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78-514: In some euhemeristic accounts, Asgard is portrayed as being a city in Asia or Troy , however in other accounts that likely more accurately reflect its conception in Old Nordic religion , it is depicted as not conforming to a naturalistic geographical position. In these latter accounts, it is found in a range of locations such as over the rainbow bridge Bifröst , in the middle of the world and over

156-441: A Christian addition to the poem. In stanza 66, the völva ends her account with a description of the dragon Níðhöggr , corpses in his jaws, flying through the air. The völva then "sinks down." It is unclear if stanza 66 indicates that the völva is referring to the present time or if this is an element of the post- Ragnarök world. The Vanir god Njörðr is mentioned in relation to Ragnarök in stanza 39 of

234-566: A hof named Glaðsheimr at Iðavöllr , in the centre of the burg, or walled city, with a high seat for Odin and twelve seats for other gods. It is described as like gold both on the inside and the outside, and as the best of all buildings in the world. They also built Vingólf for the female gods, which is described as both a hall and a hörgr , and a forge with which they crafted objects from gold. After Ragnarök , some gods such as Váli and Baldr will meet at Iðavöllr where Asgard once stood and discuss matters together. There they will also find in

312-530: A daughter at least as beautiful as she, and this daughter will follow the same path as her mother. Vafþrúðnismál stanza 47 is quoted, and so ends the foretelling of Ragnarök in Gylfaginning . Various objects have been identified as depicting events from Ragnarök . Thorwald's Cross , a partially surviving runestone erected at Kirk Andreas on the Isle of Man , depicts a bearded human holding

390-521: A feast for Ægir and the gods. The second instance is in Þrymskviða when Loki is attempting to convince Thor to dress up as Freyja in order to get back Mjölnir by claiming that without his hammer to protect them, jötnar would soon be living in Asgard. Grímnismál contains among its cosmological descriptions, a number of abodes of the gods, such as Álfheim , Nóatún and Valhalla , which some scholars have identified as being in Asgard. Asgard

468-677: A quote from Völuspá to highlight that the dragon Níðhöggr harasses the corpses of the dead there. Chapter 53 begins with Gangleri asking if any of the gods will survive and if there will be anything left of the earth or the sky. High responds that the earth will appear once more from the sea, beautiful and green, where self-sown crops grow. The field Iðavöllr exists where Asgard once was, and, there, untouched by Surtr's flames, Víðarr and Váli reside. Now possessing their father's hammer Mjölnir , Thor's sons Móði and Magni will meet them there, and, coming from Hel , Baldr and Höðr also arrive. Together, they all sit and recount memories, later finding

546-467: A rage, revealing his identity as a jötunn. Thor then kills the builder with Mjöllnir , before any harm to the gods is done. The chapter does not explicitly name Asgard as the fortress but they are commonly identified by scholars. In Gylfaginning , the central cosmic tree Yggdrasil is described as having three roots that hold it up; one of these goes to the Æsir, which has been interpreted as meaning Asgard. In Grímnismál , this root instead reaches over

624-480: A scene interpreted as Víðarr fighting Fenrir. The 11th-century Ledberg stone in Sweden , similarly to Thorwald's Cross, features a figure with his foot at the mouth of a four-legged beast, and this may also be a depiction of Odin being devoured by Fenrir at Ragnarök . Below the beast and the man is a depiction of a legless, helmeted man, with his arms in a prostrate position. The Younger Futhark inscription on

702-559: A spear downward at a wolf, his right foot in its mouth, while a large bird sits at his shoulder. Rundata dates it to 940, while Pluskowski dates it to the 11th century. This depiction has been interpreted as Odin, with a raven or eagle at his shoulder, being consumed by Fenrir at Ragnarök . On the other side of the stone is a depiction of a large cross and another image parallel to the Odin figure that has been described as Christ triumphing over Satan. These combined elements have led to

