Gasp with awe or shriek with fear
for we're going to go mythological on your ass
welcome to WatchMojo.com
and today we are counting down our picks for the top ten creatures from norse mythology
[Ratatoskr] who could forget the time he heroically fought the jötunn!
along side the aaaaall father! Odin!
[Narrator] that didn't happen
for this list, we'll be ranking the most legendary and fearsome creatures of Norse mythology
which is a mythos deriving from the folk tales and legends, of such scandinavian countries
as Norway, Sweden and Denmark
[clip] and one day, the god Thor son of earth
was fishing in the sea for the serpent, using a bull's head for bait
[Narrator] Number ten, Draugar
[clip] do the dead frighten you?
[Narrator] Draugar are undead reminents, that have been reanimated from the grave
sound familiar? yup even scandinavia has their own unique take on zombies
these corpses often remain rooted in their final resting places guarding whatever treasures
or trinkets that were buried with them
though undead, a draugur can die a second death
usually through some manner of burning, decay or dismemberment
Draugar also have a certain strenght of will
since their reanimation is often the result of a desire for vengeance upon those who wronged them in life
in other words, watch out
number nine; Fossegrimen
Fossegrimen are spirits that usually reside within bodies of water
playing mournful tunes on an instrument, typically a harp or fiddle
a fossegrim can be persuaded to teach it's magical musical skills to humans, in exchange for an offering of food
if only the bare minimum is met, then the Fossegrim will only teach the basic instrumental skills
however, should the food offering meet the spirit's standards, then the lesson will include
drawing their students hands upon the strings of the fiddle or harp until bleeding occurs
infusing that person with the Fossegrim's innate mystical talent
Number eight; Sleipnir
In the world of norse mythology, there are battle steeds, and then there is Sleipnir
this fearless and bold eight legged horse
accompanies Odin the king of the gods, to face all of his enemies in war
Sleipnir is actually the offspring of the trickster god Loki
and the horse, Svaðilfari
while in the guise of a heated mare, Loki was impregnated with Sleipnir
eventually giving birth to the magical steed
able to travel great distances, and thought of as quote; "the best horse among gods and men"
Sleipnir was eventually taken by Odin and became his most beloved beast.
Number seven: Ratatoskr
[Ratatoskr] introducing, Ratatoskr, glorious champion of Yggdrasil
[Narrator] even Asgard has its small and humble creatures
Ratatoskr has the important task of being the gods own personal messenger service
continually bringing messages back and forth between the hawk Veðrfölnir and the dragon Níðhöggr
who reside upon the top and bottom of Yggdrasil, the world tree respectively
the origins of the name Ratatoskr, stem from the old norse word for tooth
leading to theories that the squirrel would gnaw at the world tree
although Ratatoskr is a relatively minor character in norse mythology
he maintains an influence in media by appearing in Marvel's unbeatable Squirrel Girl comic
as a giant squirrel who trash talks everyone
number 6: Jötnar
these giants of norse myth vary in appearance and distinguishing characteristics
and take residence in the realm of Jötunheimr
one of the nine worlds stemming from the tree Yggdrasil
the first Jötnar came into the world from the armpits of Ymir, while Ymir's feet gave birth to a six headed beast
it was these three creatures that brought about the race of frost giants
Jötnar of both fire and frost, have been known to interact with the gods of Asgard
whether it's Surtur, the fire jötinn of Múspellsheimr, or the dangerous frost Jötnar of Niflheimr
these mythical giants are an ever present and ever evolving force among the nine worlds
number five: dwarves
at the mention of dwarves one may think of the Tolkien battle hardened variety
or even a group of seven singing miners
but the dwarves of norse mythology differ quite a bit
they originate from germanic mythology, typically depicted as gate keepers, or metal smiths
four specific dwarves; Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri, whose names are old norse for the four cardinal directions
are assigned with holding up the four corners of the sky
the physical origins of dwarves are a bit more gruesome however, as they're often described
as springing forth from the skin of Ymir, father of Jötnar as a maggot or a parasite growth
that paints quite the picture
Number four: trolls
Trolls are a cornerstone of norse mythology and folklore
thought they bare little resemblance to those fuzzy haired little dolls we all know and love
[clip] the trolls like to live everywhere!
[narrator] trolls of myth tend to hide away from human kind as well as the light
the daylight actually possesses a lethal touch to the Norse troll
as its rays turn them instantly to stone
the norse trolls tend to travel and live in a tight family or group unit
they shun contact with people, an even prove to be dangerous for those
unwise enough to cross their path in the dark of night
Number three: the Kraken
casual movie fan may associate the kraken primarily with the clash of the titans
but myth buffs know that the beasts roots actually date back to norse culture
specifically the kraken was a fearsome sea creature that prowled oceans
swallowing men and entire ships whole in its wake
sea monsters are no strangers to the world of myth of course, yet the kraken's legacy continues today
in popular culture, be it in film or black spiced rum
in fact the giant squid genus architeuthis is said to be the closest approximation
to what the kraken might have looked like in norse legend
so avast ye maties
Number two: Fenrir
this offspring of Loki is the lord of all wolves
and possesses a grim destiny
one that is entwined with both the all-father Odin and Týr the god of justice
Fenrir is restrained by bonds throughout much of classic norse myth
keeping his violence and rage at bay
but myth states that he will break free during Ragnarök, the worlds end
and he will engage the gods in final battle
these bloody skirmishes will result in the loss of Týr's hand and in the death of Odin
although Odin's son Víðarr will have his revenge upon the wolf, slaying him in return
before we release our beast at the top of our list, here are some honorable mentions.
Number one: Jörmungandr
[clip] the great seas held in place by Jörmungandr
the serpent. whose giant body encircles it, and who keeps his tail in his mouth to complete the circle
also known as the world serpent, this son of Loki takes the form of a gigantic serpent
so large he is able to encircle midgard
where human kind resides, while holding his tail in his mouth
if this image sounds familiar, that's because it's the same as the classic ouroboros
a serpent, devouring its own tail, which serves as a metaphor for cyclical nature of life in many cultures
perhaps where Jörmungandur plays his most important role
is in the events of Ragnarök
or the viking apocalypse
legends says that the snake will release its grip on its tail, poison the sky and fight Thor the god of thunder
while Thor will defeat the monster it will be too late, as the world as it once was
will have ended
[clip] Thor will kill the serpent but die from its venom
[Narrator] do you agree with our list?
which creature from norse mythology is your personal favorite?
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[clip] release the kraken