Níðhöggr— Norse Dragon"Corpse-Gnawer"

The Corpse-Gnawer

Níðhöggr dwells in the darkest depths beneath Yggdrasil, where the root extends into Niflheim. His name means "Malice Striker" or "Curse-Striker," and his nature is pure malevolence. While other dragons hoard gold or guard sacred places, Níðhöggr gnaws endlessly at the root of the World Tree itself, working slowly but ceaselessly to destroy the cosmos from below.

Feeder on the Damned

Beneath Yggdrasil lies Náströnd, the Shore of Corpses—a hall facing north, woven from serpent spines, with venom dripping from the roof. Here dwell the worst of the dead: oath-breakers, murderers, and those who violated the sacred bonds of kinship. Níðhöggr feeds on these corpses, tearing at the damned for eternity.

The Eternal Enmity

Níðhöggr is locked in eternal conflict with the unnamed eagle that perches in Yggdrasil's highest branches. The squirrel Ratatoskr runs up and down the trunk carrying insults between them, stirring their hatred. This enmity represents the cosmic tension between the heights and depths, order and chaos, that keeps the world in motion.

The Slow Destruction

Níðhöggr's gnawing weakens Yggdrasil little by little. Though the Norns pour water from the Well of Urðr on the roots to heal them, the damage accumulates. When Ragnarök comes, the damage will be complete—the tree will tremble, and the dragon's work of ages will bear fruit in the world's destruction.

After the End

Remarkably, Níðhöggr will survive Ragnarök. In the final stanza of the Völuspá, after describing the world renewed, the seeress sees Níðhöggr flying up from the dark mountains, corpses in his wings. What this means is unclear—perhaps chaos can never be truly destroyed, only temporarily subdued. The serpent at the root of existence gnaws on.