In an exciting potential hint at the nature of the game's narrative, the new trailer ended with Kratos and Atreus meeting a giant sea serpent that could very well be Jörmungandr, one of Loki's three children and an instrumental player in the bringing about of Ragnarök, Norse mythology's apocalyptic event.
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But what lingers in my memory of God of War are the set pieces — the moment the giant world serpent Jörmungandr appears, impossibly large and with an indescribably otherworldly voice, the fights with the immortal Baldur, the reveal of Freya's house, built on the back of a giant turtle in a vibrant grove.
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In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (, pronounced , meaning "huge monster"Rudolf Simek, Dictionary of Northern Mythology (1993)), also known as the Midgard (World) Serpent (), is a sea serpent, the middle child of the giantess Angrboða and Loki. According to the Prose Edda, Odin took Loki's three children by Angrboða—the wolf Fenrir, Hel, and Jörmungandr—and tossed Jörmungandr into the great ocean that encircles Midgard.Sturluson, Gylfaginning ch. xxxiv, 2008:37.
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Jörmungandr, alternately referred to as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent, is a sea serpent of the Norse mythology, the middle child of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. According to the Prose Edda, Odin took Loki's three children, Fenrisúlfr, Hel and Jörmungandr. He tossed Jörmungandr into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so big that he was able to surround the Earth and grasp his own tail, and as a result he earned the alternate name of the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent.
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Sif says they already know about Jörmungandr and Fenris. But Vali asks her if they knew Jörmungandr was felled on that very island by the great champion. He struck down upon him with the hammer. But not before the great serpent had bit him; so he was victorious, but at a terrible cost; his life.
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One sign for the coming of Ragnarök is the violent unrest of the sea as Jörmungandr releases its tail from its mouth and thrashes its way onto land. Fenrir will set ablaze one half of the world with fire while Jörmungandr sprays poison to fill the skies and seas of the other half.Sturluson, Gylfaginning ch. li, 2008:61-62.
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Asteroid 471926 Jörmungandr was named after the mythological sea serpent. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 25 September 2018 ().
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The major sources for myths about Jörmungandr are the Prose Edda, the skaldic poem Húsdrápa, and the Eddic poems Hymiskviða and Völuspá. Other sources include kennings in other skaldic poems. For example, in Þórsdrápa, faðir lögseims, "father of the sea-thread", is used as a kenning for Loki. There are also image stones from ancient times depicting the story of Thor fishing for Jörmungandr.
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Fenrir and Jörmungandr will then join the sons of Muspell into the plain of Vigrid. Here is where the last meeting between the serpent and Thor is predicted to occur. Thor will become occupied with battling the serpent and is unable to help others as they fight their own battles. He will eventually kill Jörmungandr but will fall dead after walking nine paces, having been poisoned by the serpent's deadly venom.
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Typhon and Hercules vs. the Lernaean Hydra, both of which are from Greek mythology, Thor vs. Jörmungandr of Norse mythology, Indra vs. Vritra of Indian mythology, Ra vs.
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A sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of dragon described in various mythologies, most notably Mesopotamian (Tiamat), Hebrew (Leviathan), Greek (Cetus, Echidna, Hydra, Scylla), and Norse (Jörmungandr).
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The battle at Vígríðr raging behind them, the serpent Jörmungandr confronts the god Thor in an illustration (1905) by Emil Doepler. In the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, the enthroned figure of High foretells the events of Ragnarök. High says the Muspell's forces will gather at the field Vígríðr, a field which he adds is "a hundred leagues in each direction". Then the monstrous wolf Fenrir and the immense serpent Jörmungandr will arrive.
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Hymiskviða recounts how Thor and Týr obtain the cauldron from Hymir. His skull is unusually hard, and Thor breaks a cup by throwing it at Hymir's head. Hymiskviða also recounts Thor's fishing for Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent. Thor goes fishing with Hymir, using the head of Hymir's best ox for bait, and catches Jörmungandr, who then either breaks loose or, as told in the Gylfaginning of the Prose Edda, is cut loose by Hymir.
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They row to a point where Hymir often sat and caught flat fish and where he drew up two whales. Thor demands to go further out to sea and does so despite Hymir's protest. Thor then prepares a strong line and a large hook and baits it with the ox head, which Jörmungandr bites. Thor pulls the serpent from the water, and the two face one another, Jörmungandr dribbling poison and blood.
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Hørdum stone The Hørdum stone is a Viking Age picture stone discovered in Hørdum, Thisted Municipality, North Denmark Region, Denmark, that depicts a legend from Norse mythology involving the god Thor and Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent.
