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中文字：1270，建议阅读时间2分钟；英文字：600；
纵观全世界人类历史总有一部分是关于神话故事。人类与兽互相搏斗、互相帮助甚至互生情愫、繁衍子嗣。回顾那些被流传下来的故事，总结下西方世界中动物们在故事中扮演的几类角色：
· 变形者——有人类变成动物的，也有动物变成人类的，例如《青蛙王子》中，青蛙被施了魔法后需要公主的吻才能变回人形，公主一开始是嫌弃的，后来变回人形后又爱慕的不行，童话故事中也是一个看脸的世界啊。
· 骗子——恶毒的动物会施以诡计，诱骗人类以金钱甚至寿命来换取他们想要的东西，大白君觉得其实这类动物就是潜藏在我们人类内心的贪婪与欲望。
· 信使——这类动物形象较为友善，通常会在某个地点，某个时间出现提醒或者帮助人类即将面对的危险。
· 巫师——特别是那种半人半兽的物种，他们拥有精神与肉体的治愈功能，当然很多形象也是亦正亦邪。
· 怪兽——最耳熟能详的就是奥特曼啦，里面有打不完的怪兽。
· 神——特别那些有动物属性的神祉，例如希腊神话中的pan,山林之神有着一对羊角和一对羊蹄，他们可以创造生命当然也可以剥夺生命。
· 末日的代表——很多电影里面都会有这样一种形象，那就是只要唤醒某种动物，那就代表世界末日的到来。
故事的有趣并不仅仅在于它本身的情节多么离奇，更在于人类如何通过这个故事来认识世界。
今天第一个为大家介绍的动物叫做耶梦加得（北欧神话中环绕世界的大蛇）。
Jormungandr
在北欧神话中，Jormungandr（耶梦加得）的意思是巨大的怪兽，也被称作蟒蛇。她是女巨人Angrbooa与Loki（洛基）的第二个孩子，北欧诸神之父odin(奥丁)因预感这个孩子将来会危害世界，于是将她扔进大海中，因为在那时耶梦加得已经长得足够大，它的整个身体已经可以环绕地球一圈，并且竟然可以咬住自己的尾巴，把人间团团围住。当耶梦加得施展她的尾巴时，就是世界末日的到来。
耶梦加得的宿敌就是赫赫有名的雷神thor(托尔)。下面三个小故事就讲述了耶梦加得与宿敌的恩恩怨怨。
那只被托尔举起的猫
巨人国国王想要测试下托尔的力气，于是让他托举一只猫。当托尔正准备举起那只猫时，发现只能举起它的一只脚,正当托尔很诧异时，国王告诉他，那只猫其实是耶梦加得的化身，耶梦加得的重量足以抵得过全世界，举起一只脚已经非常了不起了。
托尔的钓鱼之旅
托儿与巨人Hymir（希米尔）去钓鱼，但是希米尔不愿提供鱼饵，托尔就把希米尔最大的一头牛的头拽下来作为鱼饵。他们划船至希米尔经常钓比目鱼的地方，在那里托尔钓到了两头鲸鱼，但托尔并不满足于此，不顾希米尔的警告，继续向深海出发。
托尔准备了承重力很强的鱼绳、一个很大的鱼钩并且用公牛的头作为诱饵，当耶梦加得咬住鱼钩时，托尔就使劲将耶梦加得拉出水面，于是他们正面交锋，耶梦加得流出毒液与鲜血，希米尔当即吓得脸色惨白，但托尔握住他的锤子，意欲杀了耶梦加得，却被希米尔砍断鱼绳，让耶梦加得沉入海底。
最后一战
最后一次托尔与耶梦加得正面交锋是发生在Ragnarök，当时耶梦加得想要离开大海，去污染天空，托尔意欲杀她，但是最终托尔沾上了耶梦加得的毒液，走了九步便毒发生亡。
至今也不清楚是什么原因使耶梦加得让人们对她如此感兴趣，也许是她的神秘性，至今人们对于耶梦加得的印象还仅仅停留在，她一条巨大的，能够围住整个地球，呼吸出有毒物质的蛇。
English version
Introduction
Throughout the history of human kind around the world animals have been a part of mythology and stories. Animals and humans have fought each other, helped each other and even married and had intercourse with each other. Through these action famous stories have been created and told through generations. The animals play key roles in these stories which are:
· Transformation – when human turns into an animal or when an animal turns into a human. Like the princess and the frog, the princess finds a frog which convinces her to kiss him so he can turn into a prince.
· Trickster – a mischievous animals that tricks people into losing money or into losing their life can sometimes shapeshift into other creatures and humans.
· Mediator – this would be a creature who gives advice to aid the adventure or as a warning to travellers
· Shaman – possess spiritual and healing powers
· Monsters – animals that process powerful strength that cause trouble
· Deity – god like animals that creature life and can take life away
· Chaos – animals that will bring the end of the world
While some of the stories are old, they are very interesting to see how people throughout history use to see the world.
The first animal we will introduce in Jormungandr
Jormungandr
From Norse mythology, the name meaning huge monster and also known as the MidgarSerphant. It is the middle child of giantess Angrbooa and Loki, Jormungandr was tossed into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. Jormungandr grew so large that is could surround the earth and grasp its own tail. Legend says when it releases its tail Ragnarok will begin which is the end of the world in Norse mythology. Jormungandr is the arch-enemy of the thunder-god Thor. There is three myths that detail thors encounter with Jormungandr.
Lifting the cat
Thor encounters the serpent in the form of a gaint cat. The giant king Utgaroa-Loki. He challenged the thunder god to lift the cat as a test of strength. But thor is unable to lift such a giant creature as Jormungandr. When Thor manages to lift the cat off the ground, once this was done the giant king tells Thor of his deception and tell thor what a great achievement it was.
Thor’s fishing trip
Thor goes fishing with the giant Hymir. When Hymir refuses to provide Thor with bait, Thor strikes the head off Hymirs largest ox to use as his bait. They row to a point where Hymir often sat and caught flat fish, where he drew up two whales, but Thor demands to go further out to sea, and does so despite Hymirs warnings.
Thor then prepares a strong line and a large hook and baits it with the ox head, which Jörmungandr bites. Thor pulls the serpent from the water, and the two face one another, Jörmungandr dribbling poison and blood.Hymir goes pale with fear, and as Thor grabs his hammer to kill the serpent, the giant cuts the line, leaving the serpent to sink beneath the waves.
The final battle
The last meeting between the serpent and Thor is predicted to occur at Ragnarök, when Jörmungandr will come out of the ocean and poison the sky. Thor will kill Jörmungandr and then walk nine paces before falling dead, having been poisoned by the serpents venom.
While not a lot is known about Jörmungandr that is what makes it more interesting something， so dangerous yet only parts of the serpents is known ，seen as a giant snake that breaths poison but something so big it circles the earth.