780-474: A vertical axis, leading upwards towards the heavens. There is debate between scholars over whether the gods were conceived of as living in the heavens, with some aligning their views with Snorri, and others proposing that he at times presents the system in a Christian framework and that this organisation is not seen in either Eddic or skaldic poetry . The concept of attempting to create a spatial cosmological model has itself been criticised by scholars who argue that

858-455: Is "a case of reduplication of the anthropogeny , understandable from the cyclic nature of the Eddic eschatology ." Simek says that Hoddmímis holt "should not be understood literally as a wood or even a forest in which the two keep themselves hidden, but rather as an alternative name for the world-tree Yggdrasill . Thus, the creation of mankind from tree trunks ( Askr, Embla ) is repeated after

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936-430: Is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the gods Odin , Thor , Týr , Freyr , Heimdall , and Loki ); it will entail a catastrophic series of natural disasters, including the burning of the world, and culminate in the submersion of the world underwater. After these events, the world will rise again, cleansed and fertile,

1014-897: Is an explorable realm in the video game God of War: Ragnarök , a sequel to 2018's Norse-themed God of War . In the Assassin's Creed Valhalla video game, Asgard is featured as part of a "vision quest". Euhemeristic Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 550447539 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:41:44 GMT Ragnar%C3%B6k In Norse mythology , Ragnarök ( / ˈ r æ ɡ n ə r ɒ k / RAG -nə-rok or / ˈ r ɑː ɡ -/ RAHG - ; Old Norse : Ragnarǫk [ˈrɑɣnɑˌrɒk] )

1092-399: Is aroar, and that the Æsir are in council. The dwarfs groan by their stone doors. Surtr advances from the south, his sword brighter than the sun. Rocky cliffs open and the jötnar women sink. The gods then do battle with the invaders: Odin is swallowed whole and alive fighting the wolf Fenrir , causing his wife Frigg her second great sorrow (the first being the death of her son,

1170-477: Is built from the spines of snakes, and resembles "a house with walls woven from branches"; the heads of the snakes face the inside of the house and spew so much venom that rivers of it flow throughout the hall, in which oath breakers and murderers must wade. Third here quotes Völuspá stanzas 38 to 39, with the insertion of original prose stating that the worst place of all to be is in Hvergelmir , followed by

1248-436: Is dealing with none other than Odin, whom he refers to as "the wisest of beings," adding that Odin alone could know this. Odin's message has been interpreted as a promise of resurrection to Baldr after Ragnarök . Ragnarök is briefly referenced in stanza 40 of the poem Helgakviða Hundingsbana II . Here, the valkyrie Sigrún 's unnamed maid is passing the deceased hero Helgi Hundingsbane 's burial mound . Helgi

1326-582: Is harsh in the world,   whoredom rife —an axe age, a sword age   —shields are riven— a wind age, a wolf age—   before the world goes headlong. No man will have   mercy on another. The "sons of Mím " are described as being "at play," though this reference is not further explained in surviving sources. Heimdall raises the Gjallarhorn into the air and blows deeply into it, and Odin converses with Mím's head. The world tree Yggdrasil shudders and groans. The jötunn Hrym comes from

1404-553: Is not mentioned at any point in the poem. Furthermore, Völuspá references Iðavöllr , one of the most common meeting places of Æsir gods, which in Gylfaginning , Snorri locates in the centre of Asgard. The Prose Edda 's euhemeristic prologue portrays the Æsir gods as people that travelled from the East to northern territories. According to Snorri, Asgard represented the town of Troy before Greek warriors overtook it. After

1482-535: Is poisoned by the serpent, and manages to walk only nine steps before falling to the earth dead. Fenrir swallows Odin, though immediately afterwards his son Víðarr kicks his foot into Fenrir's lower jaw, grips the upper jaw, and rips apart Fenrir's mouth, killing the great wolf. Loki fights Heimdallr and the two kill each other. Surtr covers the earth in fire, causing the entire world to burn. High quotes stanzas 46 to 47 of Völuspá , and additionally stanza 18 of Vafþrúðnismál (the latter relating information about