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One side of the Altuna Runestone, however, illustrates a legend recorded in the Hymiskviða of the Poetic Edda, in which the Norse god Thor fishes for Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent. Thor goes fishing with the jötunn Hymir using an ox head for bait, and catches Jörmungandr, who then either breaks loose or, as told in the Gylfaginning of the Prose Edda, the line is cut loose by Hymir. The Prose Edda provides the additional detail that while Thor was pulling on the line with Jörmungandr on the hook, his feet went through the bottom of the boat. The image on the Altuna Runestone does not show Hymir, which may be due to the narrow shape of the stone, but it shows Thor, his line and tackle and the serpent, and notably, Thor's foot which has been pushed through the hull of the boat.
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Thor's foot goes through the boat as he struggles to pull up Jörmungandr in the Altuna Runestone. Hymiskviða (Old Norse: 'The lay of Hymir'; anglicized as Hymiskvitha, Hymiskvidha or Hymiskvida) is a poem collected in the Poetic Edda.
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Twilight of the Thunder God is the seventh studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. Twilight of the Thunder God was released in September 2008. It is based on Thor's slaying of the serpent Jörmungandr.
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Jörmungandr and Thor meet again when Thor goes fishing with the giant Hymir. When Hymir refuses to provide Thor with bait, Thor strikes the head off Hymir's largest ox to use as his bait.Sturluson, Gylfaginning ch. xlviii, 2008:54-56.
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Eitr is a substance in Norse mythology. This liquid substance is the origin of all living things: the first giant Ymir was conceived from eitr. The substance is supposed to be very poisonous and is also produced by Jörmungandr (the Midgard serpent) and other serpents.
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The Hørdum stone was discovered in 1954 during trench work adjacent to the church in Hørdum. Before the historical significance of runestones and picture stones was understood, they were often reused as materials in the construction of roads, bridges, walls, and buildings. The image on the stone illustrates a legend recorded in the Hymiskviða of the Poetic Edda, in which the Norse god Thor fishes for Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent. Thor goes fishing with the jötunn Hymir using an ox head for bait, and catches Jörmungandr, who then either breaks loose or, as told in the Gylfaginning of the Prose Edda, the line is cut loose by Hymir.
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High relates that the great serpent Jörmungandr, also described as a child of Loki in the same source, will breach land as the sea violently swells onto it. The ship Naglfar, described in the Prose Edda as being made from the human nails of the dead, is released from its mooring, and sets sail on the surging sea, steered by a named Hrym. At the same time, Fenrir, eyes and nostrils spraying flames, charges forward with his mouth wide open, his upper jaw reaching to the heavens, his lower jaw touching the earth. At Fenrir's side, Jörmungandr sprays venom throughout the air and the sea.
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Eysteinn Valdason was a 10th-century Icelandic skald. Three half-stanzas from a poem about Thor are all that survive of his work. Preserved in Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál (4) only, they deal with Thor's fishing expedition with the giant Hymir, where the god attempts to kill Jörmungandr.
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John Lindow suggests this is due to the large amount of time he spends in the realms of the jötnar, "who live on the other sides of boundaries", and points to a symbolic connection between jötnar and water, citing the ocean-dwelling Jörmungandr as an example.Lindow (2001:290—291).
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Wielding his hammer Mjölnir, Thor was engaged in conflict with the jötnar (giants) and the serpent Jörmungandr. Thor has many parallels in Indo-European mythology. He appears to have been worshiped extensively by the Germanic peoples, particularly warriors and the common people. A notable brother of Thor is Baldr.
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Fenrisúlfr will go forth with his mouth opened wide, his upper jaw touching the sky and his lower jaw the earth, and flames will burn from his eyes and nostrils.Faulkes (1995:53). Later, Fenrisúlfr will arrive at the field Vígríðr with his sibling Jörmungandr. With the forces assembled there, an immense battle will take place.
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The world tree Yggdrasil shudders and groans. The Hrym comes from the east, his shield before him. The Midgard serpent Jörmungandr furiously writhes, causing waves to crash. "The eagle shrieks, pale-beaked he tears the corpse," and the ship Naglfar breaks free thanks to the waves made by Jormungandr and sets sail from the east.
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Jormungand, also known as the Midgard Serpent and the World Serpent, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, based on the serpent Jörmungandr from Norse mythology, first appears in Marvel Tales #105 (Feb. 1952), in the period between the Golden Age of Comic Books and the Silver Age of Comic Books.
