Níðhöggrs

Níðhöggr is a figure from Norse mythology, primarily appearing in the Poetic Edda. The name is often translated as "malice-striker" or "curse-striker." Níðhöggr is depicted as a serpent or dragon dwelling at the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree. Its primary activity described is gnawing at the roots of Yggdrasil. The Eddic poem Grímnismál mentions Níðhöggr in conjunction with other creatures that inhabit the roots of the world tree, including the Norns who tend to its roots and a stag that browses on its leaves. The poem also states that Níðhöggr consumes the corpses of the unrighteous, suggesting a connection to the underworld or a place of punishment. In Vafþrúðnismál, Odin asks the giant Vafþrúðnir about Níðhöggr's sustenance, and Vafþrúðnismál replies that it feeds on the dead. The creature is generally seen as a malevolent force, symbolizing destruction and the decay that constantly threatens the cosmic order represented by Yggdrasil. Its perpetual gnawing signifies an ongoing struggle against the stability of the universe.