Myrkviðr, anglicised to Myrkvidr or Myrkvid, is the name of a "dark wood" in Norse mythology. It is located somewhere between Asgard and Muspelheim. In the Lokasenna, Loki makes a small reference to Myrkviðr as the "dark forest":
- "With gold thou boughtest
- Gýmir's daughter,
- and so gavest away thy sword:
- but when Muspell's sons
- through the dark forest ride,
- thou, unhappy, wilt not
- have wherewith to fight."
The Myrkviðr has been identified with various forests across the Germanic world such as:
- The Kolmården in Sweden
- The Maeotian Swamp in Russia
- The Lunsen forest in Sweden
- A forest separating the Huns from the Burgundian tribe
In Popular Culture[]
The Mirkwood from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
- J. R. R. Tolkien used the anglicised "Mirkwood" as the name of two distinct locations in Middle-earth (itself based on Miðgarðr).
| Locations in Norse mythology | |
|---|---|
| Underworld | Helheimr • Éljúðnir • Gjallarbrú • Nástrǫnd • Niflheimr • Niflhel • Niðafjǫll |
| Rivers | Élivágar • Gjǫll • Ífingr • Kerlaugar • Kǫrmt and Ǫrmt • Slidr • Vadgelmir • Vimur |
| Other locations | Amsvartnir • Andlàngr • Barri • Bifrǫst • Bilskirnir • Brávellir • Brimir • Fensalir • Fjǫturlundr • Fólkvangr • Fornsigtuna • Fyrisvellir • Gálgviðr • Gandvik • Gastropnir • Gimlé • Ginnungagap • Glaðsheimr • Glæsisvellir • Glitnir • Gnipahellir • Heiðr • Himinbjǫrg • Hindarfjall • Hliðskjálf • Hnitbjǫrg • Hoddmímis holt • Iðavǫllr • Járnviðr • Mímameiðr • Munarvágr • Myrkviðr • Nóatún • Okolnir • Sessrúmnir • Sindri • Singasteinn • Søkkvabekkr • Svartálfaheimr • Þrúðheimr • Þrúðvangr • Þrymheimr • Útgarðr • Valaskjálf • Valhǫll • Víðbláinn • Vígríðr • Vingólf • Wells (Hvergelmir • Mímisbrunnr • Urðarbrunnr) • Ýdalir • Yggdrasill |