Ragnarök was the Vikings’ version of the end of the world. The name means something like “the doom of the gods,” and the Norse myths describe it in surprising detail. They believed it was already destined to happen - even the gods themselves could not stop it. They just knew it was coming.
According to the legend, the trouble would begin with three brutally cold winters in a row, with no summer between them. Then the chained wolf Fenrir would break free, the giant Midgard Serpent would crawl out of the ocean, and the trickster Loki would lead an army of giants and monsters against the gods.
In the final battle, almost everyone would die. Thor would kill the serpent but be poisoned by its venom. Odin would be swallowed by Fenrir. The sun would be eaten and the stars would fall. But the myth has a hopeful ending: a few survivors would crawl out of hiding and start a brand new world from scratch.