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According to Grímnismál, Bilskírnir is the largest building and one of the most significant realms of Asgard. It contains 540 rooms and serves as a residence of Thor, his wife Sif, and their many children. In the Prose Edda, Snorri predicts the partial destruction of Bilskirnir during the battle between Thor and the World Serpent Jörmungandr when Ragnarok comes.
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In Leviathan ~The Last Defense~, Leviathan, pronounced Leviatan, is the name of one of the main protagonists. She is a Water-affiliated mage that can transform into a human/dragon hybrid. Her two companions, Bahamut and Jörmungandr, also share the names of other mythical aquatic monsters. They can also transform into human/dragon hybrids and are affiliated with Fire and Earth, respectively.
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This poem is called the "House Song," and is well made. Olaf rewarded him well for the poem. : ::—The Laxdæla saga (29), Muriel Press's translation Three myths are described in the twelve stanzas and half-stanzas of Úlfr's Húsdrápa: Baldr's funeral, Thor fishing for Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent, and Heimdall's fight with Loki for the Brísingamen. Apart from this episode, little is known about Úlfr.
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The surviving Æsir meet together at the field of Iðavöllr. They discuss Jörmungandr, great events of the past, and the runic alphabet. In stanza 61, in the grass, they find the golden game pieces that the gods are described as having once happily enjoyed playing games with long ago (attested earlier in the same poem). The reemerged fields grow without needing to be sown.
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The ride's story is a prequel to the Norwegian mythological story Ragnarök, a battle where Thor and his half-brother Loki are killed. Riders are tasked to retrieve Thor's hammer, which Loki has stolen. Throughout the ride, other mythological beings including Fenrir, a monstrous wolf; Surtr, a giant; and Jörmungandr, a sea serpent make appearances. One cycle of the ride lasts approximately four minutes.
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AMON AMARTH: New Album Title Revealed - 27 June 2008: News @ blabbermouth.net Approximately a month later on 25 July 2008, the album artwork was revealed, featuring Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, in battle with Jörmungandr. On 27 August 2008, Amon Amarth released the information that they had recently finished work on a video clip for the title track of the album. The video clip was shot in Jomsborg, Poland.
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Faulkes (1995:54). Odin will make directly for Fenrir and the god Thor, by Odin's side, will be unable to help him because he will be fighting Jörmungandr. The god Freyr will engage the fiery being Surtr and, since Freyr lacks the sword he gave his servant Skírnir, Freyr will fall after a rough struggle. The god Tyr will fight the hound Garmr and the two will kill one another.
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Drawing of the Ramsund carving from 1030, illustrating the Völsunga saga on a rock in Sweden. At (5), Sigurd plunges his sword into Fafnir's underside. In the Old Norse poem Grímnismál in the Poetic Edda, the dragon Níðhöggr is described as gnawing on the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree. In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr is a giant serpent that encircles the entire realm of Miðgarð in the sea around it.
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Hymir is depicted holding a tool, apparently in preparation to cut the fishing line, consistent with the version of the myth told in the Gylfaginning. It has also been suggested that an image of the head of the serpent can be seen in the natural fracture edges of the stone under the boat. This encounter between Thor and Jörmungandr seems to have been one of the most popular motifs in Norse art.
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The band signed to the label and released their debut album, Jormundgand (named for the World Serpent, Jörmungandr), which was recorded in Grieghallen in 1995. In 1996, Helheim followed up with a European tour. After the tour, the band began recording their second album, Av Norrøn Ætt ("Of Norse Lineage"). With the release of the second album, the band's contract to Solistitium Records was fulfilled, and the band was without a label for two years.
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This encounter between Thor and Jörmungandr seems to have been one of the most popular motifs in Norse art. Three picture stones have been linked with the story and show Hymir: the Ardre VIII image stone, the Hørdum stone, and the Gosforth Cross. p. 122-123, 127-128. A stone slab that may be a portion of a second cross at Gosforth also shows a fishing scene using an ox head for bait.
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The sons of Muspell (and their shining battle troop) advance to the field of Vígríðr, described as an expanse that reaches "a hundred leagues in each direction," where Fenrir, Jörmungandr, Loki (followed by "Hel's own"), and Hrym (accompanied by all frost ) join them. While this occurs, Heimdallr stands and blows the Gjallarhorn with all his might. The gods awaken at the sound, and they meet. Odin rides to Mímisbrunnr in search of counsel from Mímir.
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Loki with a fishing net (per Reginsmál) as depicted on a 18th-century Icelandic manuscript (SÁM 66) Loki (, Modern , often Anglicized as ) is a god in Norse mythology. Loki is in some sources the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Narfi and/or Nari.
