Naglfar, the Ship of Nails

The myth

Naglfar is the largest ship in existence, according to Snorri, and it is made of dead men's nails. At Ragnarök it breaks its moorings and carries the forces of chaos to the final battle; the Völuspá puts Loki at the helm, while Snorri says the giant Hrymr commands it. That is why, Snorri explains, no one should die with untrimmed nails: every trimmed nail is less material for the ship, and gods and men wish it to be finished as late as possible. It is one of the strangest and most memorable images in Norse myth.

Why it has this power

A level 8 Epic, reached only by fusing the Naglfar Oarsman with any Machine: the oarsman gains his ship. ATK 2800 and DEF 2700 make it a floating fortress. A Water Undead, under Moon and Scarab, the constellations of the returning dead. One of the pillars of the fjord's darker side.

Did you know

Snorri's advice to trim the nails of the dead is perhaps the only practical instruction for delaying the end of the world.

Connections

• Born from the fusion of: Naglfar Oarsman + Machine

Where to get it

• Born from the fusion of: Naglfar Oarsman + Machine
• It never joins the collection: you summon it mid-duel, by fusion or ritual.

Sources

1. Naglfar – i norrøn mytologi — Store norske leksikon
2. The Prose Edda: Gylfaginning — Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (trad./trans.)
3. The Poetic Edda: Voluspo — Henry Adams Bellows (trad./trans.)