Ragnarok – Prophecy of the End of the World in Norse Mythology

Ragnarok is one of the most fascinating and terrifying prophecies in ancient Viking beliefs. This apocalyptic tale discusses the inevitable events leading to the final battle between gods and giants. It will end the existence of the world as we know it. Full of epic clashes and cataclysmic events, the Ragnarok prophecy is central to the mythology, giving meaning to events in all nine worlds.

Etymology of the word Ragnarok

The name comes from the Old Norse term Ragnarök, which means “destiny of the gods”. The first member “ragna” refers to the gods of Norse mythology. The second member comes in two variants – rök and røkkr. The first can be translated as “fate,” “destiny” or “doom,” which gives the whole meaning of “the final destiny of the gods.” In contrast, røkkr means “dusk”, which suggests an interpretation as “the twilight of the gods.” In the work “The Poetic Edda” we can also find the name “aldar rök,” which scholars translate as “end of the age” or “end of an era.”

Prediction of Ragnarok in brief

The exact course of Ragnarok varies depending on the source from which we draw our knowledge. One of the most important works discussing the end of the Viking world is the “Voluspa”, or the prophet’s prediction, which is part of the Elder Edda. The first section of the work describes the myth of the creation of the world. The following stanzas report on the course of Ragnarok, and an abbreviated account of it is available below.

• Baldur dies pierced by an arrow from mistletoe by Hodur.
• Frigg will weep for the first time.
• Loki will be imprisoned by Aesir for bringing about Baldur’s death.
• There will be three roosters predicting Ragnarok -the red Fialar in Jotunheim, the golden Gullinkambi in Asgard and the rooster of the color of rust in Niflheim.
• The dog Garmr, trapped at the gate of Gnypahell,will break his chains and go into battle.
• The three-year extremely harsh winter of Fimbulvinter, which will freeze all of Midgard, will begin.
• People will rise up against each other, beginning the age of the sword and axe, a time of madness and a time of contempt, man will not spare man.
• Skol will swallow the sun, and Hati will devour the moon. All the stars will fall from the sky.
• The Midgard Serpent – Jormungand will emerge from the bottom of the ocean.
• Heimdall will blow the horn of Gjallarhorn for the last time, giving the Aesir the signal to begin the battle.
• The World Tree – Yggdrasil will shake for the first time.
• The giants will arrive on a ship built from the nails of dead people.
• Giants of fire, led by Surtr, will ascend to Bifrost.
• Thor will defeat Jormungand, but will himself die poisoned by the venom of the Midgard Serpent
• Odyn will face the giant wolf Fenrir, who will devour the All-Father.
• Frigg will weep for the second time.
• Widar will avenge his father by sinking his sword into Fenrir’s heart.
• Loki will face Heimdall, but neither of them will prove stronger. Both Norse gods will suffer death at the hands of their opponent.
• The fire of Surtr will burn everything, known to the gods, and a few will be kept alive.
• In the end, however, the time of rebirth will come. Baldur will leave Hel, and the first people will inhabit Midgard.

Full content of the Ragnarok prophecy

According to the prophecy, the cataclysm will begin when Loki viciously deprives Baldur of life. This myth will be thoroughly discussed within the framework of a separate article. The death of his son will cause despair for both Frigg and Odin, as well as the inhabitants of all nine worlds. Loki will be imprisoned on a rock, where he will serve a brutal punishment. Above his head will hang a serpent, whose venom will continually flow down on the face of the god of deception. The traitor will endure the torture only thanks to his wife Sigyn, who will catch the snake’s venom day and night into a vessel.

In Jotunheim, Asgard and Niflheim, three roosters will crow in succession heralding the final battle: Fialar, Gullinkambi and a rooster of the color of rust, devoid of a name. In this way, information about Ragnarok will spread throughout Yggdrasil.

The beast servant of Hel – the dog Garmr will hear the call and break the chains that imprison him. Till now his task has been to guard the gate (or cave) of Gnypahell, which is the entrance to the land of the dead. After regaining his freedom, the beast will immediately go into battle with the Norse gods.

Then will come the cold winter known as Fimbulvinter, lasting three years without a break. The snow will not stop falling, and the piercing cold will haunt the land without mercy.

During this time, worlds will plunge into chaos – wars will break out in every land, brothers will kill brothers, and sons will act against fathers. The worst transgressions will become a daily occurrence, and humanity will be lost.