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Loki's wife is named Sigyn, and they have a son named "Nari or Narfi". Otherwise, Loki had three children with the female jötunn Angrboða from Jötunheimr; the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jörmungandr, and the female being Hel. The gods realized that these three children were being raised in Jötunheimr, and expected trouble from them partially due to the nature of Angrboða, but worse yet Loki. In chapter 35, Gangleri comments that Loki produced a "pretty terrible"—yet important—family.
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Also in the church is a Chinese bell dating from 1839, which was captured from the Anunghoy Fort in the Battle of the Bogue (1841) on the Canton River. It was donated to the church in 1844. One of the stone slabs is the so-called "Gosforth fishing stone" and is presumably the same artist who carved the cross, outside. It represents Thor and the giant Hymir, fishing for Jörmungandr, the serpent which encircles the world.
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The myth of Hadad defeating Lotan, Yahweh defeating Leviathan, Marduk defeating Tiamat (etc.) in the mythologies of the Ancient Near East are classical examples of the Chaoskampf mytheme, also reflected in Zeus' slaying of Typhon in Greek mythology and Thor's struggle against Jörmungandr in the Gylfaginning portion of the Prose Edda. The Litani River that winds through the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon is named after Lotan as the river was believed to be the personification of the god.Price, Robert. Bart Ehrman Interpreted.
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The Prose Edda provides the additional detail that while Thor was pulling on the line with Jörmungandr on the hook, his feet went through the bottom of the boat. The image on the Hørdum stone shows Hymir, Thor, his fishing line and a portion of the serpent. Thor's foot has been pushed through the hull of the boat. The ox head bait is not shown, but may have been on a section of the image that has been worn away. p. 122-123, 127-128.
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Hymir, Thor and Jörmungandr. An illustration from Nils Fredrik Sander's 1893 Swedish edition of the Poetic Edda. Hymir and Thor on the Gosforth Cross Hymir is a jötunn in Norse mythology, and the owner of a brewing-cauldron fetched by the thunder-god Thor for Ægir, who wants to hold a feast for the Æsir (gods). In Hymiskviða, he is portrayed as the father of Týr (in other sources, Odin is Tyr's father and Hymir his maternal-grandfather -- but all agree that Tyr and Hymir are related).
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The Prose Edda provides the additional detail that while Thor was attempting to pull Jörmungandr in, his feet went through the bottom of the boat. Hymir is also portrayed in Hymiskviða as a jötunn and the father of the god Týr. Scholar John Lindow notes that this may be a unique situation in Norse mythology, for if Loki also has a jötunn father, Fárbauti, he is only "enumerated among the Æsir" as Snorri Sturluson puts it in Gylfaginning, and thus not really part of their group.
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In one story, Thor encounters the giant king Útgarða-Loki and has to perform deeds for him, one of which is a challenge of Thor's strength. Útgarða-Loki goads Thor into lifting the serpent disguised by magic in the form of a magic colossal cat. Thor grabs the cat around the middle of its belly but is unable to lift such a monstrous creature as Jörmungandr. He manages to raise the cat high enough for only one of its paws to lift from off the floor.
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Eventually they find Hymir's place, where Þórr (Thor) eats so much that Hymir and his guests have no alternative but to go fishing. The poem then tells the story of how Þórr almost caught the Jörmungandr, which is also recounted in the Prose Edda. Þórr shows off his strength, but Hymir taunts him and says that he could hardly be called strong if Þórr couldn't break Hymir's chalice. The chalice was a magic one and could not be broken unless slung against Hymir's head.
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Rocky cliffs open and the women sink. The gods then do battle with the invaders: Odin is swallowed whole and alive fighting the wolf Fenrir, causing his wife Frigg her second great sorrow (the first being the death of her son, the god Baldr). Odin's son Víðarr avenges his father by rending Fenrir's jaws apart and stabbing it in the heart with his spear, thus killing the wolf. The serpent Jörmungandr opens its gaping maw, yawning widely in the air, and is met in combat by Thor.
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Yggdrasil shakes, and everything, everywhere fears. A scene from the last phase of Ragnarök, after Surtr has engulfed the world with fire (by Emil Doepler, 1905) High relates that the Æsir and the Einherjar dress for war and head to the field. Odin, wearing a gold helmet and an intricate coat of mail, carries his spear Gungnir and rides before them. Odin advances against Fenrir, while Thor moves at his side, though Thor is unable to assist Odin because he has engaged Jörmungandr in combat.
