Ragnarök

Many of the religions of the ancient world are rich in stories of what has happened, and what does happen, but few foretell what will happen. The lore of the Norsemen, however, details exactly what will happen. As well as the story of the Creation of the World, it tells us of its ultimate destruction, and the fate of men, gods and creatures alike. Throughout the stories of Norse Mythology, friendships have gradually been forged, and feuds simmered, and enemies made. An ancient prophecy revealed how things would end. It is to this showdown that we turn this week. This is Ragnarök, or the Götterdämmerung – The Twilight of the Gods.


                             “ Trembles Yggdrasill’s towering ash
                                The Old Tree wails… ”
                                        - THE COMING OF THE END

The Fall of the Aesir
Illustration by Carl Ehrenberg

There will come a time in the Nine Worlds when order will be shaken. The Aesir will sit deep in council on Asgard’s golden plains, the dwarves shall groan at the walls of the mountain, all Jötunheim shall roar, as the fury of the Giants shall boil over. In the realm of Men on Midgard, for three Winters snow shall fall without Summer. This shall be the Fimbulwinter, and Envy and Greed will grip the world of Men. Brother shall slay brother, and many of their sister’s sons will lie slain on the field of ruinous war. The bonds which fuse father and son will be shattered as readily as the shields of the fallen. Long ago shall seem the age when Midgard was verdant green, for a fell wind of chill shall blast it for three years, and thick will be the blizzards. Then cometh the sign that will herald the beginning of the end. Since the beginning of the world (click here), the Sun and her sister the Moon have been chased across the skies by the dire wolves Sköll and Hati, fated one day to be their prey. Now, at the Twilight, their time has come. Sköll will at last seize the Sun in his jaws, and despair will fall upon the realm of men, and Hati will close his jaws upon the Moon, and the stars will vanish from the skies.

Loki's Chains are Broken
Illustration by Ernst Hermann Walther

His rage at his humiliation too terrible to behold, Loki, the deceiver who was bound (click here), will shatter his bonds and declare open war upon the Aesir, and soon upon him shall follow his foul brood. The ground will quake as the World Tree groans, the mountains will be thrown down and trees torn up, and all chains will be broken. The mighty wolf Fenrir, who the Aesir once bound (click here), lying for millennia in wait, shall break free of his bonds and a world of pain shall he unleash upon they who dared restrain him. The Ocean will erupt in fury, and towering waves shall break upon the land, for the Midgard Serpent, Jörmungandr himself in his wrath will heave his vast form from the depths of the Sea. Fenrir will roar as he advances upon the Aesir, and the roof of his mouth will scrape the Heavens, and the root the Earth. Jörmungandr will spit venom into the skies, and the Nine Worlds will be awash. From the dark forests all evil creatures will leave the shadows. Deep in the inferno of Múspell, the Fire Giants will stir. Greatest among them, the mighty Surtr will charge forth, leading the fiery vanguard against the gods, his sword of purest fire more radiant than the Sun. Hel will open her gates, and Loki her father will lead the accursed dead from Niflheim in revolution. The terrible dragon, Nidhogg, will at last bite through the roots of the World Tree, and Garm the hound of Hel, no longer sated by human blood alone will utter a hideous roar that will sound throughout the Nine Worlds, as the demonic beast thirsts for the blood of gods. Jötunheim will spit forth the Giants to march on the Aesir. All Loki’s deplorable entourage shall ascend the worlds, and reach the rainbow bridge, Bifrost, ultimate revenge within their minds.


High above, Heimdall, the vigilant watchman of the gods, alone of the Aesir will see the approaching Doom (click here). Taking the mighty horn Gjäll, he shall blast with all his might the final alarm to the gods, to oppose the roar of Garm. The Aesir will then be made aware of the Death which now lies at their Gates, and each shall ready for the final war. Odin, King of the Gods, will lead them, resplendent in magnificent gold and his mighty spear Gungnir. Close behind will follow Thor the Thunderer, Tyr the brave, Freyr the fair and every last god in Asgard. The doors of Valhalla will be thrown asunder, and the Einherjar, the great champions of men who fell in battle, handpicked by the Valkyries (click here) will march forth to fight alongside the gods. To the field Vígrídr shall both sides march, and there shall begin the final battle of the gods:


                         “ Surtr fares from southward with switch-eating flame;
                            On his sword shimmers the Sun of the War-gods;
                            The rocks are falling, and the fiends are reeling,
                            Heroes tread Hel-way, Heaven is cloven… ”
                                     - RAGNARÖK BEGINS

Odin and Fenrir
Painting by Emil Doepler

The towering din will make the cosmos quake, as both sides hurl themselves against the other. Odin, atop Sleipnir, Lord of Horses, will ride against Fenrir, bane of the Aesir, with great valour. Alongside him shall charge his mighty son, Thor the Thunderer. But the wolf is a power beyond any of them, and the King of the Gods sees his folly, recalling that ancient prophecy of his doom. Thor sees his father will be in trouble, but to no avail, for his nemesis, Jörmungandr, will lash out at him, and god and serpent will be locked in war. The fair god Freyr will oppose the infernal Surtr, and will fight will unequalled valour. Great will be his bravery, but greater still the arms of Surtr. With a strike of pure fire will the ashen Giant fell the god, and the first of the Aesir will crumple to the ground. The monstrous hound Garm will then be unleashed, and none will stand before his dreadful visage save brave Tyr, who lost his hand to the jaws of Fenrir (click here). Their fight will shudder the field and shake the spirits of all, and when the dust will clear, both will fall, each the bane of the other.

Jörmungandr and Thor
Painting by Emil Doepler

Seeing his friends dying around him, the Thunderer redoubles his rage, taking up the mighty Hammer Mjöllnir. The World Serpent, once defied by Thor (click here), lashes out, more mighty a foe than ever the Thunderer has faced. A terrible realisation comes over Thor, as he sees that all his trials and his wars have lead to this. Bellowing in fury, the Thunderer brings down Mjöllnir one final time, for a mightier strike than ever before. The Hammer will slay Jörmungandr, terror of the seas, but No! The Serpent’s fang will pierce his arm. Nine paces will the victorious god stride before succumbing to the fiery poison, and Thor too will collapse to the Earth to die. King Odin, Lord of the Aesir, distraught by the death of his great son, will hurl himself anew at Fenrir, but alas in vain. For the mightiest of wolves will swallow him whole, and the wisest of the Aesir will be gone. His beloved Frigg will then mourn. It will be then that Vidar, youngest of Odin’s sons, will find his courage at last. “With one hand he shall seize the Wolf’s upper jaw and tear his gullet asunder”, and Fenrir will crumble to the Earth, dead. Heimdall, vigilant watchman of the gods, who always suspected the treachery of Loki, faces down the Deceiver on Vígrídr’s burning plain. The valour of Heimdall will break upon the dark rage of Loki, his betrayal at last laid bare. Loki shall pierce the watchman’s side, but not before his foe’s mighty sword crashes down upon his crown, and both shall fall to die. The greatest champions on both sides lie dying, and in that moment Surtr will swing his flaming sword hither and thither, and all-consuming fire will burn all the world:


                           “ The Sun shall be darkened, Earth sinks in the Sea,
                              Glide from the Heaven, the glittering stars;
                              Smoke-reek rages, and reddening fire,
                              The high heat licks against Heaven itself. ”
                                           - THE DESTRUCTION OF THE NINE WORLDS


Now man will be judged. They who have broken oaths, and murderers and their kind will wade in the rivers of Jörmungandr’s lethal poison, and great will be their screams. The World will be overturned in fire and crumble into the Sea. The Cosmos as it is known will end. But hope will emerge.


