Jörmungandr: The Offspring of Loki

Jörmungandr, commonly known as the Midgard Serpent or the World Serpent, is a colossal sea serpent that plays a prominent role in Norse mythology. As one of the three monstrous offspring of Loki, the god of mischief, and the giantess Angrboða, Jörmungandr embodies chaos and destruction (Lindow, 2001).

Origins of Jörmungandr

According to Norse mythology, Jörmungandr was one of the three monstrous children born to Loki and Angrboða, alongside the wolf Fenrir and the half-dead, half-living Hel (Lindow, 2001). Recognizing the potential threat these creatures posed to the gods, Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon, took action. He hurled Jörmungandr into the ocean that surrounds Midgard (the world inhabited by humans), where the serpent grew so large that it encircled the entire world and bit its own tail, forming an ouroboros (Snorri Sturluson, 1220).

Symbolism and Significance in Norse Mythology

Jörmungandr is a powerful symbol of chaos and destruction in Norse mythology. It is destined to participate in the cosmic battle of Ragnarök, an apocalyptic event where the gods and other mythical beings engage in a final confrontation that results in the destruction and rebirth of the world (Lindow, 2001). During this cataclysmic struggle, Thor, the god of thunder, will face Jörmungandr in a mortal combat…