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Thor Battering the Midgard Serpent is a 1790 painting by the Swiss artist Henry Fuseli. The nude and muscular Thor stands in Hymir's boat with the Jörmungandr on his fish hook. In the top left corner, the god Odin appears as an old man. It depicts one of the most popular myths in Germanic mythology, Thor's fishing trip, which was known to Fuseli through P. H. Mallet's 1755 book Introduction à l'histoire du Dannemarc, translated to English by Thomas Percy in 1770 as Northern Antiquities.
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Upon their arrival, Odin threw Jörmungandr into "that deep sea that lies round all lands", and then threw Hel into Niflheim, and bestowed upon her authority over nine worlds. However, the Æsir brought up the wolf "at home", and only Týr had the courage to approach Fenrir, and give Fenrir food. The gods noticed that Fenrir was growing rapidly every day, and since all prophecies foretold that Fenrir was destined to cause them harm, the gods formed a plan. The gods prepared three fetters: The first, greatly strong, was called Leyding.
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The bound monster is an important motif in Norse mythology. The theme is that of an enemy of the gods who is bound or restrained in some way but destined to break free during the time of Ragnarök to cause destruction. This pattern applies particularly to Loki and his three children by the giantess Angrboda - the wolf Fenrisulfr (or Fenrir), Jörmungandr (the Midgard Serpent) and Hel, queen of the underworld. Loki was bound in vengeance for his role in the death of Baldr, the full version of which tale is found in Gylfaginning.
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He will rise up from the ocean during Ragnarök when he and Thor will fight one another, resulting first in the death of Jörmungandr followed by that of Thor as he succumbs to the serpent's poison. Hel was likewise banished to Niflheim, the land of the dead, as its queen. Although she is the ruler of her domain, she is bound by the confines of her realm, and her retaliatory role during Ragnarök will be represented by the frost giants and a great army of the dead marching forth under the banner of Loki.
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Then she prophesies the destruction of the gods where fire and flood overwhelm heaven and earth as the gods fight their final battles with their enemies. This is the "fate of the gods" - Ragnarök. She describes the summons to battle, the deaths of many of the gods and how Odin, himself, is slain by Fenrir, the great wolf. Thor, the god of thunder and sworn protector of the earth, faces Jörmungandr, the world serpent, and wins but Thor is only able to take nine steps afterward before collapsing due to the serpent's venom.
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Thor will kill the serpent Jörmungandr but after nine steps will collapse to the ground, dead from Jörmungandr's venom. Fenrir will eat Odin, but immediately after Odin's son Víðarr will come forward and set his foot on to the wolf's lower jaw, and grasp its upper jaw, ripping its mouth apart, killing it. Loki and Heimdallr will kill one another and, after their death, Surtr will spray fire over the earth and burn the entire world. Later in the same chapter, High quotes Odin's response from the above- mentioned chapter of Vafþrúðnismál.
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Many years after Kratos' defeat of the Olympian gods, he now lives with his son Atreus in ancient Norway in the realm of Midgard. After cremating the body of his wife, Faye, Kratos is confronted by a mysterious man with godlike powers. The two battle and after seemingly killing him, Kratos and Atreus begin their journey to honor Faye's last wish and scatter her ashes at the highest peak of the nine realms. Reaching the Lake of the Nine, the pair encounters the friendly World Serpent, Jörmungandr, the last remaining giant.
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In Norse mythology the World Serpent (or Midgard serpent) known as Jörmungandr encircled the world in the ocean's abyss biting its own tail. Vishnu resting on Ananta-Shesha, with Lakshmi massaging his "lotus feet" In Hindu mythology Lord Vishnu is said to sleep while floating on the cosmic waters on the serpent Shesha. In the Puranas Shesha holds all the planets of the universe on his hoods and constantly sings the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as "Ananta-Shesha," which means "Endless Shesha".
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The children realize that the jötunns are using magic to cheat: the drinking-horn is secretly connected to the sea, Loge is actually an insatiable fire-spirit, Útgarða-Loki's cat is in fact Jörmungandr the Midgard-Serpent, and the old woman is really old age itself! Tjalvi tries to stop the wrestling match, but Thor appears to die of old age before Tjalvi can reach him. Tjalvi weeps over Thor's body, and his tears restore Thor to life and youth. Quark throws the water on Loge revealing his true nature as a fire spirit, which puts him out and kills him.
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Though drawing on ancient Mesopotamian religion, the religion of the Hittites and Luwians retains noticeable elements of reconstructed Proto-Indo-European religion. For example, Tarhunt, the god of thunder and his conflict with the serpent Illuyanka resembles the conflict between Indra and the cosmic serpent Vritra in Vedic mythology, or Thor and the serpent Jörmungandr in Norse mythology. This myth also bears a resemblance to the daily struggle between Re and the serpent Apophis in Egyptian mythology. Hittite mythology was also influenced more directly by the Hurrians, a neighboring civilization close to Anatolia, where the Hittites were located.
