Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s post, I am sharing my first post in a small four-part series on the children of Loki. As they all tend to be seen as monstrous, I thought this was an ideal mini-series for October! So, over the next four days, I will discuss one of Loki’s children. This first post is about Jormungandr, the World Serpent.
Jormungandr is the son of Loki and Angrboða, a jotunn (or Giant) from Jotunheimen. Jormungandr is one of the three children of Loki and Angrboða, with the other two being Fenrir and Hel, who I will explore later this week in this series. Jormungandr and his siblings are not welcomed warmly when they arrive in Asgard, as there had been concern from the other Gods when they learned they were being raised in Jotunheimen. Odin had even received a prophecy that they would become a challenge to the power of the Gods. It was then that they were taken from their mother and separated from each other when they were still young, all due to this prophecy. Jormungandr is flung into the Sea by Odin himself, which is how, as he grew larger and more powerful, he began to encircle the base of the World Tree!
When Jormungandr grew so large that he encircled Midgard, he formed an Ouroboros by eating his own tail. The Ouroboros is the cross-cultural depiction of Serpents and Dragons eating their own tails, as a sign of immortality. The symbol of the Ouroboros is one that has a deep connection to all of the different Serpentine energies and Sacred Sexuality found within much world folklore, which makes Jormungandr an important link to world folklore. There is even a belief in Norse lore that if Jormungandr ever releases his tail, this would begin the end of the Gods. That leads quite well to the most important lore about Jormungandr, his connection with both the God Thor and, later, Ragnarok!
In fact, Jormangundr’s mythology is so entwined with Thor that the only times we see him appear in myth, outside of his origin story, are when he is an antagonist to Thor. The most famous interaction between these two famed rivals is found in a story of Thor having a competition in the stronghold named Utgarda-Loki, which was the home of a Giant. Thor struggled mightily with challenges that should have been easy for him to accomplish. The final challenge was to lift a large cat, which he was unable to do. It was later revealed that the reason he had failed was that it had all been a trick. The large cat was actually Jormangudr in disguise, and at that point, he had already grown so large that Thor would never have had a hope of lifting him! That was how they first met in the myths, and it is often cited as the reason that Thor hated Jormangundr so much, as he had been the reason for Thor’s humiliation.
While there is another tale about a fisherman that shows Thor and Jormungandr at odds, I want to instead jump right into Ragnarok for this post, as it is the most important aspect of Jormungandr’s mythology. Ragnarok is the Twilight of the Gods and the End of the World (before it will be rebuilt again) in Norse mythology, and all three of Loki’s children with Angrboða play important roles in Ragnarok. I will just explore Jormungandr’s role for today, and go into detail on the others’ connections with Ragnarok in the other posts in this mini-series.
Ragnarok will begin when Jormungandr finally releases his tail and then leaves his home in the Sea, thrashing onto the land and filling the air with poison! Thor and Jormungandr will have a final battle, which ends with Thor slaying Jormungandr, but dying himself in the process. So, that is how the Norns (the Norse Fates) have prophesied that Ragnarok will occur. You see, Ragnarok is always written about in the future tense, as it has yet to occur, all being built on the prophecy Odin received. In fact, it is the prophecy of Ragnarok that caused Odin to toss a young Jormungandr into the Sea in the first place, as he sought to delay Ragnarok as long as possible! You see, I chose not to state that the prophecy was of Ragnarok at the beginning of the post for dramatic effect. However, now that you have read the full context of Jormungandr in Ragnarok, I think it is obvious why he is such an important and fascinating figure from Norse mythology!
I hope that you have enjoyed this short look at Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent of Norse mythology. What is your favorite aspect of Jormungandr’s lore? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Jormungandr as he appears in the God of War video games, which my husband loves. I found the art on https://godofwar.fandom.com/wiki/Jörmungandr.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Further Reading
- Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
- Mythology by Edith Hamilton
- https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/jormungandr-0017235
2 responses to “Jormungandr, the World Serpent”
What a fantastic start to this October series! I was completely drawn in from the very first line.
You have a real gift for making the mythology feel both epic and intimate. The way you framed Jormungandr’s story—from a child torn from his family due to a fearful prophecy to the world-encircling Ouroboros—was incredibly powerful. It adds such a tragic depth to a figure often simply labeled as a “monster.”
My favorite aspect you highlighted is undoubtedly the profound symbolism of the Ouroboros. Connecting Jormungandr not just to Norse lore, but to universal themes of cycles, eternity, and sacred sexuality was a brilliant touch. It elevates him from a mere beast in a god’s story to a fundamental archetype of world mythology. The fact that the stability of the world literally depends on him holding his own tail is such a stunningly beautiful and terrifying concept.
I also loved how you structured the post around the inevitability of Ragnarok. Saving the reveal that the initial prophecy was about Ragnarok until the end was a masterful storytelling choice that gave the entire piece a powerful, circular narrative.
I am so looking forward to the rest of this series. The stage is perfectly set for exploring Fenrir and Hel with the same depth and empathy. Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and beautifully articulated piece!
Eagerly awaiting the next post,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I am thrilled that you enjoyed my storytelling in the post. As always, thank you for reading and commenting!