                           “ Unsown then the fields will grow,
                              Evil be amended;
                              Baldr is coming… ”
                                    - THE NEW WORLD

The New World
Painting by Emil Doepler

There will come a time when the Earth will be born anew from beneath the Ocean, and it shall be green and fair, and abundant will be the fruits of Heaven. Vidar and Váli, the sons of Odin shall survive, for neither the fires of Surtr nor the power of the Sea shall claim them. Where once there stood Asgard in the days of the Aesir there will stand the plains of splendour, called Ida, and they shall reside there. To there shall come also Módi and Magni, the sons of Thor, and they shall find waiting there Mjöllnir, ready to serve new masters. Released now from the bonds below the Earth, he shall come to rule them, Baldr the fair, restored to glorious life. With him shall be Höðr his brother, redeemed of Loki’s taint, and he shall sit with his brother and the sons of Odin and Thor on the gentle grass and hold speech. They shall find the golden chess pieces of the Aesir, and they shall speak of the end of the last Age. It will be revealed that before the Fimbulwinter, a woman and a man, Lif and Lifþrasir sought shelter in the wood of an ancient tree, Hoddmímis Holt. Emerging from their sanctuary, the morning dew shall sustain them, and the human race will be born anew. The goddess Sól, lady of the Sun swallowed by Sköll, will bequeath to the World a daughter as beautiful as she, and she will take up the mantle of her mother, and her rays will bathe all the world in a radiant glow.

                                            “ She a hall see standing,
                                               Brighter than the Sun,
                                               With gold bedecked,
                                               There shall good people,
                                               Household build,
                                               And in a long time,
                                               Happiness enjoy… ”
                                                  - THE BEGINNING

United Kingdom

The Prose Edda:
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics)
(Contains many of the original tales of Norse Mythology, written a thousand years ago)

The Poetic Edda:
The Poetic Edda (Oxford World's Classics)
(The heroic poetry of the Norsemen, written a thousand years ago)

United States

The Prose Edda:
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics)
(Contains many of the original tales of Norse Mythology, written a thousand years ago)

The Poetic Edda:
The Poetic Edda (Oxford World's Classics)
(The heroic poetry of the Norsemen, written a thousand years ago)

The Stolen Hammer

Sometimes, it was not just mortals who had to go to incredible lengths in the name of honour. Sometimes, even the gods themselves were forced to endure shame and indignity for a greater good. One famous example of this was the time when the Hammer of Thor, son of Odin, god of Thunder and powerful deity of the Norse pantheon, was stolen...

Mjöllnir
Amulet discovered in Skåne, Sweden

One day, high in the golden fields of Asgard, there was great consternation. For it was that Thor, mighty among the Aesir, had awoken to his greatest fear. As he rose from his bed, he discovered to his horror that Mjöllnir, his legendary Hammer, was no where to be found. The Thunderer let out a shout of rage which shook Valhalla to its very foundations. For Mjöllnir was no ordinary tool of war. Forged by the dwarves deep in their earthly forge (for the story of this, please click here), the thunder god's hammer was more powerful than any other weapon in the cosmos. So great was the Hammer's power that only one who wore megingjörð, the belt of hyper strength, and the Járngreipr, the gloves of iron, could wield it. Understandable, therefore, was Thor's anguish. Roused by the thundering bellow, Loki, the scheming and deceitful ally to the Aesir, came before the dismayed son of Odin. Desperate now, Thor turned to Loki and said:


             " Listen, Loki, to what I am saying,
               what no one knows neither on earth
               or in Heaven: the Hammer of the God is stolen! "
                             - THOR'S PLEA

Freyja
Painting by Nils Blommér

Delighting in chaos, as ever he did, Loki heard Thor's call. The trickster soothed Thor, assuring him that he would look for it. Without delay, both made leave for the goddess Freyja. Renowned throughout the Nine Worlds for her beauty, Freyja was the envy of ladies of every race. Loki bowed to the fair goddess, and asked of her the exquisite cloak of feathers which she possessed, an enchanted artifact which could change the form of any being to an eagle. "I'd give it to you even if it were made of gold", she replied at once, handing the magical plumage over. In a flash, Loki drew the cloak around his shoulders, and in an instant, spread forth his elegant wings, and soared into the sky. On and on he charged through the skies, past the boundaries of the divine house, past the golden plains, past the boundaries of Asgard itself. Soon, the airborn deceiver circled Jötunheim, the cruel land of snow and ice, home of the Jötunn, the fierce race of frost giants (for more on this race, please click here). This was a land hostile to gods, for the giants and the Aesir were locked in perpetual war, but Loki, himself half giant, could enter where gods could not (for more on Loki's past, click here). Spotting a giant from a great distance through his aquiline eye, Loki made haste toward his fellow Jötunn. The giant Thrym, King of Jötunheim, sat high upon a grave mound, tending his monstrous flock. Loki, in uncharacteristic urgency, demanded to know the location of the Hammer, suspecting as he did the evil machinations of the Jötunn. Triumphantly, Thrym replied:


          " I have hidden Thor's Hammer
            eight leagues under the earth;
            no man will ever take it back again,
            unless I am brought Freyja as my wife "
                           - THRYM'S TAUNT


Elated that the location of the Hammer was known, Loki sped forth to return to the Aesir's Halls, unknowing of the indignity of the words he was to bear. The son of Odin leaped to his feet at the approach of the trickster, and leaped higher still when Loki told him of his beloved Mjöllnir. Both friends came once again before fair headed Freyja, and told her of their plight. Snorting in rage, Freyja furiously refused Thrym's request, suffering not the dishonour of living as a Jötunn's bride. Fair though her decline was, great was Thor's dismay. Summoning the Aesir to their glorious array, the Thunderer put forth his ghastly plight. Silent were the words on the Aesir's lips, when out spake far sighted Heimdall, watchman of the gods:


          " Let's dress Thor in a bridal head-dress,
             let him wear the necklace of the Brisings.

             Let keys jingle about him
             and let women's clothing fall down to his knees,
             and on his breast let's display jewels,
             and we'll arrange a head-dress suitably on his head! "
                             - HEIMDALL'S PLAN

Loki conceals Thor
Engraving by Carl Larsson

At once, the Thunderer leaped up in rage. Such outrage! Such indignity! The mightiest of the war gods, dress as a woman! The shame would be the end of him. Then out spake Loki, whose mischievous words were cloaked in honey. He too would don a maid's attire, so that he would not be alone. Only Thor alone could wield Mjöllnir, no other god could lift it. Thor, seething with fury, saw wisdom in Loki's words, and thought only of the Jötunn who would pay. All too conscious of his powerless state, Thor bade the Aesir dress him without delay. Not a moment passed, and both friends made haste to Jötunheim.

King Thrym was overjoyed at the sight before his eyes, and could scarcely believe his good fortune. The two maidens were welcomed into the royal halls, whence forth a magnificent banquet was soon laid. The Jötunn gathered from far and wide for the union of their mightiest kin and fairest god, little aware of the bride's true veil. The night drew in, the fires roared and the places were set. There at the head of the high table sat the king of the giants and his apparent bride. Thor, who had a godly appetite, soon devoured his way through many a plate of roasted meat, oblivious as he was to the countless eyes upon him. The king of the icy realms looked on bewildered, but quick thinking Loki allayed his fears. "For eight days and eight nights the lady has not eaten, so excited was she at the thought of marriage to thee", the trickster explained. Delighted at this, was the king of giants and merrily he beckoned forth more plates. The revelry went on into the night, and when the wine began to take its dark effect, King Thrym leant in to embrace his new wife. A flash of crimson darkened Thor's eyes, as the Thunderer's anger grew, and the Jötunn saw it. Cunning Loki struck up once more, "For eight days and eight nights the lady has not slept, so excited was she at the thought of marriage to thee". The cruel king once again was elated at this news, and the merriment grew. The king of the frozen peaks called for silence to the gathered crowd, and beckoned a servant to enter the hall.

In he came, bearing the most splendid gift fit for the finest of brides, and there, seated upon opulent cushion, was the mighty Hammer of Thor. At the king's command, the gift was laid upon the knees of his bride, and the hall looked on eagerly. A dark smile passed over the bride's face. His moment come at last, the son of Odin tore his veil asunder, seizing the haft of Mjöllnir. A flash of lightning, his true identity revealed, and the Jötunn saw their fate sealed. With a roar that rocked the cosmos, the Thunderer took up the Hammer, and with every muscle in his swing, did verily spare not one thing. A ripple of fear gripped the room, but nothing could save them from their doom...

