Hvergelmir is the primordial spring associated with one of Yggdrasil’s roots. Its name is commonly translated as “bubbling boiling spring,” and Norse sources describe it as a primal source from which numerous rivers flow. In the Prose Edda, the spring lies in Niflheim beneath the root of the cosmic tree that extends into that realm.
Hvergelmir is one of three major wells or springs connected with Yggdrasil. The other two are Urðarbrunnr, associated with the Norns, and Mímisbrunnr, associated with Mímir and wisdom. This distinction matters because all three are sometimes loosely called the “well of Yggdrasil,” even though they have different locations and functions.
The spring also has a darker side. The dragon Níðhöggr and countless serpents are said to inhabit it and gnaw at the tree’s roots. Another passage says that water drips into Hvergelmir from the antlers of the stag Eikþyrnir, helping explain its role as a source of rivers and cosmic waters.