The squirrel that runs along Yggdrasil's trunk, carrying discord between the eagle at the crown and Níðhöggr at the roots.
Ratatoskr is described in Grímnismál 32 as the squirrel that runs up and down Yggdrasil's trunk. His role is to carry insulting words between the unnamed eagle that sits at the tree's crown and the dragon Níðhöggr gnawing at the roots. The name is usually interpreted as 'drill-tooth' or 'gnaw-tooth', possibly alluding to the squirrel's characteristic behaviour.
Snorri Sturluson repeats the information in Gylfaginning 16 and confirms that Ratatoskr actively sows discord. The creature thus functions as a cosmic source of disturbance built into the world tree itself, a perpetual generator of conflict between the forces of heaven and those of the underworld.
Sources in the Eddas
- Grímnismál 32
- Ratatoskr is described as a carrier of discord along Yggdrasil. Own translation.
- Gylfaginning 16
- Snorri confirms the squirrel's role as a creator of conflict. Own translation.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Ratatoskr is a squirrel running along Yggdrasil carrying discord, attested in Grímnismál and Gylfaginning.
B What we think we know
His function as a troublemaker may symbolise the centrifugal forces that perpetually threaten cosmic order.