In Norse mythology, Hvergelmir is the spring beneath Yggdrasil linked to the stag Eikþyrnir. The spring is one of the important wells and water sources in the Norse cosmic landscape.
Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda describes Eikþyrnir standing on Valhalla’s roof and feeding on Yggdrasil. Water runs from the stag’s antlers into Hvergelmir, from which many rivers are said to flow. This connects Odin’s hall with the wider structure of the nine worlds.
Hvergelmir is not the only famous well beneath or near Yggdrasil. Urðarbrunnr is associated with the Norns, while Mímisbrunnr is connected with Mímir and wisdom. These names are easy to mix up because all three belong to the mythology surrounding the world tree.
The spring also has a darker association: Níðhöggr and other serpentine creatures are said to dwell around its waters. Hvergelmir therefore combines creative, life-giving water imagery with the threats beneath Yggdrasil.