The End of the World in Scandinavian Mythology

Abstract A myth about the end of the world, the Ragnarök, was told among Viking Age Scandinavians. It is here reconsidered against a comparative background. The signs of the end, the final battle, and the destruction and renewal of the world are the main themes distinguished. Eddic poems, above all the Vǫluspá, and the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson provide the main sources. These are studied in detail and new interpretations are offered. The myth was handed down in a Christian medieval context and the problem of Christian influence is thoroughly discussed. Particular attention is given to the Old Norse homilies as instruments of conveying Christian teachings to both the elites and the common people. The comparative framework is set up by traditions on the end of the world in early Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Graeco-Roman world, Celtic Europe, as well as ancient Iran and India. The geographical area covered by these traditions formed a network of cultural contacts providing possibilities of various influences. These texts are studied in their own right to avoid superficial paralleling. The analogies with Iranian traditions are striking and include the idea of the cosmic tree, the role of the number ‘nine’, and the myth of the heavenly warriors. The pre-Christian origins of the Scandinavian myth are emphasized, and an Indo-European background is suggested.