The Doom of the Gods 1 15 



Jdrinungandr, the great earth-serpent who encircles the 

 world. Frey fights with the fire-god, Surt. 



' Surt from the south comes, the giant with the sword ; 

 The gods' suu shines reflected from his shield ; 

 Rocks are shaken ; giantesses totter ; 

 Heroes fare to hell ; and heaven is cleft in twain. ' 



When Odin has been killed by Fenrir he is revenged 

 by Vidar, who strikes his sword into the heart of the 

 wolf. Thor kills Jormungandr ; but, suffocated by the 

 dragon's poisonous breath, he recoils nine paces and 

 falls dead. Tyr and Garni (another hell-hound) slay 

 one another. Last two of all, Loki, the embodiment of 

 evil, and Heimdall, an ancient creator-god, fight : each 

 kills the other. And now the Death-Flame (Surt) 

 stalks unhindered over earth, and, spreading fire on 

 every side, consumes it all. 



* The sun darkens ; the earth sinks into the sea. 

 From heaven fall the bright stars. 

 The Fire-wind storms round the all nourishing tree ; 

 The flame assails high heaven itself.' 



The original myth of Eaguarok perhaps ended here, 

 drawing a veil over all things, plunging the earth again 

 into darkness, as out of darkness it had emerged. As 

 the old proverb said : ' Few can see farther forth than 

 when Odin meets the wolf.' But the VolusjJd does 

 pass beyond this picture, and, influenced thereto by 

 Christianity, lifts the veil again upon a new world, 

 which rises out of the ocean of chaos, peopled by a new 

 race of mankind, and a younger generation of ^sir. 

 In a passage of the Vohisiod of unrivalled beauty we 

 are told how the proplietess, with an eye which pierces 

 beyond Eagnarok, — 



