Somewhere in Midgard Mimir and Jormungandr, the Worldd-Serpent had a very interesting conversation. Jormungandr was about to start narrating Mimir his lige-story. The ‘childhood’ he got to experience…

A Giant was Born

“When I was born, I remember the face of my mother, a face that openly revealed her emotions; she was proud and full of joy. Seeing her expression, I felt important, then I turned my look and saw my father. He was terrified looking at me and I didn’t know why. That moment I felt sadness, but after a while I also sensed a feeling of proudness from my father…”

“Was this the moment Loki, your father, screamed?” Mimir interrupted him. Jormungandr looked at him full of curiosity.

“Why should he scream? For my appearance? He was indeed afraid of me at the start, but never so much that he would have the need to scream!” Jormungandr was beginning to get angry from Mimir’s comment and raised his voice.

Mimir wanted to explain himself to get out of this misunderstanding.

“I didn’t mean to insult you, my big fellow, I’m truly sorry. But some days ago, we heard Loki’s scream and found out about your birth just some days ago!”

Jormungandr seemed not interested what Mimirs was telling him at that moment…

“I do not know what is happening in this timeline, but my father was proud of me and my brother and sister. He even tried to hide us from the gods in our childhood, so we could have a peaceful life!”

Mimir’s curiosity at that moment became even greater. In his mind crossed the theory that Jormungandr’s arrival from the future must have changed some events. He kept this thought only to himself and let Jormungandr continue his story, maybe he could find some clue in the narration of the World Serpent!

And so, after they calmed down Jormungandr continued…

“After that my childhood started by being introduced to my siblings…

The Sister and Brother

Hel, my sister who was very sweet to me. I never understood why everyone were keeping their distances from her. If only they could get to know her… She was unique in my eyes being both dead and alive! She often told me stories the dead were telling to her, since only her could listen to them. I got to know so much from the ones that have passed this world from my older sister.

And then my oldest brother Fenrir; I remember first time I met him as clear as I can see you Mimir… Fenrir was strong and he was proud of his strength. The way he first looked at me when he approached me, I thought he was going to attack me! His fearsome fire-red eyes seemed very threatening. He walked slowly like a wolf moves towards his prey, right in front of me. I could sense the air of his hot breath reaching my face. When he opened his mouth and I saw his dreadful teeth, I panicked because I thought he was going to attack me like I was some kind of threat to him. At the last moment I closed my eyes out of horror and then… and then I sensed his tongue licking my nose.

‘Do not be afraid little brother’ he said ‘I could never harm one of my own kin, you are part of our pack!’ I heard from him. He was clearly testing me there. I was full of joy and proudness for having such a fearsome older brother. I thought I was the luckiest giant ever lived for having such a wonderful family.

But quickly realized that my childhood would not coninue like that since no one thought the same as I did.

Cruel Childhood

Soon after, I realized that no matter how unique, powerful and in the same time, gentle we were, everyone treated us the same way. With fear and disgust. Everyone who encountered us, no matter what race he belonged to. Human, God, troll, elf dwarf, they were treating us the same. I don’t understand why they judge a person by his appearance.

I mean they see someone different, that they have never seen before and the immediate thought is to either destroy or get away from him as fast as possible. So, we learned to rely only to ourselves and each other from our childhood years, like a family.

Hel and Fenrir were my best and only childhood friends apart from my siblings. The only companion I ever needed. With our mother always looking after us, and our father occasionally visiting us, he wasn’t with us every time we needed him but we understood since he was doing his best to keep us safe from the cruelty of the outside world…

But even He could not stop what fate had in store for us…

I remember that day…

That day..

That day Fenrir and I compared our strengths; In our childhood, we were doing that very often; Fenrir wanted to improve his might and seeing me outgrow him in size, he thought I was a good training companion. I was the only one after all.