Then something will happen that will shatter the order of the universe.The sons of Fenrir – Skol and Hati will swallow the sun and the moon. Stars will fall from the sky, rocks will crumble, trees will be uprooted and all chains will break. Earthquakes will pass through worlds, and floods will inundate villages. These conditions will be taken advantage of by Loki and Fenrir, who will liberate themselves from captivity by leading an army of giants. Not long after, they will be joined by Jormungandr, who will emerge from the sea in a frenzy of rage, stirring up the waves to unimaginable proportions. The Great Wolf will surge forward with its open maw reaching into the sky, while the Midgard Serpent will contaminate the water and the land with poison.

Heimdall will blow the Gjalarhorn for the last time. The sound of the horn will echo throughout Yggdrasil, causing it to shake In the chaos to the gates of Asgard will come the ship Naglfar, built from the nails of the dead. Its captain will be the giant Hrym, who will lead his hosts ashore. Loki will also appear at the helm, indicating the direction of the attack.

Then the sky will burst, and giants from Muspell will emerge from the abyss, bringing fire and destruction. Their leader, Surtr, with a flaming sword, will lead them into battle. When they cross the Bifrost, the bridge will collapse under their weight. The giants of fire, Fenrir, Jormungand, Loki, Hrym and the armies of giants and the dead will set out for the Vigridr plain, where the final battle will take place.

Odyn will make a final journey to the Well of Mimir to confer with his head. He will not, however, find salvation in the advice of the world’s wisest man. Odin will once again try to cheat his destiny and summon the strongest gods to lead them into battle. The All-Father, with his spear Gungnir in hand, will throw himself at Fenrir, while Thor armed with Mjolnir will face Jormungand. Frejr will take on the challenge of Surtr, but deprived of his magic sword, he will quickly fall under the blows of the fiery giant.

This, however, will only be the beginning of the casualties. Garmr will appear on the battlefield and will immediately leap at the throat of the armored Tyr. The clash will end in a draw, but neither warrior will retain his life. Thor will defeat Jormungand, but the victory will not last long. The serpent with his last breath will spit out a poison that will put the god of lightning to death. Thor will take exactly nine steps before falling to the ground and ending his saga.

Odin will grab Fenrir’s lower and upper jaw in a melee to make him feel too weak for the task for the first time. The frenzied wolf will issue a rique of victory that will once again shake Yggdrasil and then swallow the All-Father. Grief will tear the heart of Frigg, who will weep for the second time. Everything will be observed by Odin’s devoted son Vidar, who will immediately avenge his father’s death. “Silent God of the Forest” will put on the wolf’s jaws a shoe made of scraps of leather that people throw away, gelling their shoes. Then Vidar will deliver a final blow that will tear the beast apart.

Loki will fight a battle with Heimdall, but neither of them will win it. Both will fall by the hand of their enemy. The Bifrost Guardian, however, will mock the traitor in his final moments. Heimdall, able to see into the future, will tell Lokie about what awaits the nine worlds. The god of deception will die, aware of his defeat. Few Einherjers will remain on the battlefield. Eventually, Surt will unleash an sword that will consume the worlds, completing the prophecy. The fire will consume everything in its path, thus closing the cycle of life.

Life after the end of the world

The Ragnarok prophecy, however, has a hopeful ending. It turns out that the souls of the fallen Aesir meet in a bright palace called Gimli (heaven). There they will dissect the past adventures and great battles they fought.

When the battle dust settles, the lands will rise again from the seas and oceans, and birds of prey will begin to circle above them. It is there that the survivors of Ragnarok will be found: Hoenir, Vidar, Vali, Thor’s sons Magni and Modi, Njord. They will be the first to meet Baldur, who manages to leave the land of Hel..

Aesir will also learn that even the Sutr fire was unable to completely destroy the Tree of Life. Hidden in its crown were two people named Lif and Lifthrasir (Life and the Blooming of Life). Their children will repopulate Midgard..

In the place where Odin’s court stood, Idawoll will be built, acting as the new Asgard. Thor’s sons will become defenders of the gods, but it will take the strength of both to lift Mjolnir. The Asgardians will find the golden chess figures used by the All-Father in the tall grass. The figures will represent all the participants in Ragnarok, whether gods, traitors, giants or beasts. Baldur will also find his likeness, set the figures on the chessboard and make the first move. The game will begin anew.