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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. | 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.]] | |||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
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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. | ||
