Inkborne Tales
Norse · 1 min 7 s · animated short
Thor and the Midgard Serpent
Disguised as a young man, Thor seeks a fishing trip with the giant Hymir. He rows far beyond the safe waters to face a creature that coils around the entire world. The god of thunder prepares to meet a monster that few have ever seen.
The telling
The god of thunder once went fishing for a monster that coils around the whole world. Thor hid his true self behind the face of a young man. He stayed with the giant Hymir and asked to go fishing with him.
Hymir told him to find his own bait for the trip. Thor simply tore the head off the largest ox belonging to Hymir.
Thor rowed the boat far out past the usual fishing grounds. Hymir felt great fear because of the Midgard Serpent, but the god pushed further into the deep.
Thor baited a huge hook with the ox head. Suddenly, the Serpent, Jörmungandr, bit the lure.
Thor pulled so hard that his feet broke through the bottom of the boat. He braced himself against the sea floor. He and the Serpent glared at each other.
As Thor raised his hammer, the terrified Hymir cut the line. The Serpent sank back into the dark sea.
Thor threw his hammer after it. Some say he struck its head, but the Serpent lives on in the ocean.
Based on
Retold from Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda, Gylfaginning ch. 48, tr. Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916).
How we made it
Condensed to under ninety seconds, so some episodes and details are left out. The illustrations are generated with AI and animated in our studio; the narration is synthesised.