The monsters of Norse mythology may not number as high as the ones found in the Greek or Hindu legends, but what they lack in number, they more than make up for in sheer size. They are often linked to an event called Ragnark, which will bring about an end of days as the great tree Yggdrasil is consumed by chaos and fire.
1. Ffnir, son of the dwarf king Hreidmar, was cursed by his father?s treasure. Consumed by greed, he slew his father in order to attain his treasure. Eventually, the curse turned Ffnir into a gruesome dragon. Eventually slain by the hero Sigurd.
2. Skll and Hati are two monstrous wolves who pursue the sun and the moon in the hope of devouring them. Skll chases the Sun (personified as the goddess Sl), while Hati chases the Moon (personified as the god Mni).
3. The Kraken is a legendary sea monster said to be a mile long. It is generally described as an octopus, squid or in some cases a giant crab. It lives at the bottom of the sea and surfaces in search of food or when disturbed by a large ship.
4. The Draugr are undead people known as revenants or ?again walkers?. These undead beings possessed superhuman strength, could increase their size at will and carried the stench of decay.
5. Fenrir is the most infamous wolf in Norse mythology. It was prophecised that Fenrir would grow to a monstrous size and kill the god Odin during Ragnark, so the gods bound him in order to prevent him from wreaking havoc throughout the Nine Worlds.
6. Garmr is a blood-stained dog who guards the gates of Hel (the realm of the dead). It is foretold that Garmr will remain in his cave until Ragnark, at which time he will herald in the end of days with a chilling howl before breaking free of his bonds.
7. Nhggr is a primordial dragon who dwells beneath the world-tree Yggdrasil. He is called the ?devourer? for he constantly gnaws on the roots of Yggdrasil. By chewing at the roots of the Yggdrasil, Nhggr hopes to destroy the world tree, returning the world to chaos.
8. Hel is a giantess who presides over the realm of the dead in Nifelheim, where she receives a portion of the dead who have died of sickness or old age. She is described as half blue and half flesh-coloured with a gloomy countenance.
9. Jrmungandr (also known as the Midgard Serpent), lives in the ocean that surrounds Midgard. He is so enormous that his body forms a circle around the entirety of Middle Earth. His arch enemy is Thor, the god of thunder.
10. Surtr is a primordial giant from Norse mythology, who rules over the fiery realm Mspell. When Garmr lets out his blood-curdling howl, Surtr will lead the sons of ?Mspell? (fire giants) into the field of Vgrr where they will make battle with the Aesir.
11. Lyngbakr is the largest whale in the seven seas, whose monstrous size has made him a legend of nautical folklore. According to the myths, he could swallow entire ships whole. It is said that the story of Moby Dick was inspired by the legend of Lyngbakr.
12. Hafgufa is a colossal sea monster that is said to live deep underwater, off the coast of Greenland. It is described as a massive fish that looked more like an island than like a living thing. Hafgufa was the mother of all sea monsters and fed on whales, ships, men, and anything it could catch.
If you find my work valuable, there are many ways you can support it. You can like, comment and share my posts, or you can do it directly by subscribing to my Patreon page. For just $2 a month, you can read lengthier articles and help me to increase the quantity and quality of my articles. Thanks so much for reading.
www.patreon.com/HumanOdyssey
ARTWORK
1. Sam Keiser
2. John Howe
3. Felipe Prez
4. Konstantinos Skenteridis
5. Aogachou
6. Stephen Wood
7. Sandara Tang
8. Evgeniy Chugunov
9. Stephen Oakley
10. Julian Peter V. Arias
11. Seoro O
12. Bliss L. Ng
