The primordial spring in Niflheim from which all rivers flow and Níðhöggr gnaws at Yggdrasil's root.
Hvergelmir is one of three sacred springs beneath Yggdrasil's roots. It lies in Niflheim, the world of icy darkness, and is the source of the eleven rivers that flowed through the void Ginnungagap at the world's creation.
At the spring the dragon Níðhöggr dwells and gnaws at Yggdrasil's root. Grímnismál enumerates multitudes of serpents that alongside Níðhöggr wear at the tree, an image of entropy's constant threat to cosmic order.
Attestations
- Grímnismál str. 26, 31, Poetisk Edda (ca. 1270, Codex Regius)
- Attestation for the spring's location and Níðhöggr's activity.