1560-433: Is presented in a vague and often contradictory manner when viewed from a naturalistic standpoint. Snorri places Asgard in the centre of the world, surrounded by Midgard and then the lands inhabited by jötnar , all of which are finally encircled by the sea. He also locates the homes of the gods in the heavens. This had led to the proposition of a system of concentric circles, centred on Asgard or Yggdrasil, and sometimes with

1638-476: Is there with a retinue of men, surprising the maid. The maid asks if she is witnessing a delusion since she sees dead men riding, or if Ragnarök has occurred. In stanza 41, Helgi responds that it is neither. Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda quotes heavily from Völuspá and elaborates extensively in prose on the information there, though some of this information conflicts with that provided in Völuspá . In

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1716-409: Is unable to assist Odin because he has engaged Jörmungandr in combat. According to High, Freyr fights fiercely with Surtr, but falls because he lacks the sword he once gave to his messenger, Skírnir . The hound Garmr (described here as the "worst of monsters") breaks free from his bonds in front of Gnipahellir , and fights the god Týr, resulting in both of their deaths. Thor kills Jörmungandr but

1794-522: The Ragnarök as well." Simek says that in Germanic regions , the concept of mankind originating from trees is ancient, and additionally points out legendary parallels in a Bavarian legend of a shepherd who lives inside a tree, whose descendants repopulate the land after life there has been wiped out by plague (citing a retelling by F. R. Schröder). In addition, Simek points to an Old Norse parallel in

1872-452: The Ragnarök story, even by a scholar as cautious of such interpretations as David M. Wilson . The Ragnarök battle itself may be depicted on the north side. The cross features various figures depicted in Borre style , including a man with a spear facing a monstrous head, with one foot thrust into the beast's forked tongue and on its lower jaw, and the other is against its upper jaw,

1950-644: The Prose Edda , written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson . In the Prose Edda and in a single poem in the Poetic Edda , the event is referred to as Ragnarøkkr ( Old Norse for 'Twilight of the Gods';), a usage popularised by 19th-century composer Richard Wagner with the title of the last of his Der Ring des Nibelungen operas, Götterdämmerung (1876), which is "Twilight of

2028-401: The Prose Edda book Gylfaginning , various references are made to Ragnarök . Ragnarök is first mentioned in chapter 26, where the throned figure of High , king of the hall, tells Gangleri (King Gylfi in disguise) some basic information about the goddess Iðunn , including that her apples will keep the gods young until Ragnarök . In chapter 34, High describes the binding of

2106-546: The Vedic god Vishnu in that both have a "cosmic stride" with a special shoe used to tear apart a beastly wolf. Larger patterns have also been drawn between "final battle" events in Indo-European cultures, including the occurrence of a blind or semi-blind figure in "final battle" themes, and figures appearing suddenly with surprising skills. Hilda Ellis Davidson theorizes that the events in Völuspá occurring after

2184-782: The Æsir in Valhalla , and the third, unnamed soot-red rooster crows in the halls of the underworld location of Hel in stanza 43. After these stanzas, the völva further relates that the hound Garmr produces deep howls in front of the cave of Gnipahellir . Garmr's bindings break and he runs free. The völva describes the state of humanity: Brœðr muno beriaz   ok at bǫnom verða[z] muno systrungar   sifiom spilla. Hart er í heimi,   hórdómr mikill —skeggǫld, skálmǫld   —skildir ro klofnir— vindǫld, vargǫld—   áðr verǫld steypiz. Mun engi maðr   ǫðrom þyrma. Brothers will fight   and kill each other, sisters' children   will defile kinship. It

2262-748: The 2011 film Thor . After that, Thor becomes a regular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reappears in several films, including the Avengers series. Asgard becomes the central element of the film Thor: Ragnarok , where it is destroyed following the Old Norse mythos. These and other Norse mythology elements also appear in video games, TV series, and books based in and on the Marvel Universe, although these depictions do not closely follow historical sources. Asgard

