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"Teutonic mythology, beginning with the formation of Ymir
in Ginungagap, is a complete cycle of which Ragnarok is the
culminating chapter. Ragnarok is more than the final battle of
the world in which the forces of good and evil valiantly fight out
their predetermined one-sided battle. It is the complete
destruction of the universe and begins, roughly, with the death
of Balder and the realization by the gods that, in Loki, they
have been fostering the seeds of evil in their midst. Although
they have him secured in chains they know that it is too late:
the final dissolution has begun. This seems to be the point in the
cycle in which the sagas and the eddas were written and in all
probability, the time in which we are still living in spite of the
intervening millennium."
Funk & Wagnalls
Dictionary . . .
In the Snorra Edda's ‘Gylfaginning', The Beguiling Of Gylfi, Sturluson
has an ancient wanderer put questions to three knowledgeable beings
called High, Just As High, and Third. In the chapter ‘Um Ragnarokkur',
About The Cursed Judgement, the following is related:
"Then spoke Gangleri:
"~ ‘What tidings are there to say about the cursed-judgement? Of this
have i never got hearing.'
"High answered:
"~ ‘Great tidings are of this to say and many. Yet the first is, that
a winter is seen come, which is called awesome-winter. Then drifts
snow out of all quarters. Frost is then great, and wind hard. Of no
use the sun. This winter is three together and no summer in between.
But before such happens there are three other winters when the whole
world is in great wars. Then smite brothers for greed's sake, and
no-one reveres father or sons in manslaughter or incest. Such it says
in Voluspa.
"‘Then becomes that, which great tidings seem, that the wolf-bitch
gulps the sun's doings, and that seems to people a great harm. Then
takes another wolf-bitch twinkling-members, and rifts are seen, and
great dread. Lingering-stars are torn from heaven. Then too there
are these tidings, that there is such a shaking in all the earth that
mountains and trees loosen, and mountains are ruined, but all fetters
and bonds break and tear. Then Fenris-wolf becomes loose. Then gushes
the sea on lands, because Midgard's-worm thrashes then in giant fury and
seeks to come on land. Then becomes further, that Naglfar is loosed,
that ship, that is called such, which is made of the nails of dead
people, and therefor be warned, if humans die with unshorn nails, these
humans greatly increase the stuff of Naglfar, which gods and people
would slow, its shelter making. But in this sea-going hastens Naglfar.
"‘Hrymur is called the giant, who steers Naglfar. But Fenris-wolf
fares with gaping mouth, and his nether jaw is against the earth, but
his upper against heaven. This gape he would form more, if in this
shelter there was room. Fire burns out of his eyes and nose.
Midgard's-worm blows such poisons, that he scatters it all aloft and
low, and he is all-terrible to see. He is on the other hand of the
wolf-bitch.
"‘In this din cleave the heavens, and creep thence Muspel's-sons.
Surtur rides first and before him and after fire burns. His sword is
much good. From it a shine brighter than the sun. But when they ride
Bifrost, then breaks this, as before was said.
"‘Muspel's-sons seek forward to that field, that's Vigrid called.
There comes then Fenris-wolf and Midgard's-worm. There is then Loki
come and Hrymur and with them all the rime-giants. But Loki follows
all Heljar's-sons. But Muspel's-sons have their own ranks, and it is
much bright. The field-of-action is a hundred leagues wide in every
way.
"‘But when these tidings come about, then Heimdal stands up and blows
vehemently on Gjallarhorn and wakes up all the gods, and has them
meeting together. Then rides Odin to Mimir's-well and takes counsel
from Mimir for himself and his followers. Then trembles the ash
Ygdrasil, and no lots are then without dread in heaven or earth. Aesir
don harrier-dress and the only-harriers seek forward to the
field-of-action. First rides Odin with golden-helmet and fair
chain-mail and his spear, which is called Gungnir. Summons he to meet
Fenris-wolf, but Thor goes forward on his other side, thus he has help
to catch and batter against the Midgard's-worm. Freyr strikes against
Surtur, and it becomes a hard together-going, before Freyr falls. That
becomes his bane, that he is missing his good sword, which he gave to
Skirni.
"‘Then becomes loose the hound Garmur, who is bound before Gnipahel.
His lair is most dangerous. He meets Ty in fight, and each become the
other's scathing. Thor bears the bane-word from Midgard's-worm and
staggers thence back nine paces. Then he falls dead down to earth from
such poison, that the worm blows on him. The wolf-bitch gulps Odin,
that becomes his bane. But forthwith after turns forward Vidar and
staggers with one foot in the lower jaw of the wolf. On his feet he has
shoes, that in all ages have been collected for. The bits of leather,
which people cut out of their shoes at the toes and heels. Thus must
these bits of leather be cast away by humans, who believe such will come
to the aesir and their followers. His other hand takes the upper jaw
of the wolf and rives asunder his mouth. That becomes the wolf's bane.
Loki is at war against Heimdal, and each becomes the other's bane.
Thus next slings Surtr fire over the earth and burns all the homes.
Such it says in Voluspa.
"‘Here it says further such:
Vigridr is called the plain,
which finds the fights
of Surtr and the beloved gods.
Hundred leagues
this is in every way.
That is the field which is known.'
"Then spoke Gangleri:
"~ ‘What becomes then after, when burned are the homes, dead the gods
and all the only-harriers and the people's folk? It has been said
before, that each human must live in anysome home for all ages.'
"Then answered Third:
"~ ‘Many are then abodes good and ill. Best is then to be at Gimli,
in heaven. And to them who think that game, all-good are then also the
good drinks, in that chamber, which is called Brimir. It that stands at
anysome field, made of red gold. It is called Sindri. In this chamber
must settle good people and the righteous. At Nastrand is a great
chamber and iller, with north facing doors. That which is woven all
of rueful-worms, but the worms' heads know all within the house and
blow poison, such that after that the chamber runs with poison, and
there wade oath-breachers and murder-soilers, such as in Voluspa says.
"Then spoke Gangleri:
"~ ‘How forth live any some god then, or is there any some earth or
heaven?'
"High answered:
"~ ‘Up shoots the earth then out of the seas, and is then green and
fair. Wax then acres unsown. Vidar and Vali live then, so that
no-one has sores and Surtr's-flame injure them, and settle there at
Idafelli, there where before was Asgard. And then come Thor's sons,
and have there Mjolnir. Thus next come there Baldr and Hodur from
Heljar. They sit then all together and relate tales to remind them
of the mysteries and to counsel about all tidings, which had gone
before, about Midgard's-worm and about Fenris-wolf. Then find they in
the grass there the golden-tables, where aesir headed family. Such it
is said, that
Vidar and Vali
settle the sanctuary of the gods,
that is blackened by Surtr's-flame,
Modi and Magni
must have Mjolnir
as Vingnis is fight-destitute.
"‘But there is what's called Hodmimi's-wood where hide two people, who
such are called: Lif and Lifthrasir, and they have the morning-dews for
food. But from these people come such great kin-produce, to settle all
the homes, such as here says:
Lif and Lifthrasir,
but though hide they shall
in the wood of Hodmimi.
Morning-dews
though hiding as food have,
but from thence be ages all.
"‘And it shall seem wonderful, when the sun engenders a daughter no
less fair than she is, and she fares in the steps of her mother, such
as here says:
One daughter
bears elf-halo
before she's fetched by Fenrir.
She must ride
when the rulers are dead,
her mother's road this maid.
"‘But now if you can probe longer, that i've never known, hence there
came, because no-one have i heard speak longer of the faring of the
ages. And may it be useful now when you take it.'"
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