Jormungand Sea Serpent. In Norse mythology, Jormungand (pronounced “YOUR-mun-gand;” Old Norse Jörmungandr, “Great Beast”) is a snake or dragon who lives in the ocean that surrounds Midgard, the visible world. So enormous is he that his body forms a circle around the entirety of Midgard. He’s the middle child of the three children of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, along with Hel and Fenrir. According to the Prose Edda, Odin tossed Jormungand into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so large that it was able to surround the earth and grasp its own tail. As a result, it received the name of the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent. When it releases its tail, Ragnarök will begin. Jormungand’s arch-enemy is the thunder-god, Thor.
