Auðumbla is the primeval cosmic cow, and one of the first beings to come to life during the creation myth, as told to us in Snorri’s Prose Edda. this cow has three alternative names [Auðhumla, Auðumbla] and plays a prominent role in bringing the first giants to life. 

Snorri tells us of four streams of milk that flow from her udders, which nourish the primordial giant Ymir. She is also said to lick Borr, the progenitor of the gods, free from salty ice, which she uses for nourishment.

Fafnir is a monstrous Wyrm in Norse Mythology, one who is slain by the hero Sigurð. This is told in the saga of the Vǫlusungs and also in the Poetic Edda poem Fáfnismál. Fafnir wasn't always a dragon, he started out as a dwarf who was corrupted by greed, and as such was cursed to transform into the monster that Sigurð would face. 

Fáfnismál is an interesting poem, and one of the three that detail the adventures of Sigurð. In this poem, Sigurð pierces the dragon with his sword, and the pair have a lengthy conversation while Fafnir slowly dies. Fafnir repeatedly warns Sigurð that taking his hoarded gold will bring about his death, and he also warns the courageous warrior that his foster father, the dwarf Reginn, will betray him. Reginn crafted the sword Gramr for Sigurð, the very one used to slay Fafnir, and would eventually be used to behead Reginn for his planned betrayal. 

Fenrir, or Fenrisúlfr [Fenris Wolf] is a crucial and well-known entity in Norse Mythology. The story of this giant wolf is a sombre one, destined to live a life of imprisonment and solitude until Ragnarǫk, where he will finally break free and take revenge on the gods who doomed him to such a life of torment and misery.

Fenrir is one of the three children of Loki, the others being the goddess Hel and the giant serpent monster - Jǫrmungandr. This wolf serves as a warning against trying to alter one's fate, a lesson that Óðinn learned the hard way. During the events of Ragnarok, Fenrir is fated to finally take his revenge on the gods and devour Óðinn. He will swallow him whole before being slain by his son, Víðarr.

There is very loose evidence to suggest that Fenrir and the wolf of Hel - Garmr, are one and the same, which I'll discuss in more detail on Garmr’s page.

Fjalarr, not to be confused with Fjalarr the dwarf or the same name used by several giants in the eddas, is a relatively unknown rooster mentioned in the poem Vǫluspá. This is told in stanza 41, where we’re told about the giant Eggþér, a cheerful herder by trade who sits on a burial mound playing his harp. Near to him, in a place called Birdwood, is the rooster Fjalarr, a bright red singing bird. 

In the next stanza, 42, we’re told of another rooster whose name, Gullinkambi, translates to ‘golden comb.’ This rooster sits near the Æsir and is fated to awaken the einherjar to their final battle at Ragnarǫk. In that same stanza, we’re also told about a third, unnamed rooster that sings in Hel. This rooster is described as ‘soot-red,’ but no other details, name or description is given.

Garmr is an interesting figure in Norse Mythology, and certainly one shrouded in mystery. He is known as a mythological Dog/Wolf that is chained and howls, supposedly guarding the gate of Hel. Rudolf Simek points out in his book that Garmr is often misinterpreted by scholars, telling us that there is no solid evidence to equate Garmr with the otherwise described ‘nameless dog of Hel’. Rather he argues that Garmr is possibly another name for Fenrir, the evidence for this being the fetters that this creature is bound by.

Garmr is fated to fight Tyr at Ragnarok, with the result being that both slay each other. If Garmr is Fenrir, then this is in direct contradiction with Fenrir being slain by Vidarr. It's well known among scholars that Snorri added a lot to the myths presented in his Prose Edda, so it's very likely that to solve some of the confusion, he tried to distinguish these two wolves by giving a name and characteristics to the previously unnamed dog in Hel.

Geri and Freki are two wolves in Norse mythology closely associated with Óðinn, the chief of the gods. Their names, "Geri" and "Freki," roughly translate to "the hungry one" and "the greedy one," reflecting their insatiable appetite for battle. These wolves are often depicted as loyal companions of Óðinn, accompanying him as he sits upon his throne in Valhalla, the hall of slain warriors.

In the 19th stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál, we’re told that Óðinn feeds his tamed wolves, and the weapon-loving god lives on wine alone. This is backed up in Snorri’s Gylfaginning, where he describes how wine is both food and drink to the All-father, and he gives his food to his wolves. 

Gullinbursti is a sacred boar that belongs to the Norse god Freyr. This boar was created in the treasures of the gods myth, told to us in Snorri’s Prose Edda. In this story, Loki is forced to go to the dwarven blacksmiths and have them create a golden wig for Sif that would grow from her hair as though it were her own. This happens because Loki maliciously cut Sif's hair off while she was sleeping.

Unable to resist the urge for mischief, Loki approaches the dwarves Brokkr and Sindri, offering his own head as collateral in a bet that they couldn't create 3 marvels better than those of the Sons of Ivaldi [Gungnir, Sif's hair & Skidbladnir - Freyr's foldable ship].

Loki's head is too good of a prize, and the two accept. Gullinbursti was one of those 3 marvels alongside mjollnir and Draupnir. Brokkr and Sindri had won their bet, but Loki had agreed to lose his head, not his neck. The dwarves settled for sewing his mouth shut, causing as much pain as they possibly could.

Huginn and Muninn are two iconic ravens in Norse mythology, closely associated with Óðinn. These intelligent and mystical birds serve as Óðinn's constant companions and emissaries, playing a significant role in his acquisition of knowledge into the ongoings in the Norse cosmos. Their names translate to ‘Thought,’ and ‘Memory,’ and they are said to perch on Óðinn's shoulders. 