2340-570: The German reception of Norse mythology ). Other terms used to refer to the events surrounding Ragnarök in the Poetic Edda include aldar rök ( aldar means age, 'end of an age') from a stanza of Vafþrúðnismál , tíva rök from two stanzas of Vafþrúðnismál , þá er regin deyja ('when the gods die') from Vafþrúðnismál , unz um rjúfask regin ('when the gods will be destroyed') from Vafþrúðnismál , Lokasenna , and Sigrdrífumál , aldar rof ('destruction of

2418-526: The Gods" in German. The Old Norse compound word ragnarok has a long history of interpretation. Its first element is clear: ragna , the genitive plural of regin (n. pl.) 'the ruling powers, gods.' The second element is more problematic, as it occurs in two variants, -rök and -røkkr . Writing in the early 20th century, philologist Geir Zoëga treats the two forms as two separate compounds, glossing ragnarök as 'the doom or destruction of

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2496-498: The Serpent's venom. The god Freyr fights Surtr and loses. After this, people flee their homes, and the sun becomes black while the earth sinks into the sea, the stars vanish, steam rises, and flames touch the heavens. The völva sees the earth reappearing from the water and an eagle over a waterfall hunting fish on a mountain. The surviving Æsir meet together at the field of Iðavöllr . They discuss Jörmungandr, great events of

2574-713: The Viking as a frozen wasteland dominated by the Halls of Valhalla on a high plateau. In the film the Æsir are depicted as spoilt children Thor first appeared in the Marvel Universe within comic series Journey into Mystery in the issues #83 during August 1962. Following this release, he becomes one of the central figures in the comics along with Loki and Odin. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe , Thor and Loki make their first appearance together in

2652-451: The age') from Helgakviða Hundingsbana II , regin þrjóta ('end of the gods') from Hyndluljóð , and, in the Prose Edda , þá er Muspellz-synir herja ('when the sons of Muspell move into battle') can be found in chapters 18 and 36 of Gylfaginning . The Poetic Edda contains various references to Ragnarök : In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá , references to Ragnarök begin from stanza 40 until 58, with

2730-529: The battlefield Vígríðr). At the beginning of chapter 52, Gangleri asks "what will be after heaven and earth and the whole world are burned? All the gods will be dead, together with the Einherjar and the whole of mankind. Didn't you say earlier that each person will live in some world throughout all ages?" The figure of Third, seated on the highest throne in the hall, responds that there will be many good places to live, but also many bad ones. Third states that

2808-642: The beliefs of other related Indo-European peoples . Subsequently, theories have been put forth that Ragnarök represents a later evolution of a Proto-Indo-European belief along with other cultures descending from the Proto-Indo-Europeans. These parallels include comparisons of a cosmic winter motif between the Norse Fimbulwinter , the Iranian Bundahishn and Yima . Víðarr's stride has been compared to

2886-531: The best place to be is Gimlé in the heavens, where a place exists called Okolnir that houses a hall called Brimir —where one can find plenty to drink. Third describes a hall made of red gold located in Niðafjöll called Sindri , where "good and virtuous men will live." Third further relates an unnamed hall in Náströnd , the beaches of the dead, that he describes as a large repugnant hall facing north that

2964-412: The bridge will then break. The sons of Muspell (and their shining battle troop) advance to the field of Vígríðr , described as an expanse that reaches "a hundred leagues in each direction," where Fenrir, Jörmungandr, Loki (followed by "Hel's own"), and Hrym (accompanied by all frost jötnar ) join them. While this occurs, Heimdallr stands and blows the Gjallarhorn with all his might. The gods awaken at

