Ragnarok : the age of fire and gravel

RAGNAROK, 147

byrnie, and his spear Gungner, he advances against the Fenris-wolf” /the first comet). “Thor stands by his side, but can give him no assistance, for he has his hands full in his struggle with the Midgard-serpent” (the second comet). “ Frey encounters Surt, and heavy blows are exchanged ere Frey falls. The cause of his death is that he has not that good sword which he gave to Skirner. Even the dog Garm ” (another comet), “that was bound before the Gnipa- cave, gets loose. He is the greatest plague. He contends with Tyr, and they kill each other, Thor gets great renown by slaying the Midgard-serpent, but retreats only nine paces when he falls to the earth dead, poisoned by the venom that the serpent blows upon him.”

He has breathed the carbureted-hydrogen gas !

“The wolf swallows Odin, and thus causes his death ; but Vidar immediately turns and rushes at the wolf, placing one foot on his “nether jaw.

[On this foot he has the shoe, for which materials have been gathering through all ages, namely, the strips of leather which men cut off from the toes and heels of shoes; wherefore he who wishes to render assistance to the asas must cast these strips away.”’|

This last paragraph, like that concerning the ship Naglfar, is probably the interpolation of some later age. The narrative continues :

“With one hand Vidar seizes the upper jaw of the wolf, and thus rends asunder his mouth. Thus the wolf perishes. Loke fights with Heimdal, and they Ill each other. Thereupon Surt flings fire over the earth, and burns up all the world.”

This narrative is from the Younger Edda. The Elder Edda is to the same purpose, but there are more allusions to the effect of the catastrophe on the earth :

“The eagle screams,

And with pale beak tears corpses... . Mountains dash together,