svafnir, masked one." (Faulkes translation, p.137) | :"These are names for serpents: dragon, Fafnir, Iormungand, adder, Nidhogg, snake, viper, Goin, Moin, Grafvitnir, Grabak, Ofnir, Svafnir, masked one." (Faulkes translation, p.137) | ||
Snorri's knowledge of Níðhöggr seems to come from two of the [ | Snorri's knowledge of Níðhöggr seems to come from two of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddic_poem Eddic poems]: ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%ADmnism%C3%A1l Grímnismál]'' and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B6lusp%C3%A1 Völuspá]''. | ||
Later in ''Skáldskaparmál'' Snorri includes Níðhöggr in a list of various terms and names for swords. | Later in ''Skáldskaparmál'' Snorri includes Níðhöggr in a list of various terms and names for swords. | ||
===Poetic Edda=== | ===Poetic Edda=== | ||
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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 Níðhöggr as tearing at the tree from beneath and also mentions Ratatoskr as carrying messages between Níðhöggr 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. | 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 Níðhöggr as tearing at the tree from beneath and also mentions Ratatoskr as carrying messages between Níðhöggr 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. | ||
The poem ''Völuspá'' mentions Níðhöggr twice. The first instance is in its description of [ | The poem ''Völuspá'' mentions Níðhöggr twice. The first instance is in its description of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A1str%C3%B6nd Náströnd]. | ||
{| width="99%" | {| width="99%" | ||
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:dark comes forth, | :dark comes forth, | ||
:Nithhogg flying | :Nithhogg flying | ||
:from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ni%C3%B0afj%C3% | :from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ni%C3%B0afj%C3%B6 Niðafjöll]; | ||
:The bodies of men | :The bodies of men | ||
:on his wings he bears, | :on his wings he bears, | ||
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|} | |} | ||
The context and meaning of this stanza is disputed. The most prevalent opinion is that the arrival of Níðhöggr heralds [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnarok | The context and meaning of this stanza is disputed. The most prevalent opinion is that the arrival of Níðhöggr heralds [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnarok Ragnarök] and thus that the poem ends on a tone of ominous warning. | ||
Níðhöggr is not mentioned elsewhere in any ancient source. | Níðhöggr is not mentioned elsewhere in any ancient source. | ||
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* Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989). ''Íslensk orðsifjabók''. Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans. | * Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon (1989). ''Íslensk orðsifjabók''. Reykjavík: Orðabók Háskólans. | ||
* Bellows, Henry Adams. Translation of the Poetic Edda. Available at | * Bellows, Henry Adams. Translation of the Poetic Edda. Available at http://www.northvegr.org/ . | ||
* Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (transl.) (1916). ''The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson''. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation. ''Available online at http://www.northvegr.org/''. | * Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (transl.) (1916). ''The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson''. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation. ''Available online at http://www.northvegr.org/''. | ||
* Dronke, Ursula (1997). ''The Poetic Edda : Volume II : Mythological Poems''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. In particular p. 18 and pp. 124-5. | * Dronke, Ursula (1997). ''The Poetic Edda : Volume II : Mythological Poems''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. In particular p. 18 and pp. 124-5. | ||
