The Story of the Days
The Days
The seven days of the week, much like The Story of the Months, are imbued with ancient narratives, primarily drawing from the traditions of the Northmen, specifically the Angles and Saxons, rather than the classical cultures of Greece and Rome.
While Sunday and Monday retain universal celestial associations, the majority of the week's names honour the powerful deities of the northern lands, their stories recorded in early poems known as Eddas and Sagas. These ancient texts chronicle the creation of the world, the adventures of gods and giants, and foreshadow the ultimate downfall and rebirth of the cosmos.
Sunday
Sunday is named after the sun, revered as an object of wonder throughout time. Its movement across the sky was perceived as a chariot driven by a deity, a god who bestowed warmth, light, ripened crops and fruit, adorned trees with leaves, and scattered flowers across the fields.
The Greeks and Romans worshipped the sun as Apollo, a god of light and happiness, who drove his chariot daily across the sky before descending into the ocean, where a boat awaited to return him to the East.
The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was a colossal 100-foot statue of Apollo, situated at a harbour entrance. His principal temples were on the Island of Delos and at Delphi in Greece, where the Pythian Games were held in his honour, commemorating his slaying of the dragon Python.
The Egyptians worshipped the sun-god Ra, who navigated the sky in a ship by day and returned through the kingdom of the dead by night, symbolising life, death, and resurrection. Ra engaged in nightly battles with a colossal serpent, the lord of darkness, whom he vanquished at dawn.
He was depicted as a hawk or a man with a hawk's head crowned with the sun, the hawk symbolising its flight towards the sun. In India, the sun-god Agni rode a shining chariot drawn by blood-red horses, possessing golden hair, a double face, seven tongues, and seven arms.
The early British sun-god Nudd, or Ludd, has his name preserved in Ludgate and possibly Ludgate Hill in London, with remains of his temple found in Lydney, Gloucestershire.
The Angles and Saxons imagined the sun carried in a chariot driven by a maiden named Sol. While they had no singular sun-god, several deities embodied solar characteristics. Frey, for instance, had a sword that emitted rays of light and was responsible for ripening crops.
Balder the Beautiful, the God of Light, Odin's cherished son, was renowned for his handsomeness, perpetual happiness, and radiant smile, with golden hair and bright, clear eyes that shone like the sun. He was PERCEIVED as good, pure, and bright, universally loved.
Despite his benevolent nature, Balder was fated to suffer at the hands of his twin brother, Hodur, the blind God of Darkness. Odin, foreseeing this calamity, compelled all created things to vow never to harm Balder, save for a shoot of mistletoe, deemed too insignificant to cause injury. Taking advantage of this oversight, Loki, the jealous God of Fire, fashioned an arrow from the mistletoe.
He then guided the blind Hodur's hand to shoot Balder, leading to the God of Light's death, much to the gods' horror. Though enraged, the gods were forbidden to shed blood in Asgard. Hermod, the messenger, was dispatched to Hel, Goddess of the Underworld, to plead for Balder's return. Hel agreed, provided all creation wept for Balder. While all living creatures, trees, flowers, and even stones wept, a giantess, actually Loki in disguise, refused, thus condemning Balder to the Underworld.
In a custom akin to Northmen's burial rites, Balder's body was laid on a funeral pyre on the deck of his ship, Ringhorn. The ship was adorned with rich cloth, garlands of flowers, swords, armour, drinking vessels, and other cherished possessions. Odin cast his golden ring onto the pyre. The ship was then launched and set ablaze, drifting slowly westward, its flames illuminating the sea and sky, until it finally sank, mirroring the sun's daily descent, and darkness enveloped the sky.
Monday
Monday is named after the moon, a celestial body also widely worshipped in ancient times, though less central to mythological narratives than the sun. Its pale, gentle light led to its being interprited as a chariot driven by a goddess.
Diana, the Greek and Roman moon-goddess, also known as Cynthia, Phoebe, and Artemis, was the twin sister of Apollo. She drove a golden chariot pulled by milk-white horses, born on the Island of Delos. Her temple at Ephesus, on the west coast of Asia Minor, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Diana was also the Goddess of Hunting and a skilled archer.