3042-570: The cross as being described as " syncretic art ," a mixture of pagan and Christian beliefs. The Gosforth Cross (920–950), in Cumbria , England, is a standing cross of a typical Anglo-Saxon form, carved on all sides of the long shaft, which is nearly square in section. Apart from panels of ornament, the scenes include a Christian crucifixion , and possibly another scene in Hell, but the other scenes are generally interpreted as narrative incidents from

3120-474: The death of the gods (the sun turning black, steam rising, flames touching the heavens, etc.) may be inspired by the volcanic eruptions on Iceland. Records of eruptions in Iceland bear strong similarities to the sequence of events described in Völuspá , especially the eruption at Laki that occurred in 1783. Bertha Phillpotts theorizes that the figure of Surtr was inspired by Icelandic eruptions and that he

3198-519: The defeat, Trojans moved to northern Europe , where they became a dominant group due to their "advanced technologies and culture". Eventually, other tribes began to perceive the Trojans and their leader Trór ( Thor in Old Norse) as gods. In Gylfaginning , Snorri Sturluson describes how during the creation of the world, the gods made the earth and surrounded it with the sea. They made the sky from

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3276-410: The east, his shield before him. The Midgard serpent Jörmungandr furiously writhes, causing waves to crash. "The eagle shrieks, pale-beaked he tears the corpse," and the ship Naglfar breaks free thanks to the waves made by Jormungandr and sets sail from the east. The fire jötnar inhabitants of Muspelheim come forth. The völva continues that Jötunheimr , the land of the jötnar ,

3354-502: The figure of Örvar-Oddr , "who is rejuvenated after living as a tree-man ( Ǫrvar-Odds saga 24–27)." Theories have been proposed about the relation between Ragnarök and the 9th-century Old High German epic poem Muspilli about the Christian Last Judgment , where the word Muspille appears, and the 9th-century Old Saxon epic poem Heliand about the life of Christ , where various other forms of

3432-483: The first sign of Ragnarök will be Fimbulwinter , during which time three winters will arrive without a summer, and the sun will be useless. High details that, before these winters, three earlier winters will have occurred, marked with great battles throughout the world. During this time, greed will cause brothers to kill brothers, and fathers and sons will suffer from the collapse of kinship bonds. High then quotes stanza 45 of Völuspá . Next, High describes that

3510-398: The following engraving: Iarð skal rifna ok upphiminn Earth shall be riven and the over-heaven. Jansson (1987) notes that at the time of the inscription, everyone who read the lines would have thought of Ragnarök and the allusion that the father found fitting as an expression of his grief. Rudolf Simek theorizes that the survival of Líf and Lífþrasir at the end of Ragnarök

3588-500: The forest of Hoddmímis holt , that they will consume the morning dew, and will produce generations of offspring. In stanza 46, Odin asks what sun will come into the sky after Fenrir has consumed the sun that exists. Vafþrúðnir responds that Sól will bear a daughter before Fenrir assails her and that after Ragnarök this daughter will continue her mother's path. In stanza 51, Vafþrúðnir states that, after Surtr's flames have been sated, Odin's sons Víðarr and Váli will live in

3666-458: The god Baldr ). Odin's son Víðarr avenges his father by rending Fenrir's jaws apart and stabbing it in the heart with his spear, thus killing the wolf. The serpent Jörmungandr opens its gaping maw, yawning widely in the air, and is met in combat by Thor . Thor, also a son of Odin and described here as protector of the earth, furiously fights the serpent, defeating it, but Thor is only able to take nine steps afterwards before collapsing dead from

3744-462: The gods grow desperate as it becomes apparent that the jötunn will construct the burg on time. To their surprise, his stallion contributes much of the progress, swiftly moving boulders and rocks. To deal with the problem, Loki comes up with a plan whereupon he changes his appearance to that of a mare, and distracts Svaðilfari to slow down construction. Without the help of his stallion, the builder realises he cannot complete his task in time and goes into

