Matching 50 mythical creatures with each of the 50 states

Idaho: Jormungandr

If you ever dig into the urban legends of Idaho, you might find yourself fascinated by the fact that even the state itself is said to be an urban legend. But in terms of finding the right monster to represent the state, it required digging into the legends of the different lake monsters that seem to have really cropped up all over Idaho.

In fact, there are at least three lake creatures, including another cousin of the Loch Ness Monster. And because of the serpent-like nature of at least one of these creatures, and the fact that the Nessie cousin was described as peaceful, it felt fitting to have the Jörmungandr representing the state.

So what is the Jörmungandr? It is a massive serpent from Norse mythology with a reputation for being patient. Known as an Earth serpent, the Jörmungandr is long enough to circle the entire globe and can even put its tail in its mouth while doing it. If a god gets too close to him, he will bite.

While he is currently waiting for the end of the world in order to battle Thor himself, for now, he probably won’t mind slithering in to represent the state of Idaho. If he happens to be a bit too big to stick around the entire state, well that means he can just come back and visit for his official monster duties.