A celebrated story recounts Diana's love for Endymion, a young shepherd. One evening, as Diana silently traversed the sky, she saw him sleeping on a hillside. Captivated by his beauty, she descended and gently kissed him. Endymion, half-awakened, caught a fleeting glimpse of the goddess. To preserve his beauty from the ravages of time, Diana cast a spell upon him, ensuring he would never awaken, and carried him to a secret mountain cave. Each night, she paused during her journey to gaze upon him.
Diana, when hunting, was accompanied by loyal wood-nymphs. One such nymph, Arethusa, while cooling herself by the River Alpheus, was pursued by the river god Alpheus. Frightened, she fled and prayed to Diana, who transformed her into a fountain hidden by mist. When the wind-god Zephyrus dispersed the mist, Alpheus discovered the fountain, transformed himself into a river, and continued his pursuit. Diana then created an opening in the ground, allowing Arethusa to escape into Pluto's kingdom, from which she eventually emerged into the sunshine of Sicily. Alpheus followed her across the sea to Sicily, where he finally won her love. It was believed that flowers cast into the River Alpheus in Greece would reappear in Arethusa's fountain in Sicily.
The Egyptians regarded the moon as a god, Thoth, the Measurer, also the God of Wisdom, Invention, Writing, and Magic. He was one of the earliest Egyptian deities, believed to have created the world alongside the sun-god Ra. The Romans compared him to Mercury due to his invention of writing. Thoth was depicted wearing a crescent moon on his head and holding a stylus. The Babylonian moon-god, Sin, Lord of Wisdom, was the father of the sun-god and a prominent deity because the Babylonians regulated their calendar by the moon. The Angles and Saxons believed the moon was driven across the sky by Mani, a giant's son, in a golden chariot pulled by a horse named the All Swift.
Tuesday
Tuesday is the first day of the week named after a god of the Angles and Saxons: Tiu, the God of War. The Angle and Saxon pantheon, while sharing similarities with Greek and Roman gods, also exhibited distinct differences reflecting their unique environment and way of life. Their primary adversaries were frost and cold, personified as frost-giants who waged perpetual war against the benevolent gods who protected humankind.
Woden (Odin) was the chief god, followed by Thor, the giants' fiercest enemy. Tiu, known as Tyr among the Norsemen, corresponded to the Roman Mars, and the Roman name for this day was Dies Martis, which survives as mardi in French.
Tiu was a fearless warrior, often depicted without his right hand due to a significant incident. Odin, fearing the rapid growth of three terrible monsters in the land of the giants, sought to eliminate them. He cast the giantess Hel into the Underworld, where she became the Goddess of Death. The serpent Iormungandr was thrown into the sea, growing so vast that it encircled the entire Earth.
The wolf Fenrir was brought to Asgard, the gods' home, in hopes of taming him. However, Fenrir grew increasingly powerful and fierce, prompting the gods to devise a plan to bind him. A mighty chain was forged, but Fenrir, boasting of his strength, effortlessly broke it. A second, even stronger chain also proved futile. The gods then enlisted the aid of the dwarfs, skilled metalworkers and magic users, who crafted a silken rope of immense strength from the voice of fishes, a woman's beard, the roots of a mountain, and the footsteps of a cat. Fenrir, suspicious, agreed to be bound with this new cord only if one of the gods placed a hand in his mouth as a pledge.
The brave Tiu, without hesitation, inserted his right hand into the wolf's jaws. As the gods bound Fenrir, he, finding himself trapped, immediately bit off Tiu's hand. Despite this sacrifice, Tiu remained an invincible warrior, wielding his sword equally well with his left hand. This act of binding Fenrir postponed the dreaded Ragnarök, the final battle of the gods.
On one occasion, Tiu and Thor journeyed to the land of the giants to obtain an enormous kettle needed for a feast. They found refuge with the giant Hymir, who possessed a kettle a mile deep and wide. Hymir's wife warned them of her husband's fierce temper, advising them to hide.
Upon Hymir's return, his fiery glance split the beam supporting their hiding place, revealing Tiu and Thor. Despite this, Hymir's wife persuaded him to treat them kindly. During the meal, Thor astonishingly consumed two of the three oxen prepared. After witnessing further proofs of their strength, Hymir reluctantly agreed to part with the kettle. Tiu attempted to lift it but failed; Thor, however, after a mighty struggle, hoisted it from the ground, his feet breaking through the giant's floor. Hymir and his brothers pursued the departing gods, but Thor, wielding his famous hammer, vanquished them one by one.