3822-442: The gods' and ragnarøkkr as 'the twilight of the gods.' The plural noun rök has several meanings, including 'development', 'origin', 'cause', 'relation', 'fate.' The word ragnarök as a whole is then usually interpreted as the 'final destiny of the gods.' The singular form ragnarøk(k)r is found in a stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna , and in the Prose Edda . The noun røk(k)r means 'twilight' (from

3900-416: The gold game pieces the Æsir once owned. Völuspá stanza 51 is then quoted. High reveals that two humans, Líf and Lífþrasir , will have also survived the destruction by hiding in the wood Hoddmímis holt . These two survivors consume the morning dew for sustenance, and from their descendants, the world will be repopulated. Vafþrúðnismál stanza 45 is then quoted. The personified sun, Sól, will have

3978-637: The golden grove Glasir . It also records a name for Thor as 'Defender of Ásgard' ( Old Norse : verjandi Ásgarðs ). In the Ynglinga saga , found in Heimskringla , Snorri describes Asgard as a city in Asia, based on a perceived, but erroneous, connection between the words for Asia and Æsir. In the opening stanzas of the Saga of the Ynglings, Asgard is the capital of Asaland, a section of Asia east of

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4056-440: The grass the golden chess pieces that the Æsir had once owned. Later, the section describes how an unnamed jötunn came to the gods with his stallion, Svaðilfari and offered help in building a burg for the gods in three winters, asking in return for the sun, moon, and marriage with Freyja . Despite Freyja's opposition, together the gods agree to fulfill his request if he completes his work in just one winter. As time goes on,

4134-471: The great serpent Jörmungandr , also described as a child of Loki in the same source, will breach land as the sea violently swells onto it. The ship Naglfar, described in the Prose Edda as being made from the human nails of the dead, is released from its mooring and sets sail on the surging sea, steered by a jötunn named Hrym . At the same time, Fenrir, eyes and nostrils spraying flames, charges forward with his mouth wide open, his upper jaw reaching to

4212-422: The heavens, and his lower jaw touching the earth. At Fenrir's side, Jörmungandr sprays venom throughout the air and the sea. During all of this, the sky splits into two. From the split, the "sons of Muspell " ride forth. Surtr rides first, surrounded by flames, his sword brighter than the sun. High says that "Muspell's sons" will ride across Bifröst , described in Gylfaginning as a rainbow bridge, and that

4290-416: The middle of the world a city which is called Ásgard; men call it Troy. There dwelt the gods and their kindred; and many tidings and tales of it have come to pass both on earth and aloft. There is one abode called Hlidskjálf , and when Allfather sat in the high-seat there, he looked out over the whole world and saw every man's acts, and knew all things which he saw. After Asgard is made, the gods then built

4368-419: The night within a cave. Inside the cave they hear noises, witness a pair of immense burning eyes, and then the being with burning eyes recites a poem of 12 stanzas. The poem the being recites contains references to Norse mythology (including a mention of Thor) and also prophecies (including that "mountains will tumble, the earth will move, men will be scoured by hot water and burned by fire"). Surtr's fire receives

4446-414: The oral traditions did not form a naturalistic, structured system that aimed to be internally geographically consistent. An alternative proposal is that the world should be conceived of as a number of realms connected by passages that cannot be typically traversed. This would explain how Asgard can be located both to the east and west of the realm of men, over the sea and over Bifröst. It has been noted that

4524-434: The past, and the runic alphabet . In stanza 61, in the grass, they find the golden game pieces that the gods are described as having once happily enjoyed playing games with long ago (attested earlier in the same poem). The reemerged fields grow without needing to be sown. The gods Höðr and Baldr return from Hel and live happily together. The völva says that the god Hœnir chooses wooden slips for divination and that

4602-560: The poem Vafþrúðnismál . In the poem, Odin, disguised as Gagnráðr , faces off with the wise jötunn Vafþrúðnir in a battle of wits. Vafþrúðnismál references Njörðr's status as a hostage during the earlier Æsir–Vanir War , and that he will "come back home among the wise Vanir" at "the doom of men." In stanza 44, Odin poses the question to Vafþrúðnir as to who of mankind will survive the "famous" Fimbulwinter ("Mighty Winter" ). Vafþrúðnir responds in stanza 45 that those survivors will be Líf and Lífþrasir and that they will hide in