United Kingdom

The Poetic Edda:
The Poetic Edda (Oxford World's Classics)
(A sizeable collection of stories, telling many of the myths of Norse Mythology, each in a short and accessible poem)

United States

The Poetic Edda:

The Poetic Edda (Oxford World's Classics)
(A sizeable collection of stories, telling many of the myths of Norse Mythology, each in a short and accessible poem)

The Mortality of Gods

The natural balance and harmony of everyday life is a delicate thing so easily overturned. The alarming speed with which this can transpire is a powerful reminder of its fragility. This much was a terrible truth as much to the gods of the Norse lands as it is to us today. For the Aesir who dwelled in the highest of the Nine Worlds struggled daily for their supremacy over the cosmos, with foes outside and within. Tales abound of their triumphs, and their perils, as they desperately try to stay the hand of Chaos. One such story is the legend of the Golden Apples.

The Eagle watches
Image taken from the 18th century Icelandic
manuscript SÁM 66

One day, three among the Aesir came down to Midgard in the realm of Men. These three were Odin, King of the gods, Loki the trickster and Hoenir, one of the gods who had helped Odin in the creation of the cosmos (for the story of the Creation, please click here). In their wanderings, they scaled vast mountains, stalked great plains and crossed mighty rivers and lakes. Weary from their toil, the gods soon desired rest from their journey, and sustenance for the road ahead. Reaching the crest of a large valley, the Aesir saw before them a great herd of oxen, grazing in the dale. Delighted by this fortuitous find, the gods took the most powerful bull from its brethren, in anticipation of the splendid feast they would soon enjoy. Coming to the eaves of a magnificent forest, the Aesir slaughtered the bullock and began to roast the fine meat, as they lay down to rest under a towering tree. A little while later, eager to dine, the gods looked into the pot and saw to their horror that the meat was as raw as though no flame had so much as touched it. Thinking they had made a mistake with the fire, they tried once again, and to their dismay, the meat still would not cook. As the gods took counsel as to what this bizarre turn of events might mean, a powerful voice sounded from the branches above. The voice declared that it had stayed the fire's heat. Looking up, the Aesir saw no man or god, but a mighty eagle, perched upon a strong bough, greater in stature by far than any eagle seen before. The eagle spoke once again, and declared that the meat would cook if they would allow him a share of the ox in return. Dying of hunger, the famished Aesir assented. The magnificent bird took flight, soaring down to the cooking pot, and in a clatter of talons, seized the two hams of the bullock, and both shoulders, the finest cuts of the ox. Furious at being the sport of a mere bird, Loki seized his spear, and thrust it into the eagle.


With a shout of pain and anger, the eagle leapt into the skies with the spear, and Loki, holding on for dear life. Flying low, the eagle dragged the trickster through the scrub and harsh mountains, the god writhing in pain from the battering. Loki begged the bird to release him, but the eagle was adamant, he would release Loki only if he would give him his word that he would send out of Asgard the lady Idunn and the Golden Apples. This was an audacious request indeed, for the Golden Apples of Asgard were the divine fruit which granted immortality to whomsoever would eat from them, and were a mighty gift indeed (just like the Golden Apples from Greek Mythology, which you can read about here). For Loki, who was not truly one of the gods (for more about this, please click here), to hand over such a cornerstone of the gods' strength would be a terrible sin indeed. But Loki, ever the deceiver and bent on spreading Chaos, saw now a perfect opportunity to bring about the anarchy he so craved. Agreeing to the eagle's request, Loki was at once released, and he returned to Odin and Hoenir, neglecting to mention the fell pact he had just made.

