Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of Mythology Explained.
In today’s video, we’re going to be covering the circus of mayhem that is Ragnarok. Here’s a quick
preview of some of the things this video will touch on: a giant ship fashioned by unclipped
toenails, someone riding an eight-legged horse to Hel, someone being Chinese-water-tortured with
snake venom, two wolves eating the sun and moon, an enormous serpent who floods the earth and spits
venom on everything, a man who uses an ancient, indestructible leather shoe to rip apart a giant
wolf’s head, and, of course, an enormous being of fire who engulfs all of creation in flame.
Let’s get into it.
By the contrivances of Loki, Balder, Odin’s son, he who is loved by all
and a shining beacon amongst the gods, is pierced and killed by a mistletoe dart. This is a moment
of great portent, for it was prophesied that Balder’s death meant Ragnarok was nigh.
Following Balder’s death, Hermod, another of Odin’s sons, rides Sleipnir,
Odin’s eight-legged horse, to travel down the roots of the world tree,
to Hel, which is ruled by the goddess Hel, who shares the same name. Hermod beseeches Hel
to let Balder return to the land of the living. Hel agrees to do this,
but only if everything in the world weeps for him. At the Gods’ behest, everything and
everyone weeps. That is, except for one giantess who is generally accepted to be Loki in disguise.
So Balder stays dead and Loki goes on the run because, by this time, he’s known to
have Both orchestrated Balder’s death and prevented Balder’s resurrection. Eventually,
Loki is caught and bound to three stones by the entrails of his son,
and a serpent set above continuously drips its venom upon him, and in this perpetual
torment Loki remains until his fetters are broken during the events of Ragnarok.
Ragnarok, compared to what’s in store for its crescendo, builds relatively slowly.
It begins with a protracted winter, called Fimbulvetr, that freezes the land for thrice
the length of a normal winter. This winter was, in turn, preceded by another protracted winter
that also lasted three times the length of a normal winter. This first winter will be marked
by carnage and immorality. Neighbour will turn against neighbour, and blood will turn on blood.
Following these two interminable winters, the two wolves, Skoll and hati, who have, hitherto,
endlessly pursued the sun and moon across the sky,
will finally see their hunts to fruition. They devour the sun and the moon,
and the glitter of the stars goes out, leaving the sky a black dome of darkness.
Around the same time, a massive earthquake rolls through the land, felling trees,
leveling mountains, and ultimately, destroying all bonds that fetter the mortal and immortal alike,
which sets up two things: Fenrir, one of Loki’s spawn, who has been chained to a rock since time
immemorial, is freed, and Loki, who’s had venom drizzling on his face since he killed Balder,
is also freed. Loki marshals the dead and leads them against Asgard,
and Fenrir, Maw gaping, charges forward with his bottom jaw to the ground
and his upper jaw to the sky, devouring everything in his path. Concurrently,
the world serpent becomes enraged, and as he maneuvers his colossal bulk to the shore,
He causes the oceans to rise and flood the land. He also starts spitting venom everywhere.
Naglfar (“The Nail Ship”) is shaken free from its mooring. The unclipped fingernails and toenails of
all the deceased are the material from which this great ship was wrought. The earth, now flooded, is
easily navigated by the Naglfar. It will be crewed by an army of frost giants and captained by Hrym.
Amidst all this chaos and upheaval, the sky will be rent open,
splitting into a gateway through which the armies of Muspelheim, the realm of fire,
will ride forth. Surtr, the giant chief, will charge through first, brandishing his fiery sword.
To recap, here are all the forces which have rallied to assail Asgard:
Surtr and the fire giants, Hrym and the frost giants,
Loki and the hordes of Hel, Fenrir, the giant wolf, and the world serpent. Also Garm,
the vile hound that guards the entrance of the underworld breaks free and joins the fray.
All of these forces converge on Asgard, and the bifrost, which is
the rainbow bridge that connects Midgard to Asgard, is destroyed by their passing.
As these events occur, Heimdall blows his mighty horn, Gjallarharn, which alerts the gods to the
overwhelming force that has mustered on their doorstep. Odin Rushes to Mimir’s well to take
counsel one last time with his most sage advisor. The very structure of Yggdrasil, the world tree,
is shaken, everyone is filled with fear, and creation itself hangs in the balance.
The Aesir prepare for war, donning their armor and equipping their weapons. The Einherjar,
the heroic dead hand-picked by Odin and ushered to Valhalla by the Valkyries, at long last,
will be hard put to the trial for which they’ve been groomed for so long, endlessly feasting and
fighting. At this stage, the armies of Asgard march forth to meet their attackers head on.
The field of battle is Vigrid, meaning “Plain Where Battle Surges”.
Once the Aesir led host collides with the giant led host, many epic duels between Gods and
Monsters ensue. Odin is swallowed whole by the giant wolf, Fenrir. Thor and the world serpent
meet in their long fated struggle. Thor bests the serpent, but his victory is short-lived, for he’s
coated in so much venom that he drops dead after taking only nine steps. Freyr and Surtr meet in a
melee, but Freyr is struck down because of his inferior weapon, having given his good sword
to Skirnir. Garm, the most evil of beasts, and Tyr, the god of war, come face to face. The two
kill one another. Vidar comes forward and avenges his father, Odin, by killing Fenrir. Vidar’s foot
is encased in a mighty shoe fashioned of all the leather scraps discarded by cobblers and
shoemakers since time immemorial. Using the shoe to press down the snapping, lower jaw of the wolf,
Vidar is able to get the purchase he needs to rip the wolf's head apart. This series of mortal
combats is punctuated by the one between Loki and Heimdall, who are the death of each other.
Subsequently, Surtr washes everything in flame, causing gouts of fire to erupt from the earth,
and finally, the earth sinks beneath the depths of the sea.
Following all of this death and destruction is not an end but a time of renewal. Eventually,
the fires burn themselves out and the earth reemerges from the sea with reinvigorated
fertility. A time of growth and abundance ensues. Odin’s surviving sons, Vidar and Vali,
and both of Thor's sons, Modi and Magni gather on the field where Asgard used to stand.
They are joined by Baldr and Hoder who rise up from Hel.
All six of them gathered, they commiserate and exchange stories of a world from a
bygone time - tales of their forefathers and monstrous beasts and the great battles of before.
Fortuitously, the sun, shortly before being swallowed, begot a daughter, so the skies were
bright once more. And two humans, Lif, meaning life, and Lifthrasir, meaning life yearner, both
took refuge in Yggdrasil. They return to the earth and begin the repopulation of the human race.
And that concludes all of the events of Ragnarok. Thanks for Watching. Until next time: a stupid man
spends all night pondering his problems. He’s worn out when morning comes, and whatever was still is.
So there you have it, all the events of Ragnarok laid out. Thanks for tuning it.