4680-407: The prophecies foretold that he would be the death of Odin." As a consequence of his role in the death of the god Baldr, Loki (described as father of Fenrir) is bound on top of three stones with the internal organs of his son Narfi (which are turned into iron) in three places. There, venom drops onto his face periodically from a snake placed by the jötunn Skaði . Loki's wife Sigyn collects

4758-610: The realm of men. The bridge Bifröst is told to span from the heavens to the earth and over it the Æsir cross each day to hold council beneath Yggdrasil at the Urðarbrunnr . Based on this, Bifröst is commonly interpreted as the bridge to Asgard. Asgard is mentioned briefly throughout Skáldskaparmál as the name for the home of the Æsir, as in Gylfaginning . In this section, a number of locations are described as lying within Asgard including Valhalla, and in front of its doors,

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4836-457: The rest of the poem describing the aftermath. In the poem, a völva (a female seer) recites information to Odin . In stanza 41, the völva says: Fylliz fiǫrvi   feigra manna, rýðr ragna siǫt   rauðom dreyra. Svǫrt verða sólskin   of sumor eptir, veðr ǫll válynd.   Vitoð ér enn, eða hvat? It sates itself on the life-blood   of fated men, paints red the powers' homes   with crimson gore. Black become

4914-593: The river Tana-kvísl or Vana-Kvísl (kvísl is "arm"), which Snorri explains is the river Tanais (now Don), flowing into the Black Sea. Odin then leaves to settle in the northern part of the world and leaves his brothers Vili and Vé to rule over the city. When the euhemerised Odin dies, the account states that the Swedes believed he had returned to Asgard and would live there forever. Cosmology in Old Nordic religion

4992-485: The sea. The word Ásgarðr is a compound formed from Old Norse : āss ("god") and garðr ("enclosure"). Possible anglicisations include: Ásgarthr, Ásgard, Ásegard, Ásgardr, Asgardr, Ásgarth, Asgarth, Esageard, and Ásgardhr. Asgard is named twice in Eddic poetry . The first case is in Hymiskviða , when Thor and Týr journey from Asgard to Hymir 's hall to obtain a cauldron large enough to brew beer for

5070-606: The skull of Ymir and settled the jötnar on the shores of the earth. They set down the brows of Ymir, forming Midgard , and in the centre of the world they built Asgard, which he identifies as Troy : Þar næst gerðu þeir sér borg í miðjum heimi, er kölluð er Ásgarðr. Þat köllum vér Trója. Þar byggðu goðin ok ættir þeira, ok gerðust þaðan af mörg tíðendi ok greinir bæði á jörðu ok í lofti. Þar er einn staðr, er Hliðskjálf heitir, ok þá er Óðinn settist þar í hásæti, þá sá hann of alla heima ok hvers manns athæfi ok vissi alla hluti, þá er hann sá. Next they made for themselves in

5148-512: The sons of two brothers will widely inhabit the windy world. She sees a hall thatched with gold in Gimlé , where nobility will live and spend their lives pleasurably. Stanzas 65, found in the Hauksbók version of the poem, refers to a "powerful, mighty one" that "rules over everything" and who will arrive from above at the court of the gods (Old Norse regindómr ), which has been interpreted as

5226-465: The sound, and they meet. Odin rides to Mímisbrunnr in search of counsel from Mímir. Yggdrasil shakes, and everything, everywhere fears. High relates that the Æsir and the Einherjar dress for war and head to the field. Odin, wearing a gold helmet and an intricate coat of mail , carries his spear Gungnir and rides before them. Odin advances against Fenrir, while Thor moves at his side, though Thor

