What Was Niflheim In Norse Mythology and Why Did Nidhogg Gnaw At Yggdrasill’s Main Root?

Niflheim was a dark, frozen, fog filled land that was home to all humans who died of disease or old age.

A hideous dragon called Nidhogg survived in Niflheim by eating the flesh of human corpses.

Nidhogg also gnawed at Yggdrasill’s main root, hoping to bring the tree and the entire world crashing down.

As a final indication of his horrible character, Nidhogg sent a mischievous squirrel scrambling up Yggdrasill’s trunk to whisper insults in the ear of an eagle and a hawk perched in the top branches.