Bergelmir

Bergelmir is a jötunn (giant) in Norse mythology. He is considered one of the first of the jötnar, and according to the poem Vafþrúðnismál in the Poetic Edda, he is the only giant to have survived the flood of blood that occurred when the god Odin and his brothers Vili and Vé slew the primordial giant Ymir.

The Prose Edda, specifically the Gylfaginning section, provides further detail. It states that Bergelmir escaped the flood by climbing onto a lúðr, which is often translated as a wooden box, chest, or perhaps even a hollowed-out tree trunk. Bergelmir and his wife are said to have repopulated the race of giants after the deluge.

Bergelmir's lineage is significant. He is the son of Þrúðgelmir and the grandson of Ymir, making him directly descended from the primordial being from whose body the cosmos was formed. Therefore, Bergelmir represents a crucial link between the primeval world of the giants and the subsequent generations.

The name "Bergelmir" is of uncertain etymology, but is often interpreted as meaning "Roaring Bear" or "Mountain Yeller," reflecting the wild and untamed nature associated with the jötnar. His survival of Ymir's death and the subsequent flood marks him as a key figure in the ongoing conflict between the gods (Æsir) and the giants, a conflict that forms a central theme in Norse mythology.