Each morning, the raven god will send them out to fly around the whole world, gathering news and information which they will then whisper into his ear when they return before breakfast. The connection between Óðinn and ravens is an ancient one, and ravens in general are referred to as ‘Óðinn’s birds.’ They also serve as embodiments of his own thoughts and his own memories, and it is said that each day he fears that thought will not return, but he fears even more for memory.  

Jǫrmungandr is a colossal and terrifying serpent in Norse Mythology. The name ‘Jǫrmungandr’ literally translates to ‘giant monster,’ an appropriate name for a creature whose body spans around the entirety of Midgard. It also goes by another name - Miðgarðsormr, which means ‘Midgard-serpent. Jǫrmungandr is one of the three monstrous children of Loki, thrown into the ocean where he will grow to an ungodly size. 

The adversary of this beast is Þórr, and while they are fated to fight to the death at Ragnarǫk, they actually meet on several occasions before the final showdown. One of which is when Þórr fished for him alongside the giant Hymir. He almost caught and killed the giant beast before Hymir cut the line, causing an enraged Þórr to throw him overboard. Another time they met was when Þórr travelled to the fortress of Útgarða-Loki. While in this fortress, he is tricked into attempting to lift Jǫrmungandr, who was disguised as a cat.

Their final meeting will be at Ragnarǫk. Þórr will strike down the serpent with Mjǫllnir, but he will also be struck, walking no more than 9 paces before falling to the venom of the beast.

Niðhǫggr, in Norse mythology, is a malevolent serpent or dragon that dwells at the roots of Yggdrasill. The name of this beast translates to ‘the one striking full of hatred.’ It dwells at the roots of Yggdrasill, gnawing at its roots and playing a secondary role in devouring the corpses of the fallen. This menacing serpent is said to make an appearance at Ragnarǫk, it will be seen flying across the sky with corpses in its wings, and Niðavellir will be its new home.

Niðhǫggr isn’t the only serpent dwelling at the roots of Yggdrasill. In the poem Grímnismál, we’re told by Óðinn that no fool could possibly know how many serpents dwell down there, but he does then proceed to name 6 serpents, sons of another called Grafvitnir. He tells us that they will always gnaw on the roots of that great ash. 

Ratatoskr is a mischievous squirrel that inhabits Yggdrasill in the Norse myths. This spirited creature scampers ceaselessly up and down the great ash tree, ferrying messages between the eagle at the top [Veðrfǫlnir?], and the terrifying serpent Niðhǫggr at the roots. According to both Snorri and the poem Grímnismál, he does this to sow discord between the two of them, with the words of the eagle generally being insults towards Niðhǫggr. 

Why this squirrel runs up and down delivering messages between these two is unknown, but it’s certainly a funny addition to the ecosystem of the great Ash tree. The name Ratatoskr means ‘drill tooth,’ the relevance of which to his role is something that I’m uncertain of.  

Skǫll and Hati are the celestial wolves that endlessly chase the sun and moon in the Norse myths. It’s not until Ragnarok that they will finally catch up to and devour their prey, plunging the world into darkness and chaos. Skǫll ‘mockery,’ is the wolf that chases the Moon, and Hati ‘despiser/hater,’ chases the Sun. There is some confusion surrounding these two, as Skǫll could possibly just be another name for Fenrir, who is stated to be the wolf that devours the sun in some sources.We’re introduced to these two in the 39th stanza of Grímnismál, and Snorri expands on their lore within his Prose Edda. He states that they are of the giant race but in the form of wolves, and that they are the children of a witch who lives in the Ironwood. This could possibly be Angrboða, the mother of Fenrir. 

Personally, I prefer the idea of two wolves that chase the sun and moon separately to Fenrir, as he already fills a large role in Ragnarǫk. In our retelling of the Norse Myths,  we have made it so that Skǫll, Hati and Fenrir are separate animals that play their own parts in the final battle.

Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr are two mystical goats that aid Þórr on his adventures, supposedly carrying his chariot. Why goats and not horses? that’s anyone's guess. These two appear in Snorri’s Prose Edda and nowhere else, so it’s likely that he made them up as a means of giving Þórr an interesting mode of transportation given that he spends a lot of time travelling around the giant’s home of Jǫtunheim, a place known for its harsh terrain. 

Their names translate to ‘Teeth-bearer,’ [Tanngrisnir] and ‘Teeth-grinder,’ [Tanngnjóstr]. Aside from the mention of their names and their role in carrying Þórr’s chariot, nothing else is known of these two goats.

Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, and Duraþrór are four stags or harts that reside on the world tree - Yggdrasill. They are said to stretch their necks and eat the leaves of the giant ash tree, and this is told to us in the 33rd stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Grímnismál. 

Apparently, the morning dew falls onto their horns and forms the rivers of the world, however, I couldn’t find concrete evidence of this in both of my copies of the Poetic Edda or the Prose Edda, so take that with a pinch of salt. In stanza 35 of Grímnismál, we’re told that Yggdrasill endures more pain than any man will know, as it is eaten from above by these four deer, from beneath by an untold amount of serpents and from the sides by rot.

Veðrfǫlnir, in Norse mythology, is a bird of prey perched atop Yggdrasill. Not much is known about this bird, and the sources are unclear as to whether it is decisively an eagle or a hawk. In Snorri's Prose Edda, there are two birds atop the tree - A large unnamed eagle and then the hawk Veðrfolnir which sits between its eyes, which is quite confusing. 

A specialist in the Old Norse language - Dr. Jackson Crawford, argues that this is possibly the result of Snorri 'trying to have it both ways,' something that I personally agree with after studying Snorri’s work for this project.