Nidhogg
The creature gnawing Yggdrasil’s root from below, making cosmic structure vulnerable from the start.
Overview
Nidhogg sits below Yggdrasil in chapter 16 and gnaws at the root. This detail keeps the cosmos here from becoming a static perfect diagram: the tree is tended by the Norns and damaged from below at the same time. Ragnarok can return to Nidhogg later, but this story already establishes its dangerous relation to the tree.
Key facts
Gnaws the root
Chapter 16 explicitly says Nidhogg gnaws the root of Yggdrasil from below.
The tree is under strain
The same chapter lists creatures above, around and below the tree, presenting Yggdrasil as under strain.
Relationships
- Yggdrasilgnaws
Nidhogg gnaws the root of Yggdrasil from below.
- Hvergelmiris in the well with serpents
Nidhogg is in Hvergelmir with countless serpents.
Story appearances
- Yggdrasil and the WorldsRoot-gnawer
Nidhogg makes Yggdrasil something other than an untouched stable pillar from the start.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.