Tiu and Thor then safely brought the immense kettle to their own land. Tiu's high standing among the gods is evident from the naming of Tuesday, with his role in binding Fenrir being his most celebrated deed.
Wednesday
Wednesday is named after Woden, or Odin, the chief god of the Angles and Saxons, who corresponds to the Roman Jupiter. He also shared similarities with Mercury, and his name was given to the Roman Dies Mercurii, which evolved into the French mercredi.
Odin led the Northern gods in a monumental struggle against the giants of ice and frost, ultimately overthrowing them. With the gods' assistance, he then sculpted the world from the chief giant's body: his flesh formed the Earth (Midgard), his blood the sea, his bones the mountains, his teeth the cliffs, and his hair the trees.
The giant's skull was positioned above the Earth to create the sky, supported at its four corners by four dwarfs—Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Westri—whose names became North, South, East, and West. The gods then crafted the sun and moon, placing them in golden chariots driven by Sol and Mani, children of a giant.
The Northmen PERCEIVED the outlines of two children carrying a pail on the moon, a story that attributes Mani to capturing Hiuki and Bil, who were forced by their cruel father to carry water all night, a tale now known as Jack and Jill. The sun and moon were constantly pursued by two fierce wolves, whose forms were visible in the clouds, and who, when successful, would swallow them, plunging the world into darkness, thus causing eclipses.
After creating the Earth and populating it with humans, Odin and the gods constructed magnificent palaces in Asgard, their divine home. Valhalla was the most famed, where the bravest and mightiest mortals slain in battle were summoned after death. Its walls were fashioned from spears, its roof from golden shields, and long tables filled the hall for the heroes' feasts.
Northmen held great fighters in the highest esteem, considering it a disgrace to die a straw death (in bed rather than in battle). Every warrior's greatest aspiration was to be called to Valhalla, to spend eternity fighting and feasting. The Valkyries, Odin's battle-maidens, chose the fortunate from the fallen, carrying them through the air and over the sea, their horses riding among storm-clouds, and the flash of their spears appearing as lightning.
Odin was often depicted on a throne, from which he surveyed the entire world, clad in armour and a blue mantle representing the sky. He carried a famous spear, Gungnir, which never missed its target. Two ravens, Thought and Memory, perched on his shoulders, sent daily to gather news from the world. Like Tiu, Odin suffered a disfigurement, having lost an eye.
This loss occurred when Odin sought profound wisdom from Mimir's spring, whose clear waters reflected the future. Mimir demanded one of Odin's eyes in exchange for a draught of the miraculous water. Odin willingly made this sacrifice, plucking out his eye and giving it to Mimir, who sank it into the spring, where it shone perpetually. Odin then drank deeply, acquiring the wisdom for which he became renowned.
All life, even that of the gods, was believed to depend on the colossal ash tree, Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, created by Odin. It had three roots: one in the Underworld, one in Midgard near Mimir's spring, and the third in Asgard. Yggdrasil grew so tall that it towered over the entire world, with an eagle and a falcon perched in its highest branches, observing and reporting from all three realms.
A dragon in the Underworld continually gnawed at Yggdrasil's roots, seeking its destruction and the downfall of the gods. To prevent this, the tree was watered daily from a magical fountain in Asgard, ensuring its perpetual verdure.
The Bifrost bridge, composed of fire, earth, and water, with colours like the rainbow, connected Asgard and the Earth. Heimdall, its guardian, protected it from the giants. His sight and hearing were extraordinarily keen, allowing him to see a hundred leagues by night and day and hear the grass growing and the wool on a sheep's back. He carried a flashing sword and a horn, which he would sound to warn of the giants' approach.
Odin invented Runes, the Northmen's first alphabet. These letters, primarily straight lines arranged in groups, were initially thought to possess magical significance. Each god had a special rune, and its use was believed to invoke the god's aid; warriors, for example, carved Tiu's rune on their swords for assistance in battle. Odin, as the inventor of runes, parallels Mercury, who was said to have given the Romans their alphabet.
In addition to being the wisest god, inventor of runes, and God of Eloquence, Odin was also the God of Poetry. The gift of poetry, jealously guarded by the gods, was only granted to mortals in special circumstances. Odin himself obtained this gift through great effort. Three vessels containing a magic fluid, which conferred the gift of poetry and song upon anyone who drank it, were hidden in a hollow mountain, guarded by a giantess.
