Ratatosk
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In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr (drilling tooth, sometimes anglicized Ratatosk) is a red squirrel who runs up and down with messages in the world tree Yggdrasill and spreads gossip. In particular he ferried insults between the eagle at the top of Yggdrasill, and the dragon Níðhöggr beneath its roots.
[edit] Modern Appearances
Ratatosk makes a minor appearance in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman comic book, as an accidental "midwife" to Thor in a story told by Loki. He also appears in Gaiman's novel American Gods. Ratatosk appears as a woman running a temp agency for the gods in Esther Friesner's "Temping Fate" and is quoted as saying "I am the squirrel of doom! Fear my power!" (may not be word for word exact quote)
Ratatosk also appears in Poul Anderson's Operation Luna. He is never seen, but his tracks are seen and his strength is mentioned.
In the (currently) Japan-release-only game, Shin Bokura No Taiyou: Gyakushuu no Sabata (which would have translated into Boktai 3), there is a major enemy named Ratatosk. This continues the trend in Boktai games where many characters, especially villains, get their names from the Norse mythology.
Paul Muldoon's poem 'Hopewell Haiku' features the lines, 'The razzle-dazzle / of a pair of Ratatosks / on their Yggdrasill.'
In the Larry Niven novel Rainbow Mars, plans are made to capture Ratatosk, but the "Yggdrasil" space elevator tree causes a water crisis and these plans are abandoned.
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Norse mythology |
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| Sources: Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle | Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence | |
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