SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY 



197 



sparks that fly from the burning wood. Soon 

 afterwards Loke was captured and hound with 

 strong chords to the points of rocks in a cave. A 

 serpent was suspended over him in such a manner 

 that the venom fell into Loke's face drop by drop. 

 But Sigyn, Loke's wife, took pity on him. She 

 stands oy him, and receives the drops as they fall 

 in a cup, which she empties as often as it is filled. 

 But while she is emptying it venom falls upon 

 Loke's face, which makes him shriek with horror 

 and twist his body about so violently that the 

 whole earth shakes, and thus earthquakes are 

 produced. 



But when Balder, the bright and good god, had 

 passed from the happy family circle of the gods to 

 the cold and gloomy abodes of Hel the awful day 

 of doom was impending. It was a fatal thing for 

 the gods and for the world that they united them- 

 selves with the giant race. The gods should not 

 have admitted Loke into Asgard. Balder's death 

 waa the result, and this hastened the day when the 

 whole world shall be destroyed, when gods and 

 men and giants shall perish in Ragnarok, the 

 twilight of the gods. Increasing corruption and 

 strife in the world are the signs that this great and 

 awful event is impending. Continuous winters 

 rage without any intervening summer now that 

 Balder has been slain ; the air is tilled with violent 

 storms, snow, and darkness, and these are the 

 signs that Ragnarok is at hand. The snn and 

 moon are swallowed by giants who pursue them 

 in the guise of wolves, and the heavens are stained 

 with blood. The bright stars vanish, the earth 

 trembles in the throes of the earthquake, and the 

 mountains topple down with a tremendous crash. 

 Then all chains and fetters are severed, and the 

 terrible Fenriswolf gets loose. The Midgard-serpent 

 writhes in his giant rage, and seeks Ian. I upon the 

 tumultuous waves. The ship Naglfar, which has 

 been built of the nail-parings of dead men, floats 

 upon the waters, carrying the army of frost-giants 

 and mountain-giants over the sea, and having the 

 mighty giant iTrvm as its helmsman. Loke top is 

 now freed from his dark cave and strong chains, 

 and comes to the scene as the leader of the hosts 

 of Hel. The Fenriswolf advances and opens hU 

 enormous month. His lower jaw rests on the earth, 

 and the up|*-r touches the sky. It is only from 

 want of room that he does not open his month still 

 wider. Fire flashes from his month and nostrils. 

 The Midgard-serpent, placing himself by the side 

 of the ( enriawoff , vomits forth floods of venom 

 that till the air and waters. In the midst of this 

 confusion, crashing, and devastation the heavens 

 are rent in twain and the sons of Muspel come 

 riding down the opening in brilliant battle-array. 

 And now Surt, the same being that sent the heated 

 blasts from Muspelheim into Ginungogap in the 

 pre-chaotic world, and by whose might the drops 

 of venom sent by Nidhug in Niflheim quickened 

 into the giant Ymer, he w-ho is from everlasting to 

 everlasting, appears on the scene wrapped in flames 

 i>f tire. His naming sword outshines the sun. All 

 the hosts here described come riding over the 

 Hifrost bridge, that is the rainliow, whirh breaks 

 beneath so great a weight. All this vast and 

 glittering array direct their course to the great 

 battlefield called Vigrid, and thus the evil forces 

 on their part are ready for the final struggle. 