Odin, disguised as a mortal, travelled to the land of the giants and hired himself to Baugi, the brother of Suttung, the vessels' owner, requesting one draught of the fluid as payment. After completing his labour, Odin demanded his reward. Baugi, afraid to ask his brother, conspired with Odin. They bored a hole into the mountain cave. Odin, transforming into a snake, wriggled through the hole, narrowly escaping the giant's attempt to kill him.
Inside, Odin resumed his divine form and begged the giantess for a sip. Upon her consent, Odin swiftly emptied all three vessels, then transformed into an eagle and flew towards Asgard. Suttung, also an eagle, pursued him. As Odin neared Asgard, the gods, seeing Suttung gaining, piled fuel on the palace walls.
Once Odin had flown over, they ignited the fuel, causing flames to scorch Suttung's wings, making him fall and perish. Odin rarely used this precious gift himself, instead bestowing it upon his son Bragi, who became the gods' minstrel, singing in honour of the deities and heroes in Valhalla. All human singers, or bards/scalds, were believed to have received their gift from Odin and were highly honoured.
Thursday
Thursday is named after Thor, the Thunderer, perhaps the most renowned god of the Northmen, and by some, considered greater than Odin. He was the God of the Peasants, in contrast to Odin, who was more revered by the wealthy and great fighters. Thor typically rode in a brass chariot drawn by two goats, Tooth-cracker and Tooth-gnasher, whose journey was believed to produce thunder, hence Thor's appellation.
Thor was unique among the gods in being forbidden to cross the Bifrost bridge between Asgard and Earth, lest his chariot damage it. As the Thunderer, Thor corresponded to Jupiter, who wielded thunderbolts when enraged. For this reason, Thor's name was given to the Roman Dies Jovis, the day of Jupiter, which is jeudi in modern French.
Thor possessed immense strength, akin to Hercules among the Greeks and Romans. He wielded a marvellous hammer named Miolnir, the Crusher, which unfailingly returned to his hand after being hurled at an adversary. He also wore a magic belt that augmented his strength the more it was tightened.
The creation of Miolnir is linked to a tale involving Thor's wife, Sif, who was exceedingly proud of her golden hair, which reached her feet. One morning, Thor awoke to discover Sif's hair had been cruelly shorn, and he rightly suspected Loki, the mischievous God of Fire.
Thor apprehended Loki, and would have strangled him had Loki not promised to procure a new head of hair for Sif, as beautiful as the first, along with gifts for Odin and Frey.
Loki sought out a dwarf who crafted golden hair so fine it would grow instantly upon Sif's head. For Odin, the dwarf made the spear Gungnir, and for Frey, a ship that could traverse both air and water and fold up like a cloth. Loki, delighted, boasted of the dwarf's unmatched skill, which prompted a challenge from another dwarf, who claimed he could create three even more extraordinary items.
This dwarf fashioned a wild boar with golden bristles, capable of air travel and emitting bright light; a magic ring that spawned eight identical rings every ninth night; and finally, the irresistible iron hammer, Miolnir. The gods, judging the gifts, declared the second dwarf the victor, recognising Miolnir's immense value in their perpetual conflict with the frost-giants.
Thor frequently journeyed to the land of the giants. On one occasion, with Loki, he reached the desolate giant-country at nightfall. They took shelter in what PERCEIVED to be a vast house, only to discover upon waking that they had spent the night in the thumb of the giant Skrymir's glove. Skrymir, later revealed as Utgard-loki in disguise, used magic to mislead Thor and Loki throughout their encounters.
Thor's attempts to open the giant's wallet and strike him with Miolnir were magically minimised, with the blows merely feeling like falling leaves or twigs to the giant. At Utgard-loki's castle, Loki lost an eating contest to a giant who consumed not only the meat but also the bones and the trough itself. Thor, seeking to prove his strength, failed to empty a massive drinking horn, which was secretly connected to the sea, causing the ocean level to drop with his prodigious draughts.
He then tried to lift Utgard-loki's cat, only managing to raise one paw, unaware that the cat was actually the colossal Midgard serpent, encircling the Earth, which Thor had nearly dislodged from the sea. Finally, Thor was effortlessly defeated in a wrestling match by an old nurse, who was, in fact, Old Age, a foe no one can vanquish. Utgard-loki later unveiled these deceptions, explaining how magic had obscured their true nature.