The Eagle and Idunn
Painting by Harry Theaker

On their return to golden Asgard, the gods were still as yet oblivious to the blasphemy about to unfold. One night, Loki came before Idunn, and spoke of some majestic apples he had found in a certain wood in Asgard. Unaware of Loki's lies, Idunn was intrigued, for it was though only the Golden Apples in her care were enchanted. Loki asked her if she would go to the wood, with the Golden Apples, so that she may compare them. This seemed reasonable to Idunn, so she quickly stole away from the confines of the fortress, heading for the open plains. At once, Idunn saw a shadow grow around her, and she looked up, seeing an enormous eagle swooping upon her. Snared in the creature's talons, Idunn was spirited away to the icy wastes of Jötunheim, the home of the fierce Jötunn, a race of cruel giants with whom the Aesir are continually at war (for more about this race, please click here). However, there is one among the Aesir who does not sleep, and the theft did not escape his gaze. For he was Heimdall, the vigilant watchman of the gods, who keeps an eternal sentry over the rainbow bridge which connects the realm of the gods and that of men, Bifrost. Here he awaits any sign of the coming end of the world, known as Ragnarök, ready to blast a warning on Gjall, a horn so loud its roar will shake the foundations of the Nine Worlds. Meanwhile, the Aesir were struck with anguish at the loss of the Golden Apples. Deprived of the source of their eternal youth, the gods grew feeble, and their hair was rapidly turning as white as the snows of Jötunheim. As their youth waned, so too did their strength, as even mighty Thor was bent with age. Panic spread throughout Asgard, as with the failing of the strength of the Aesir, there would be nothing to stop the Jötunn should they mount an attack on the Heavens. The dying gods held urgent council, desperate for knowledge of where Idunn and the Golden Apples had gone. Loki sat silent, relishing the agony he had unleashed. But to his horror, Heimdall took the floor, revealing the true extent of Loki's machinations. The watchman revealed that he had seen the eagle bear Idunn to Thrymheimr in the land of Jötunheim. Heimdall's revelations struck deep in Odin. For in that moment he realised the extent of the deception - the eagle was no true eagle at all, but had been the giant Thiazi, a Jötunn who dwelled in Thrymheimr and excelled in disguise. In a rage the Aesir seized Loki and threatened him with all manner of torture and death if he did not return Idunn and her Apples at once. Fearing for his life, Loki had no choice but to comply.


To assist him, the goddess Freyja lent Loki the magical hawk's plumage she possessed, which allowed its wearer to shape shift into the form of a hawk. Taking flight, Loki soared with all haste to Jötunheim. Coming to Thiazi's abode in the frozen mountains, Loki found Idunn and the Apples within, but the giant out. Transforming the lady into a nut, Loki snatched her and the Apples in his talons, and tore off back to Asgard. Just then the Jötunn returned, furious that his prize had gone. Spying a hawk on the horizon, Thiazi immediately took on his eagle form and soared after Loki. In Asgard, the Aesir saw Loki approach, tailed closely by Thiazi, and prepared a bonfire to guide Loki's way. As Loki sped over the ramparts and down to the courtyard, the Aesir lit the fires. Loki just managed to get through, but Thiazi was unable to stop in time, hurtling straight into the blaze. The flames burned his feathers, as his disguise began to unravel in the conflagration. Their anger at the giant's balsphemy still raw, the Aesir set upon him and slew him. Loki resumed his normal form and proudly presented Idunn and her Apples back to the gods, though in secret, he was maddened that his schemes had failed once again, and he ever after bore a grudge against Heimdall.

Skadi
Original artwork by Carl Fredrick von Saltza

But all was not yet at peace. For in Jötunheim, Skadi, the daughter of Thiazi, had returned home and learned the truth of her father's fate. Seizing her arms and armour, she at once made for Asgard, determined to avenge her father. The Aesir, however, impressed by her loyalty and bravery, offered their reconciliation and desire for peace. Skadi requested two things, firstly, that she be granted a husband from among the Aesir, and secondly, that they make her happy. The gods agreed to her first request, and told her she may choose from any of the gods, on the condition that she make her choice based on looking at their feet only. So the line up began, and Skadi set about her inspection, hoping to choose Baldr, the famously handsome son of Odin. Coming to the fairest pair of feet she could find, Skadi announced that she had chosen. Looking up, however, it was with dismay that she saw it was not Baldr, but Njord, the rugged god of the sea. But her disappointment was short lived, for in response to Skadi's second request, Odin obliged by granting her the gift of laughter, something no frost giantess before had yet known. As a final mark of gratitude, Odin took the eyes of Thiazi and cast them into the Heavens where they would reside forever as a constellation in the night sky... 

United Kingdom

Penguin Classics:
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics)
(A fast paced 'episodic' version well suited to the casual reader)

United States

Penguin Classics:
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics)
(A fast paced 'episodic' version well suited to the casual reader)