Jörmungandr Tattoos
The Jörmungandr is a Viking sea serpent who is based on the story of when he was thrown into the sea he grew to become so large that he encompassed the entire Earth and grabbed his own tail.
His resulting name is the World Serpent.
Jörmungandr tattoos represent the fact that the Jörmungandr ended the whole cosmos in its entirety while creating a new one at the same time.
The image of him grabbing his own tail in a circle is called the Ouroboros.
The Jörmungandr tattoo is usually depicted as an Ouroboros tattoo, spinning in a big circle.
Therefore, Jörmungandr tattoos have to do with life rising from death.
Jörmungandr Tattoo Meaning
The Jörmungandr tattoo represents the desire to have life after death, or in other words, the hope for an afterlife.
Since Jörmungandr created life from death, he showed that it is indeed possible to restart life after it ends.
If you do not believe in reincarnation, but still want to get a tattoo of a Jörmungandr, there are others meanings that you could take from it.
For example, for those that believe in the Big Bang Theory, the myth of the Jörmungandr has some meaning.
If the universe is constantly expanding and contracting, then the universe itself is a metaphorical Ouroboros.
You may not believe in life after death, but you could believe in the perpetual life of the universe.
Last, it is possible that by receiving a Jörmungandr tattoo you believe in life after death, but that life will not be on Earth but in Heaven.
The Jörmungandr tattoo is more strict in its meanings than many other tattoos, just because its symbolism is so specific.
However, if you hold any of these beliefs, there’s a good chance that a Jörmungandr tattoo will be right for you.
Let’s now take a look at some specific Jörmungandr tattoo design ideas and the meanings behind them:
- Yggdrasil and Jörmungandr Tattoo Meaning
The Yggdrasil tattoo represents life in its totality, while the Jörmungandr represents how when that life ends there is a new beginning.
Therefore, this is a highly symbolic tattoo that represents the beginning and end of life and how it cycles through time and time again.
- Vegvisir and Jörmungandr Tattoo Meaning
The vegvisir tattoo and the Jörmungandr tattoo are often paired together and for good reason.
The vegvisir literally means “guidepost,” and is meant to guide you through life.
In the case of this tattoo, the vegvisir guides you through life and through until you reach the afterlife.
The vegvisir tattoo is like a spiritual guide, leading one through the ouroboros as life goes in its cycles.
- Jörmungandr Tattoo with Runes Tattoos Meaning
The meaning of a Jörmungandr tattoo with runes is dependent on what those runes mean.
However, more generally, this tattoo refers to the Nordic beliefs about the afterlife.
This tattoo is for someone who is infatuated with Norse traditions and for someone who believes in life after death.
- Jörmungandr and Fenrir Tattoo Meaning
The Fenrir is a nordic wolf that is fierce and strong and for people who rise about their struggles and come out on top.
Combined with the Jörmungandr, the Fenrir tattoo means that you will come out of each lifetime, time and time again, with the strength and courage to try life again.
- Jörmungandr and Mjolnir Tattoo Meaning
Another word for Mjolnir is Thor’s Hammer, which symbolizes power, protection, and masculine rage.
Thor’s hammer tattoo when combined with the Jörmungandr has the power to protect you in this life and the next.
This tattoo design has the power to provide you with enough strength needed to go through multiple lifetimes.
Summing Up
The Jörmungandr tattoo in general means that you believe in something happening after death– a life beyond what we know.
This Norse-inspired tattoo means that your existence does not end, but instead becomes a new existence for which we know nothing about– yet.
The Jörmungandr as a tattoo symbol can be confusing because of its relationship to the Ouroboros.
Just to straighten this thought out, the Jörmungandr is a Viking sea serpent that is shown as the Ouroboros, which is the depiction of the Jörmungandr in a circle eating his own tail.
As we have seen, the main meaning of the Jörmungandr tattoo is that there is a life after death.
If you have this tattoo, there’s a good chance that you believe that after the life we live on Earth, there is something.
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Thomas Arthur is a writer based in London. He graduated from De Montfort University with a creative writing & English degree.