Then Gangleri said: 'What is there to relate about Ragnarök? I have never heard tell of this before.'

High one said: 'There are many and great tidings to tell about it. First will come the winter called Fimbulvetr. Snow will drive from all quarters, there will be hard frosts and biting winds; the sun will be no use. There will be three such winters on end with no summer between. Before that, however, there other winters will pass accompanied by great wars throughout the whole world. Brothers will kill each other for the sake of gain, and no one will spare father or son in manslaughter or in incest. As it says in the Sibyl's Vision:

Brothers will fight

and kill each other,

siblings

do incest;

men will know misery,

adulteries be multiplied,

an axe-age, a sword-age,

shields will be cloven,

a wind-age, a wolf-age,

before the world's ruin.

'Then will occur what will seem a great piece of news, the wolf will swallow the sun and that will seem a great disaster to men. Then another wolf will seize the moon and that one too will do great harm. The stars will disappear from heaven. Then this will come to pass, the whole surface of the earth and the mountains will tremble so [violently] that trees will be uprooted from the ground, mountains will crash down, and all fetters and bonds will be snapped and severed. The wolf Fenrir will get loose then. The sea will lash against the land because the Miðgarð Serpent is writhing in giant fury trying to come ashore. At that time, too, the ship known as Naglfar will become free. It is made of dead men's nails, so it is worth warning you that, if anyone dies with his nails uncut, he will greatly increase the material for that ship which both gods and men devoutly hope will take a long time building. In this tidal wave, however, Naglfar will be launched. The name of the giant steering Naglfar is Hrym. The wolf Fenrir will advance with wide open mouth, his upper jaw against the sky, his lower on the earth (he would gape more widely still if there were room) and his eyes and nostrils will blaze with fire. The Miðgarð Serpent will blow so much poison that the whole sky and sea will be spattered with it; he is most terrible and will be on the other side of the wolf.

'In this din the sky will be rent asunder and the sons of Muspell ride forth from it. Surt will ride first and with him fire blazing both before and behind. He has a very good sword and it shines more brightly than the sun. When they ride over Bifröst, however--as has been said before--that bridge will break. The sons of Muspell will push forward to the plain called Vígríð and the wolf Fenrir and the Miðgarð Serpent will go there too. Loki and Hrym with all the frost giants will also be there by then, and all the family of Hel will accompany Loki. The sons of Muspell, however, will form a host in themselves and that a very bright one. The plain Vígrið is a hundred and twenty leagues in every direction.

'When these things are happening, Heimdall will stand up and blow a great blast on the horn Gjöll and awaken all the gods and they will hold an assembly. Then Óðin will ride to Mímir's spring and ask Mímir's advice for himself and his company. The ash Yggdrasil will tremble and nothing in heaven or earth will be free from fear. The Æsir and all the Einherjar will arm themselves and press forward on to the plain. Óðin will ride first in a helmet of gold and a beautiful coat of mail and with his spear Gungnir, and he will make for the wolf Fenrir. Thór will advance at his side but will be unable to help him, because he will have his hands full fighting the Miðgarð Serpent. Frey will fight against Surt and it will be a hard conflict before Frey falls; the loss of the good sword that he gave to Skírnir will bring about his death. Then the hound Garm, which was bound in front of Gnipahellir, will also get free; he is the worst sort of monster. He will battle with Týr and each will kill the other. Thór will slay the Miðgarð Serpent but stagger back only nine paces before he falls down dead, on account of the poison blown on him by the serpent. The wolf will swallow Óðin and that will be his death. Immediately afterwards, however, Víðar will stride forward and place one foot on the lower jaw of the wolf. On this foot he will be wearing the shoe which has been in the making since the beginning of time; it consists of the strips of leather men pare off at the toes and heels of their shoes, and for this reason people who want to help the Æsir must throw away these strips. Víðar will take the wolf's upper jaw in one hand and tear his throat asunder and that will be the wolf's death. Loki will battle with Heimdall and each will kill the other. Thereupon Surt will fling fire over the earth and burn up the whole world. As it says in the Sibyl's Vision:

Heimdall blows loud

his horn raised aloft,

Óðin speaks

with Mímir's head;

Yggdrasil trembles,

old outspreading ash,

and groans

as the giant gets free.

How fare the Æsir?

How fare the elves?

All Giantland resounds--

the Æsir in assembly;

inhabitants of hillsides groan

dwarfs

by their doorways of stone.

Do you know any more or not?

Hrym drives from the east

holds high his shield before him,

Jörmungand writhes

in giant rage;

the serpent churns up waves;

screaming for joy

ghastly eagle will tear

dead bodies with his beak.

From the east sails a ship,

from the sea will come

the people of Muspell

with Loki as pilot;

all sons of fiends

are rowing with Fenrir,

with them on this voyage

is Býleist's brother.

Surt from the south

comes with spoiler-of-twigs

blazing his sword

[like] sun of the Mighty Ones;

mountains will crash down,

troll-women stumble,

men tread the road to Hel,

heaven's rent asunder.



Then occurs

Hlín's second grief,

when Óðin goes

to fight the wolf

and Beli's bane

turns, fair, on Surt,

then will Frigg's

beloved die.

To fight the wolf

goes Óðin's son,

Víðar

is on his way;

sword in hand

he will pierce the heart

of Hveðrung's son.

Thus is his sire avenged.

The famous son

of Earth falls back,

fainting from the serpent

fearing not attack.

All mankind

must abandon home

when Miðgarð's Buckler

strikes in wrath.

The sun will go black

earth sink in the sea,

heaven be stripped

of its bright stars;

smoke rage

and fire,

leaping the flame

lick heaven itself.

Further it says here:

Vígríð's the plain

where the conflict takes place

between Surt and the kindly gods.

One hundred and twenty

leagues each way

is the plain for them appointed.'