330 
nian Ajis Dahaka, “ Biting-snake/"’ who in later tradition 
appears as the Perso- Arabian giant Zohak. The storm, off- 
spring of the thundercloud (Angurbodha), is cast from heaven 
as rain, and becomes identified with the lower storm of water, 
i.e.y the sea ; into which, accordingly, Odhinn, as the heaven- 
ruler, hurled the Midhgardhsormr. Here the monster grew 
to such a size that with tail in mouth he surrounds the world, 
and so is Jormungurdr, “ Earth-encircler,” and Weltums- 
panner, “ Stretcher-round-the-world;” i.e.,h.Q became identified 
with the ocean, into which he had been cast. In the contest 
with the gods he is specially pitted against the equally- 
extended Thorr. The translator of MallePs Northern Anti - 
quities , edit. 1770, well observes: “We see plainly in the 
above fable [i.e., myth] the origin of those vulgar opinions 
entertained in the North, and which Pontoppidan has 
recorded, concerning the Craken, and that monstrous Ser- 
pent, described in his History of Norvjay .”* In an ancient 
Akkadian Hymn we read, “ The thunderbolt of seven heads, 
like the huge serpent of seven heads (Ibear) ; like the serpent 
which beats the sea, (which attacks) the foe in the face.”f 
The sea here referred to was probably originally the Oversea, 
the “ mare magnum sine fine.” Again, the “ Lernaeus 
turba capitum anguis ” seems similarly to have originally 
represented the many-headed, changing storm-clouds.”]; 
Nidhoggr. “ Gnawing-serpent.”§ The fell hell-serpent that 
with numberless other snakes dwells in a well under one of 
the three roots of Yggdrasil, which it constantly gnaws ; and 
it also sucks or shall suck the bodies of the wicked dead. 
Goranson, in his Latin version of the Younger Edda , renders 
the passage, “Ibi enim Nidhoggius (Diabolus) excarnificat 
cadavera mortuorum.” Anderson styles Nidhoggr, “ The 
dragon of the uttermost darkness.” It is animated by a hatred 
of what a Zoroastrian would call the “good creation,” and is 
thus an opponent of kosmic order. 
Another drakontic monster, but one which belongs to the 
cycle of the heroes and their exploits, is Fafnir, a name akin 
to the Greek ther, iEol. joher 3 Latin /era, English deer (a good 
example of restricted meaning of a term once general), who 
guarded treasure on a heath, and was slain by the solar hero 
Sigurd, who, concealing himself in a pit (the Under-world), 
pierced Fafnir (the nocturnal-darkness) to the heart with his 
sword (ray) as the monster passed over the piPs mouth. 
* Vol. ii. 136, note. + Apud Records of the Past , iii. 128. 
t Cf. Mythology of the Aryan Nations , ii. 48. 
§ Thorpe. Perhaps “ murderous-biter.” 
