Ragnarok – How did the apocalyptic battle in Norse mythology take place?

According to the legend of Ragnarok, the world will rise again, the surviving gods will meet, and the world will be reborn thanks to the two survivors.

In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a series of events that will lead to the end of the world, when the giants of fire and ice join hands to fight the gods in a final battle that causes destruction to the entire planet. crystal, submerging them all in the water.

“Brothers will confront and kill each other, sisters’ children will dishonor kinship. This harsh world, full of evil – the age of swords, axes – shields torn apart – the age of the wind, the age of the wolf – before the world falls into chaos. No one has mercy for anyone.” – Dronke (1997:19)

Loki’s Role in Ragnarok

Norse mythology divides the gods into two main groups: Aesir and Vanir. Giants preceded them and lived in Jotunheimr, one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology. They were banished there by the Aesir gods, who would not allow them to enter Asgard. In the old Norse stories, the giants frequently interacted with the gods Aesir and Vanir, but often in a confrontational or competitive position.

Loki is the son of a giant. This trickster god is famous for his ability to change shape. Loki’s role in Norse mythology is quite unique and controversial when it comes to both helping and destroying the gods. Loki is allowed to live with the Aesir gods in Asgard. The deceitful god gave birth to many children, including the eight-legged horse Sleipnir – the mount of Odin, a dragon and a wolf named Fenrir – who played a very important role in the apocalypse Ragnarok.

The story goes that Loki tricked the blind winter god, Hod (Hoor), resulting in the tragic death of Baldr – the son of Frigg and Odin. So, Loki is caught and tied to a rock until Ragnarok happens. This punishment sounds quite similar to the punishment given to Prometheus in Greek mythology, the titan was also tied to a stone to pay the price for stealing fire.

Signs of apocalypse Ragnarok

Similar to the apocalypse in Catholic conception, Ragnarok is also accompanied by a series of foreshadowing signs. The first was Fimbulvetr, a long cold winter with non-stop snowfall for twelve months. A red rooster named Fjalar will notify the giant that Ragnarok has begun. The second rooster will warn the dead Ragnarok has arrived. Finally, the third red rooster named Gullinkambi, who lives in Valhalla, the noble hall in Asgard, will warn all the gods that the world has come to an end.

The god Heimdallr will blow a special trumpet to signal Valhalla, and this sound will revive the dead. They go to the territory called Vigrid (a place dedicated to wars), the site of the final battle. The sea is split in two and Jörmungandr, the great serpent that surrounds the earth, devouring its own tail, will rise from the deep ocean to join the battle. God Baldr and God Hod also returned from the dead to fight in this war.

The war to end it all?

It is said that Loki and the ice giants will travel to Vigrid to confront the Aesir gods in a boat made from the hooves of the dead, resembling a ghost ship. All monsters and giants such as Surtr, Hel’s dog Carm, the wolf Fenrir and the head of the giants, Hrym, will form a mighty army against the gods.

The end of the war will be Thor, Odin, and most of the gods die, fire-breathing dragons, wiping out all life on Earth. But that’s not the end. Everything will be started again with a new species, a new world will emerge from the deep ocean. Two mortals called Lif and Lifthrasir will give birth to humanity.

The gods Vali and Vidar, as well as the sons of Thor and Hoenir, the gods who survived the war, will go to Idavoll – which is not destroyed in Ragnarok. God Baldr and God Hod also revived and a new era began.

Ragnarok and other apocalyptic wars

The story of Ragnarok is the story of a war between the gods with many casualties for both mortals and gods. Humans suffered heavy losses, like the battle of Kurukshetra in Hindu mythology. This is what distinguishes Ragnarok from the Catholic apocalyptic legend, the event in which people are punished for disloyalty and trust in God.

The idea of ​​”apocalypse” is well documented in many different cultures around the world. In Catholicism, it is the “Day of Judgment” described in the book of Revelation; in Judaism it is Acharit hayamim; in Aztec mythology, it was the legend of the year of the sun; and Hindu mythology, which is the story of avatars and gods on horseback.

Most of these myths refer to the end of the old world and the beginning of a new world. Are these myths and legends simply metaphors for the cyclical changes of nature, such as day and night, the seasons and birth and death? Are they based on some real events in ancient times? Or a warning for the end of the human world in the distant future? That will still be a mystery.

Translation and editing : Viking Sons Of Odin