Hvergelmir

Hvergelmir is a mythological spring located in Niflheim, the realm of primordial ice and mist in Norse cosmology. It is described as the source of numerous rivers that flow throughout the nine worlds. The name Hvergelmir translates to "boiling cauldron" or "roaring cauldron," suggesting its immense and powerful nature.

According to the Prose Edda, Hvergelmir is the wellspring from which twelve great rivers, known as the Élivágar, originate. These rivers are said to have carried poison and frost, and from their icy flow, the first beings of Norse mythology, the giant Ymir, eventually formed. Hvergelmir is thus associated with the very beginning of creation and the raw, untamed forces of nature.

The spring is also mentioned in connection with the dragon Níðhöggr, who is said to gnaw at its roots. This imagery further emphasizes the primal and often destructive aspects of Hvergelmir, portraying it as a place of both origin and potential ruin. While its exact location and function are somewhat abstract, Hvergelmir represents a fundamental source of life and power within the Norse mythological framework.