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Only Tyr was brave enough to do this, and as the chain tightened around Fenrir, he sensed their deception and bit off the right hand of the god. At Ragnarök, the wolf is destined to break his bond and kill Odin, whose death will then be avenged by the god Vidar. For similar reasons as Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Hel are also considered bound monsters, though in somewhat less apparent ways. The serpent was banished to the outer waters of Midgard where he lay encircling the earth with his tail in his mouth, which in itself is a form of binding.
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In antiquity and in the Bible, dragons were envisioned as huge serpentine monsters, which means that the image of a dragon with two or four legs and wings came much later during the Late Middle Ages. Stories depicting sea-dwelling serpents may include the Babylonian myths of Tiamat, the myths of the Hydra, Scylla, Cetus and Echidna in the Greek mythology, and even the Leviathan. In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (or Midgarðsormr) was a sea serpent so long that it encircled the entire world, Midgard. Some stories report of sailors mistaking its back for a chain of islands.
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Sea serpents are also called orms in Nordic languages, wyrms in Old English and worms in Middle English. These "dragons" are usually evil, much like dragon-like creatures of Greece and other dragons of Continental Europe; however, there are exceptions, and many do not want to go to battle unless they feel threatened. These serpents are limbless and wingless. The most famous sea serpent in Norse mythology is Jörmungandr, which is actually a giant born into the body of a serpent by the Norse god Loki, who will one day kill Thor, Norse god of thunder.
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According to High, Freyr fights fiercely with Surtr, but falls because he lacks the sword he once gave to his messenger, Skírnir. The hound Garmr (described here as the "worst of monsters") breaks free from his bonds in front of Gnipahellir, and fights the god Týr, resulting in both of their deaths. Thor kills Jörmungandr but is poisoned by the serpent, and manages to walk only nine steps before falling to the earth dead. Fenrir swallows Odin, though immediately afterward his son Víðarr kicks his foot into Fenrir's lower jaw, grips the upper jaw, and rips apart Fenrir's mouth, killing the great wolf.
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Víðarr faces Fenrir and kicks his jaw open before stabbing the wolf in the heart with his spear. The god Freyr fights the giant Surtr, who wields a fiery sword that shines brighter than the sun, and Freyr falls. The new world that rises after Ragnarök (depiction by Emil Doepler) Finally a beautiful reborn world will rise from the ashes of death and destruction where Baldr and Höðr will live again in a new world where the earth sprouts abundance without sowing seed. The surviving Æsir reunite with Hœnir and meet together at the field of Iðavöllr, discussing Jörmungandr, great events of the past, and the runic alphabet.
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The cat that Thor attempted to lift was in actuality the world serpent, Jörmungandr, and everyone was terrified when Thor was able to lift the paw of this "cat", for Thor had actually held the great serpent up to the sky. The old woman Thor wrestled was in fact old age (Elli, Old Norse "old age"), and there is no one that old age cannot bring down. Útgarða-Loki tells Thor that it would be better for "both sides" if they did not meet again. Upon hearing this, Thor takes hold of his hammer and swings it at Útgarða-Loki but he is gone and so is his castle.
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Although the concept of elevation through intoxicating drink is a nearly universal motif, a Proto- Indo-European myth of the "cycle of the mead", originally proposed by Georges Dumézil, has been reconstructed by Jarich G. Oosten (1985) based on the comparison of Indic and Norse mythologies. In both traditions, gods and demons must cooperate to find a sacred drink providing immortal life. The magical beverage is prepared from the sea, and a serpent (Vāsuki or Jörmungandr) is involved in the quest. The gods and demons eventually fight over the magical potion and the former, ultimately victorious, deprive their enemy of the elixir of life.
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This encounter between Thor and Jörmungandr seems to have been one of the most popular motifs in Norse art. Three other picture stones that have been linked with the myth are the Ardre VIII image stone, the Hørdum stone, and the Gosforth Cross. pp. 122-23. A stone slab that may be a portion of a second cross at Gosforth also shows a fishing scene using an ox head. The runic inscription suggests that those to whom the stone is dedicated, the father Holmfastr and his son Arnfastr, were burned, possibly in a case of arson known as quickfire, a method commonly used in Scandinavian feuds.