Anyways, when we compete on whether he could lift me or not, three men entered our great hall. They seemed shocked when they saw us, nothing unexpected I may add. But before we could try to introduce ourselves and welcoming them in our house, as our mother had told us to do so in such occasions of unexpected visitors, they seized us! They bound me first tying me to the stripped trunk of a pine tree. They muzzled Fenrir with a muzzle made from knotted willow and put a rope around his neck as a leash! Thankfully they were not that aggressive to our sister who was very gloomy and disturbed. She followed them as they carried us.

After three days I heard some of them talking, a red-bearded person, who soon I found out was Thor, say “Have you noticed something?” The other person Thor was talking to was called Tyr and he was the kindest out of those three. And the only one who did not act with violence before. He was like we were against of seizing us but got outvoted. He often scratched with a playful attitude Fenrir’s furry neck.

A kind God?

 “What” Tyr responded to Thor’s question. Then Thor told him something we had also noticed and were really sad about “They are not following us, the Giants. Not even the creatures’ mother has come after us! It’s as if they want us to take Loki’s children out of Jotunheim.” That made me and my siblings feel very sad and insignificant… Why no one is even trying to help us, were was our mother? Did father even try to change the minds of the gods? Why is this happening…

But as if Tyr wanted to cheer us up, he responded to Thor “That is foolish talk! These are the children of Loki!” said Tyr while looking Fenrir with a genuine smile.

Since childhood my mother always told me to hate the gods, both Aesir and Vanir! But this god named Tyr might be the only exception! I was happy that not all the gods were that cruel. At that moment Tyr turned his look towards me and said with admiration ‘This one has grown many feet in the days we have carried it back!” He tried to pet me as he did with Fenrir but Thor stopped him warning him about my venom. ‘Careful!’ he said ‘This one can spit burning black venom. It spat me its poison at me, but it missed. That’s why we tied its head and mouth to the tree like that.” Said Thor correctly. That moment I vouched for the day my venom would not miss this Thor.

Alone…

I despised Thor! The other god, Odin turned also his look at me and said ‘It is a child, it is still growing. We will send it where it can oppose no threat to us.’ As he said that, he threw me with the tree I was bound to off to the Midgard Sea, that tied beyond all lands. As I slithered and slipped beneath the waves and swum away in loops and curls, I saw for the last time my family, my only friends taken away from me or rather, I was thrown away from them to this newly for me place called Midgard. I always wondered what was it to become of my brother and sister, If I would have the chance to see them again…

…

Left alone in Midgard I would grow beneath the grey waters of the world’s ocean. I grew until I encircled the whole Midgard. The I heard folk call me Jormungandr the Midgard serpent. What an Irony for my nickname to be linked to the place of my imprisonment…

I was alone for so long I almost forgot how to speak…

Rivalry

I desperately needed to know what happened to my brother and sister, but I could not leave Midgard. My size was so large I could not enter the Bifrost and travel though worlds. I was stuck in this shitplace, where everyone was so tiny and afraid that with any of my movements, I would destroy their homes and lands. I never wanted to bring trouble to anyone so I tried to lie still and rest until the end of my days. My whole existence was a curse.

Why was I born?

I wanted to die, but at the same time when the opportunity came… I did not.

One day someone bold enough tried to provoke me tossing an Ox’s head in the ocean believing it could fish me! I got so angry… So, I rose from the ocean’s waters looking for the one who challenged me.

I was not surprised, rather excited that the person who did it, was Thor! This time my venom would kill him, I thought!

So, we battle. As the god of Thunder, with every hammer toss he did, began a storm and lightnings in Midgard. Then I barely got hit by the edge of Thor’s hammer. His hammer opened me a serious wound with its electricity. Even though, I admit, our battle was even, I realized that one mismove of mine would mean my death. I wanted to end my life, that is true… But dying like that, from a person I absolutely abhor, was unacceptable!

So, I left the battle for another day and returned to my original position encircling Midgard. While Thor returned to Asgard proudly of his triumph that somehow, he thought he bested me…

Some months after this event, I got a visit from the squirrel, Ratatoskr…