Jormungandr

Jormungandr is known as the Midgard serpent. He is a child of Loki and was thrown into the oceans by Odin. He is a great and powerful monster. He is said to be biting his own tail and by doing that holding back the oceans. We have three main stories preserved about him.

The story of disguise. Jormungandr was disguised as a cat using magic and Thor was tricked into lifting the cat to show his strength. As Thor lifted with all of his strength he was only just able to lift one of the cats paws. It was later revealed to Thor that it was all a trick. His strength was actually very impressive.

The story of Thor fishing. Thor is said to have gone out into the sea using an ox’s head as bait. Jormungandr took the bait and a fierce battle erupted. Thor pulled so strongly that his feet broke through the bottom of the boat and he was pulling against the bottom of the ocean floor. He would have reeled the serpent in if the giant he was fishing with hadn’t become scared and cut the line.

The story of Ragnarok. Ragnarok is said to start with a great winter. The extreme cold causes Jormungandr to let go of his tail and releases the seas. During Ragnarok Thor and Jormungandr will fight to the death. Thor will ultimately kill the serpent but not before he is bitten. He will only be able to take nine steps afterward before he succumbs to the poison and dies.