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The Destruction of Leviathan by Gustave Doré (1865) Leviathan (; , Livyatan) is a creature with the form of a sea serpent from Jewish mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the Book of Amos; it is also mentioned in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. The Leviathan of the Book of Job is a reflection of the older Canaanite Lotan, a primeval monster defeated by the god Baal Hadad. Parallels to the role of Mesopotamian Tiamat defeated by Marduk have long been drawn in comparative mythology, as have been wider comparisons to dragon and world serpent narratives such as Indra slaying Vrtra or Thor slaying Jörmungandr.
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The contests, too, were an illusion. Útgarða-Loki reveals that Loki had actually competed against wildfire itself (Logi, Old Norse "flame"), Þjálfi had raced against thought (Hugi, Old Norse "thought"), Thor's drinking horn had actually reached to the ocean and with his drinks he lowered the ocean level (resulting in tides). The cat that Thor attempted to lift was in actuality the world serpent, Jörmungandr, and everyone was terrified when Thor was able to lift the paw of this "cat", for Thor had actually held the great serpent up to the sky. The old woman Thor wrestled was in fact old age (Elli, Old Norse "old age"), and there is no one that old age cannot bring down.
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The contests, too, were an illusion. Útgarða- Loki reveals that Loki had actually competed against wildfire itself (Logi, Old Norse "flame"), Þjálfi had raced against thought (Hugi, Old Norse "thought"), Thor's drinking horn had actually reached to the ocean and with his drinks he lowered the ocean level (resulting in tides). The cat that Thor attempted to lift was in actuality the world serpent, Jörmungandr, and everyone was terrified when Thor was able to lift the paw of this "cat", for Thor had actually held the great serpent up to the sky. The old woman Thor wrestled was in fact old age (Elli, Old Norse "old age"), and there is no one that old age cannot bring down.
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Engraving by Lucas Jennis The title refers to Ouroboros (Jörmungandr in Norse mythology), the snake or dragon that swallows its own tail and therefore has no terminus (in Old English, the word "worm" could mean a serpent or dragon). Like the Ouroboros, the story ends at the same place as it begins, when the heroes realize that their lives have little meaning without the great conflict and wish that it could continue, and their wish is granted. The theme of repetition pervades the work. Near the beginning and again near the end, a king of Witchland dies, Carcë is attacked, and Gorice XII carries out a conjuring in the fortress's Iron Tower.
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The Leviathan of the Book of Job is a reflection of the older Canaanite Lotan, a primeval monster defeated by the god Baal Hadad. Parallels to the role of Mesopotamian Tiamat defeated by Marduk have long been drawn in comparative mythology, as have been wider comparisons to dragon and world serpent narratives such as Indra slaying Vrtra or Thor slaying Jörmungandr, but Leviathan already figures in the Hebrew Bible as a metaphor for a powerful enemy, notably Babylon (Isaiah 27:1), and some 19th century scholars have pragmatically interpreted it as referring to large aquatic creatures, such as the crocodile.Wilhelm Gesenius, Samuel Prideaux Tregelles (trans.) (1879). Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon to the Old Testament.
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In Norse mythology, the ouroboros appears as the serpent Jörmungandr, one of the three children of Loki and Angrboda, which grew so large that it could encircle the world and grasp its tail in its teeth. In the legends of Ragnar Lodbrok, such as Ragnarssona þáttr, the Geatish king Herraud gives a small lindworm as a gift to his daughter Þóra Town-Hart after which it grows into a large serpent which encircles the girl's bower and bites itself in the tail. The serpent is slain by Ragnar Lodbrok who marries Þóra. Ragnar later has a son with another woman named Kráka and this son is born with the image of a white snake in one eye.
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In chapter 34, High describes Loki, and says that Loki had three children with a woman named Angrboða located in the land of Jötunheimr; Fenrisúlfr, the serpent Jörmungandr, and the female being Hel. High continues that, once the gods found that these three children were being brought up in the land of Jötunheimr, and when the gods "traced prophecies that from these siblings great mischief and disaster would arise for them" the gods expected a lot of trouble from the three children, partially due to the nature of the mother of the children, yet worse so due to the nature of their father.Faulkes (1995:26–27). High says that Odin sent the gods to gather the children and bring them to him.
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Thor goes on to recount the Hymiskviða, specifically the part when he fished for the Midgard Serpent, Jörmungandr, to entertain his hosts. The next morning, Thor revives his goat, but is infuriated when he discovers that the animal has become lame, caused by the breaking of the bone the previous night. Thor is craving for revenge, but Loki instead suggests that they take the boy Tjalvi with them to Asgard as a servant, which Thor reluctantly agrees to. Tjalvi on his part is not very courageous on going to Asgard or the prospect of serving 'the mighty gods' either, but his sister Röskva is very adventurous and keen to go, even though she isn't even a prospect (being a girl).
