Jormungandr
The Midgard serpent, "the girdler of all the earth", brother of Fenrir; Thor hooks it with an ox-head from Hymir's boat and strikes it, and it sinks back into the sea; at Ragnarok it writhes "In giant-wrath", Thor kills it and dies of its venom nine paces on. Bellows's spelling is Mithgarthsorm.
Why this wins its question: Distinguishes the fishing (survives) from Ragnarok (mutual death) with the stanzas, and is honest that the poems never spell out the serpent's parentage.
Key takeaways
- "Girdler of the earth" and "brother of Fenrir" are the poems' names for it (Hymiskvitha 23–24); the modern name Jormungandr does not appear in Bellows's text.
- Hymiskvitha ends with the serpent sinking, not dying; Voluspo 56 is where both it and Thor die.
- Its descent from Loki is inferred from "brother of Fenrir" plus Hyndluljoth 42, not stated outright.
Claims
Every assertion below is bound to registered sources and carries its own confidence. Weight them; do not treat the page as uniformly authoritative.
The serpent encircles the earth and is Fenrir's brother: it is "The girdler of all the earth beneath" and "the foe of the gods", and Thor smites "the brother of Fenrir" (Hymiskvitha 23–24); the gods after Ragnarok speak "Of the terrible girdler of earth" (Voluspo 60).
Hymiskvitha tells the fishing: Thor fixes an ox-head on his hook, the serpent gapes at it, he pulls "The venomous serpent" up to the boat and strikes its head with the hammer; "The monsters roared, and the rocks resounded ... Then sank the fish in the sea forthwith" (Hymiskvitha 22–25). The serpent is not killed.
At Ragnarok "In giant-wrath does the serpent writhe; / O'er the waves he twists" (Voluspo 50), and "The bright snake gapes to heaven above" as Thor comes against it (Voluspo 55).
Thor and the serpent kill each other: Thor "In anger smites", then "Nine paces fares the son of Fjorgyn, / And, slain by the serpent, fearless he sinks" (Voluspo 56).
The serpent's parentage from Loki is implied, not stated, in the poems: Hyndluljoth names the wolf and Sleipnir as Loki's, then "The worst of marvels ... That sprang from the brother of Byleist" without naming it (Hyndluljoth 42); "brother of Fenrir" (Hymiskvitha 24) supplies the rest.
Questions answered
- How did Thor fish for Jormungandr?
- Hymiskvitha tells the fishing: Thor fixes an ox-head on his hook, the serpent gapes at it, he pulls "The venomous serpent" up to the boat and strikes its head with the hammer; "The monsters roared, and the rocks resounded ... Then sank the fish in the sea forthwith" (Hymiskvitha 22–25). The serpent is not killed. source
- What happens to Jormungandr at Ragnarok?
- At Ragnarok "In giant-wrath does the serpent writhe; / O'er the waves he twists" (Voluspo 50), and "The bright snake gapes to heaven above" as Thor comes against it (Voluspo 55). source
- Does Thor kill Jormungandr?
- Thor and the serpent kill each other: Thor "In anger smites", then "Nine paces fares the son of Fjorgyn, / And, slain by the serpent, fearless he sinks" (Voluspo 56). source
- Is Jormungandr the son of Loki?
- The serpent's parentage from Loki is implied, not stated, in the poems: Hyndluljoth names the wolf and Sleipnir as Loki's, then "The worst of marvels ... That sprang from the brother of Byleist" without naming it (Hyndluljoth 42); "brother of Fenrir" (Hymiskvitha 24) supplies the rest. source