Níðhöggr, Gnawer of Roots

The myth

Níðhöggr is the dragon that gnaws the roots of Yggdrasil. In the poem Grímnismál it bites the tree from below, along with many serpents, while the squirrel Ratatoskr carries insults between it and the eagle at the top. Snorri places it in the spring Hvergelmir in Niflheim. In the Völuspá it sucks the corpses of the guilty at Náströnd, the shore of the dead, and after Ragnarök it still appears in flight, dark, with the dead upon its wings. Its name is usually rendered as malice-striker, or the one who strikes in spite.

Why it has this power

A level 7 Rare with ATK 2450 and DEF 2100: patient yet dangerous, like one who gnaws the world for ages. The Darkness element comes from the roots and the shore of the dead. Moon and Leviathan, for the dark waters of Hvergelmir, complete the oldest dragon in the collection.

Did you know

The Völuspá ends precisely with Níðhöggr flying over the renewed world, an image scholars still debate.

Connections

• In Thorvald Blackkeel's deck
• In Halvard the Grey Raven's deck
• In Kaelmyr, Devourer of Pantheons's deck

Where to get it

• Campaign drop: Kaelmyr, Devourer of Pantheons (The Void Between Mythologies) — grade B: 17%
• Daily Offering: 0.11% per pack (Rare 2.8% per card)
• Traveler's Pack: 0.69% per pack · 3.3% in the themed pack (Rare 7% per card)
• Bronze Reliquary: 0.78% per pack · 3.7% in the themed pack (Rare 8% per card)
• Silver Reliquary: 1.3% per pack · 6.2% in the themed pack (Rare 15% per card)
• Golden Reliquary: 2% per pack · 9.4% in the themed pack (Rare 25% per card)
• Daily Showcase: Shows up on about 1.5% of days · 400 gems
• Craft with card dust: 600 dust
• Crossing of Myths: Can be offered as a reward during a crossing (the card stays in the crossing deck).

Sources

1. Nidhogg — Encyclopaedia Britannica
2. Nidhogg — Store norske leksikon
3. The Poetic Edda: Grimnismol — Henry Adams Bellows (trad./trans.)