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Despite the seemingly-small size of the cat, Thor is only able to lift a single one of the cat's paws off the floor; to regain his honor and save face, Thor demands a trial by combat. Útgarða-Loki then calls for his ancient mother, Elle, whose feeble and aged appearance nonetheless frightens the other jötunns. Thor tries to wrestle her down but is unable to; instead he starts to age rapidly and the old hag wrestles him down to the floor instead. While Thor wrestles the old woman, Hugin and Munin show Tjalvi, Röskva and Quark the visions again in a mirror: they see Loge moving strangely like fire, Thor trying to lift Jörmungandr, and Thor aging and dying.
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This myth has been analyzed comparatively by Georges Dumézil, who connected it to various Indo-European myths and even the European medieval legend of the Holy Grail, reconstructing an original myth (the "ambrosia cycle", or "cycle of the mead") about a trickster deity who steals the drink of immortality for mankind but fails in freeing humans from death. Dumézil later abandoned his theory, but the core of the idea was taken up by Jarich Oosten, who posits similarities with the Hymiskviða. In this Old Norse poem, a sacred mead is prepared by cooperating gods and giants (who might respectively correspond to Devas and Asuras), with the gods ultimately winning the drink; the serpent Jörmungandr takes the place of Vasuki, although its role in the story is different.
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In his Edda Snorri Sturluson quotes many stanzas attributed to Bragi Boddason the old (Bragi Boddason inn gamli), a 9th century court poet who served several Swedish kings, supposedly including Ragnar Lodbrok, Östen Beli and Björn at Hauge. Bragi was reckoned as the first skaldic poet, and was certainly the earliest skaldic poet then remembered by name whose verse survived in memory. Snorri especially quotes passages from Bragi's Ragnarsdrápa, a poem composed in honor of the famous legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrók ('Hairy-breeches') describing the images on a decorated shield which Ragnar had given to Bragi. The images included Thor's fishing for Jörmungandr, Gefjun's ploughing of Zealand from the soil of Sweden, the attack of Hamdir and Sorli against King Jörmunrekk, and the never-ending battle between Hedin and Högni.
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In the Prose Edda Snorri Sturluson quotes many stanzas attributed to Bragi Boddason the old (Bragi Boddason inn gamli), a Norwegian court poet who served several Swedish kings, Ragnar Lodbrok, Östen Beli and Björn at Hauge who reigned in the first half of the 9th century. This Bragi was reckoned as the first skaldic poet, and was certainly the earliest skaldic poet then remembered by name whose verse survived in memory. Snorri especially quotes passages from Bragi's Ragnarsdrápa, a poem supposedly composed in honor of the famous legendary Viking Ragnar Lodbrók ('Hairy-breeches') describing the images on a decorated shield which Ragnar had given to Bragi. The images included Thor's fishing for Jörmungandr, Gefjun's ploughing of Zealand from the soil of Sweden, the attack of Hamdir and Sorli against King Jörmunrekk, and the never-ending battle between Hedin and Högni.
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He acts as a lazy and cruel master of the house and the children and Quark finally run away to look up the mighty chief of the gods Odin, who lives in nearby Valhalla and who they suppose will help them against the unfair behaviour of Loki. They find out he will not even listen to them as no one is allowed to disturb him, and so they run out into the forest and build their own treehouse, setting up their own life. Almost everything is pure idyll, until Tjavli is visited by the ravens of Odin, Hugin and Munin (who have appeared as the narrators of the story). They lead Tjalvi to a sacred well where they present him with visions of the future: there he sees Thor trying to hold up Jörmungandr, the sea drying up and Thor hastily aging and dying.
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High says that Odin sent the gods to gather the children and bring them to him. Upon their arrival, Odin threw Jörmungandr into "that deep sea that lies round all lands," Odin threw Hel into Niflheim, and bestowed upon her authority over nine worlds, in that she must "administer board and lodging to those sent to her, and that is those who die of sickness or old age." High details that in this realm Hel has "great Mansions" with extremely high walls and immense gates, a hall called Éljúðnir, a dish called "Hunger," a knife called "Famine," the servant Ganglati (Old Norse "lazy walker"Orchard (1997:79).), the serving-maid Ganglöt (also "lazy walker"), the entrance threshold "Stumbling-block," the bed "Sick-bed," and the curtains "Gleaming-bale." High describes Hel as "half black and half flesh-coloured," adding that this makes her easily recognizable, and furthermore that Hel is "rather downcast and fierce-looking."Faulkes (1995:27).
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