Meanwhile Heimdal, on the part of the gods, 

 blows his Gjallarhorn to arouse the gods, who 

 ametnble without delay. In his embarrassment 

 Odin now for the thin! time in his life goes to the 

 giants for advin-. Mi- rides to Mimer, where in 

 nU youth he had pawned his eye for knowledge, 

 to consult him as to how he and .his warriors are 

 to enter into action. The answer is not recorded, 

 but in the meanwhile the ash Ygdrasil begins to 



quake and quiver, nor is there anything in heaven 

 or on earth that does not fear and tremble in that 

 awful hour. The gods and all the eiuherjes (i.e. 

 those fallen in battle and brought to Valhal ) don 

 their armour, arm themselves and speedily sally 

 forth to the field of battle, led by Udin, who is 

 easily recognised by his golden helmet, resplendent 

 cuirass, and his flashing spear Gungner. Odin 

 places himself against the Fenriswolf as the foe 

 most worthy of his steel. Thor stands by Odin's 

 side, but can give him no assistance, as ne must 

 himself contend with the Midgard-serpent. Frey 

 : encounters the mighty Surd himself ; but, though 

 I terrible blows are exchanged, Frey falls, and the 

 Edda says he owes his defeat to the fact that he 

 did not nave that trusty sword which in his passion 

 for a giantess hu gave to his servant Skirner, when 

 \ he sent him to ask for the hand of the charming 

 giantess Gerd. In the last hour the dog Garni, 

 which for ages had been chained in the Gnipa cave, 

 also breaks loose. He is the most terrible monster 

 of all, and he attacks the one-handed Tyr, who had 

 sacrificed his right hand to get the Fenriswolf 

 bound. Garni and Tyr kill each other. Thor 

 gains great renown by dealing the deathblow to 

 the \fidgard-serpent with his mighty hammer 

 Mjolner, nut he retreats only nine paces l>efore he 

 too falls dead, suffocated by the flood of venom 

 which the expiring serpent vomits forth upon him. 

 The Fenriswolf with his enormous and wide-open 

 mouth swallows Odin ; but Vidar, Odin's son, 

 immediately advances to avenge his father. He 

 places his foot upon the wolf's lower jaw, the 

 other he seizes with his hand, and thus tears and 

 rends him till he dies. Vidar is able to do this, for 

 he wears a shoe, for which materials have been 

 gathered in all ages. It is made of scraps of leather 

 cut off from the toes and heels in making patterns 

 fur shoes ; hence, says the Edda, shoemakers should 

 throw away such pieces if they desire to render 

 assistance to the gods in the final conflict. Loke 

 and Heimdal meet in a duel and become each 

 other's slayers. The conflict is still raging with 

 unabated fury, when the immortal god Surt flings 

 tire and flame over the world. Smoke wreathes p 

 around the ash Ygdrasil ; the high flames play 

 against the lurid heavens, and the earth consumed 

 sinks down beneath the watery waste. 



After Ragnarok comes a new world. The earth 

 rises a second time from the sea, and is completely 

 clothed in green. Sparkling cascades fall, over- 

 arched by rainbows glistening in the sunbeams. 

 The eagle soars on lofty pinion in pursuit of his 

 prey. The g^xls risen from the dead assemble on 

 the Ida plains and talk over the strange events 

 of the past. The fields unsown yield bountiful 

 harvest, all ills cease, and the gods live in peace. 

 ; A new sun brighter and more resplendent than 

 j the former appears, and there is naught but 

 beauty, plenty, and happim^*. 



The Scandinavian mythology has two heavens 

 and two hells for humanity, a heaven and hell 

 before Ragnarok, and a heaven and hell after 

 Ragnarok. Before Ragnarok those fallen in 

 battle or by the sword went to Valhal, to become 

 etnherjeH, who took part with Odin in the first con- 

 flict on the plain of Vigrid. Those who died a 

 straw-death (that is, from sickness or old age) 

 went after death to the domain of Hel, and, though 

 the Edda is silent on the subject, they probably 

 fought on the side of Loke. But after Ragnarok 

 there is a heaven called Gimle and a hell called 

 Nastrand. Gimle is a hall more radiant than the 

 sun ; it is the uppermost realm, and in it the virtu- 

 ous shall dwell for ever and enjoy delights without 

 end. Nastrand is a place set apart for the wicked. 

 The word means strand of corpses. It is situated 

 far from the sun, in the lowest region of the 



