An axe-age, a sword-age, shields will be gashed: there will be a wind-age and a wolf-age before the world is wrecked.
First of all Midgard will be wrenched and racked by wars for three winters. Fathers will slaughter sons; brothers will be drenched in one another’s blood. Mothers will desert their menfolk and seduce their own sons; brothers will bed with sisters.
FREYR HAD NO BUSINESS to be in Odin’s hall, Valaskjalf. And he had no right at all to sit in the high seat Hlidskjalf and look out over all the worlds. That was the right only of Odin and his wife Frigg.
Freyr narrowed his eyes and looked north into Jotunheim. What did he see? A large handsome hall belonging to the giant Gymir. And what did he see next? A woman coming out of this hall. Her name was Gerd — she was Gymir’s daughter. She seemed to be made of light, or clothed in sparkling light. When she raised her arms to close the hall doors, the dome of the sky and the sea surrounding the earth at once grew brighter. Because of her, all the worlds were hidden in a flash of brilliant icy light.
Of the nine worlds under Yggdrasill, Muspell, also known as Muspelheim, was the first to exist. It is said that Hel and Niflheim comprised one world making Muspell the ninth world however, Muspell had no place in the tricentric structure of the universe.
“It is light and hot that region flames and burns so that those who do not belong to it cannot endure it”
– Snorri Sturluson
Muspell is guarded by the giant Surt. Surt has a flaming sword and at the end of the world he will come and vanquish all the gods and burn the whole world with fire.
At Ragnarok, Surt is accompanied by the Sons of Muspell who will “form a host in themselves and that a very bright one.” They are said to break the Bifröst bridge as they and Surt cross, signaling the end of times.
These tales have existed for thousands of years in the form of poems, songs and stories until put into written form in the early 11th century. Though several authors attempted to preserve them our “best” source is Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda. This is the creation story. This is the first of the 32+ Norse Myths. My main source is the “The Norse Myths” by Kevin Crossley-Holland.
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