5304-412: The stone bears a commonly seen memorial dedication, but is followed by an encoded runic sequence that has been described as "mysterious," and "an interesting magic formula which is known from all over the ancient Norse world." On the early 11th-century Skarpåker Stone , from Södermanland , Sweden, a father grieving his dead son used the same verse form, fornyrðislag , as in the Poetic Edda in

5382-423: The sun's beams   in the summers that follow, weathers all treacherous.   Do you still seek to know? And what? The völva then describes three roosters crowing: In stanza 42, the jötunn herdsman Eggthér sits on a mound and cheerfully plays his harp while the crimson rooster Fjalar ( Old Norse "hider, deceiver" ) crows in the forest Gálgviðr . The golden rooster Gullinkambi crows to

5460-509: The surviving and returning gods will meet, and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors, Líf and Lífþrasir . Ragnarök is an important event in Norse mythology and has been the subject of scholarly discourse and theory in the history of Germanic studies . The event is attested primarily in the Poetic Edda , compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and

5538-439: The temples of the gods, and that Thor's sons Móði and Magni will possess the hammer Mjolnir. In stanza 52, the disguised Odin asks the jötunn about his fate. Vafþrúðnir responds that "the wolf" will consume Odin, and that Víðarr will avenge him by sundering its cold jaws in battle. Odin ends the duel with one final question: what did Odin say to his son before preparing his funeral pyre? With this, Vafþrúðnir realizes that he

5616-505: The tendency to link Asgard to Troy is part of a wider European cultural practice of claiming Trojan origins for one's culture, first seen in the Aeneid and also featuring in Geoffrey of Monmouth 's Historia regum Britanniae for the founding of Britain . Both Asgard and Valhalla have been portrayed many times in popular culture Asgard is depicted in the 1989 film comedy film Erik

5694-458: The venom into a bucket, but whenever she leaves to empty it, the drops reach Loki's face, and the pain he experiences causes convulsions, resulting in earthquakes . Loki is further described as being bound this way until the onset of Ragnarök . Chapter 51 provides a detailed account of Ragnarök interspersed with various quotes from Völuspá , while chapters 52 and 53 describe the aftermath of these events. In Chapter 51, High states that

5772-465: The verb røkkva 'to grow dark'), suggesting a translation 'twilight of the gods.' This reading was widely considered a result of folk etymology , or a learned reinterpretation of the original term due to the merger of / ɔ / (spelled ǫ) and / ø / (spelled ø) in Old Icelandic after c.  1200 (nevertheless giving rise to the calque Götterdämmerung 'Twilight of the Gods' in

5850-402: The wolf will swallow the sun, then his brother will swallow the moon, and mankind will consider the occurrence as a great disaster resulting in much ruin. The stars will disappear. The earth and mountains will shake so violently that the trees will come loose from the soil, the mountains will topple, and all restraints will break, causing Fenrir to break free from his bonds. High relates that

5928-414: The wolf Fenrir by the gods, causing the god Týr to lose his right hand, and that Fenrir remains there until Ragnarök . Gangleri asks High why, since the gods could only expect destruction from Fenrir, they did not simply kill Fenrir once he was bound. High responds that "the gods hold their sacred places and sanctuaries in such respect that they chose not to defile them with the wolf's blood, even though

6006-417: The word appear. In both sources, the word is used to signify the end of the world through fire. Old Norse forms of the term also appear throughout accounts of Ragnarök , where the world is also consumed in flames, and, though various theories exist about the meaning and origins of the term, its etymology has not been solved. Parallels have been pointed out between the Ragnarök of Norse religion and

6084-462: Was a volcano demon. Surtr's name occurs in some Icelandic place names, among them the lava tube Surtshellir , a number of dark caverns in the volcanic central region of Iceland. Parallels have been pointed out between a poem spoken by a jötunn found in the 13th-century þáttr Bergbúa þáttr ("the tale of the mountain dweller"). In the tale, Thórd and his servant get lost while travelling to church in winter, and so take shelter for

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