Ratatoskr

Ratatoskr, also written Ratatöskr or Ratatosk, is a rodent figure in Norse mythology. A red squirrel dwelling in Yggdrasil, the world tree, he runs up and down between the eagle perched at the top and Níðhöggr, the dragon gnawing at the roots, carrying messages and repeating insults. In this way he acts as a gossiping intermediary who keeps the feuding birds and serpent engaged in their animosity.

Most of what is known about Ratatoskr comes from the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson, particularly Gylfaginning, which describes him as a courier between the eagle and the dragon, relaying words and jokes back and forth. The Poetic Edda alludes to the imagery of Yggdrasil and its guardians but provides less detail about Ratatoskr himself. The figure thus functions more as a cosmological detail illustrating the perpetuation of conflict in the world-tree rather than as a central mythic actor.

Name and etymology: Ratatoskr is Old Norse for a rodent-related name, commonly translated roughly as "drill-tooth" or "gnaw-tooth," reflecting his nature as a squirrel. The spelling Ratatöskr and Ratatosk are variants found in modern retellings.

Beyond the sources, Ratatoskr has appeared in contemporary media and adaptations inspired by Norse myth, where he is often depicted as a talking squirrel inhabiting Yggdrasil or serving as a messenger in fantasy settings.