Thor rarely missed an opportunity to wage war against the giants. He famously challenged Hrungnir, a giant whose head and heart were of stone. After Hrungnir brazenly raced his horse, Golden Mane, to the gates of Valhalla and boasted of overthrowing Asgard, an enraged Thor challenged him to a duel. During the combat, Hrungnir stood on his stone shield to defend against Thor's attack.
Thor hurled Miolnir at him, shattering Hrungnir's stone club and scattering flint stones across the Earth. A fragment of the club struck Thor's forehead, causing him to faint, but his hammer simultaneously struck Hrungnir, killing him.
Thor was pinned beneath one of the giant's legs. After all other gods failed to free him, his three-year-old son, Magni, effortlessly lifted the leg, releasing his father and earning Hrungnir's horse, Golden Mane, as a reward. Magni was among the few gods prophesied to survive Ragnarök, the day of destruction, when Thor himself would ultimately fall in mortal combat with the sea-monster Iormungandr.
Friday
Friday's naming is attributed either to Frigga, the wife of Odin and queen of the gods, or Freya, the Goddess of Love. The striking similarities in their myths suggest they may have been the same divine figure. The Roman equivalent for this day was Dies Veneris, the day of Venus, the Goddess of Love, thus aligning with Freya. The modern French name is vendredi.
Frigga, as the Goddess of Clouds, spent her time spinning clouds on a jewel-studded spinning-wheel, which could be observed at night as the constellation Orion's Belt. She was also recognised as the Goddess of Spring, known as Eastre, from whom the word Easter derives.
Freya, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, received a grand welcome among the gods and was granted a special realm called Folk Meadow, containing the vast Hall of Many Seats. There, she hosted half of those slain in battle, with the other half going to Odin. Freya is often depicted with blue eyes, golden hair, and a robe of feathers that enabled her to fly like a bird.
Freya was married to Odur, believed by some to be another name for Odin. When Odur left Freya to travel the world, she was heartbroken. Her tears, falling among rocks, transformed into gold, while those that dropped into the sea became amber. All of nature mourned with her, shedding leaves, withering grass, and drooping flowers.
Eventually, Freya, in her distress, embarked on a quest to find her husband, traversing many lands where her golden tears were subsequently discovered. She found the wandering Odur in the sunny south, and upon their return, the fields and flowers rejoiced. Frost and snow retreated, and the Earth became green once more, a narrative reminiscent of Ceres and Persephone, offering a whimsical explanation for the seasons.
Freya possessed a magnificent golden necklace, crafted by dwarfs, which she wore day and night. On one occasion, she lent it to Thor, who, disguised as Freya, journeyed to the land of the giants to reclaim his hammer, stolen by the Giant Thrym. Loki, using Freya's feather robe, discovered that Thrym would only return the hammer if Freya became his wife. Freya, enraged by Thrym's presumption, vehemently refused.
Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost bridge, then proposed that Thor, disguised as Freya, accompanied by Loki as her attendant, should retrieve the hammer. The gods were persuaded, and Thor, wearing Freya's attire, necklace, and a thick veil, set out with Loki.
At the giant's palace, Thrym, elated, led them to a grand feast. At its conclusion, Thrym laid the famed hammer in his bride's lap as a wedding gift. Thor immediately grasped Miolnir, and in moments, Thrym and all the wedding guests lay dead.
Later, the evil Loki, captivated by the necklace's beauty, attempted to steal it. Transforming into a fly, he entered Freya's palace and, resuming his true form, stealthily removed the necklace from the sleeping goddess. The ever-vigilant Heimdall, hearing Loki's footsteps, witnessed the theft and pursued him.
Loki transformed into a flame, prompting Heimdall to become a cloud and send rain. Loki then became a bear, Heimdall likewise, and attacked him. Loki changed into a seal, Heimdall followed, and eventually forced Loki to relinquish the necklace, which was returned to Freya.
On another occasion, Freya was sought by a giant who offered to build an impregnable stronghold for Asgard in one winter, aided only by his horse, in exchange for the sun, the moon, and Freya. The gods, advised by Loki, accepted, secretly intending to renege on their promise. When the giant neared completion, Loki, transforming into a horse, lured the giant's horse away, causing the giant to fail his task. The enraged frost-giant revealed his true form and was about to attack the gods when Thor hurled his hammer and killed him.
Frey, Freya's brother, was the God of the Fields, and sacrifices were offered to him for bountiful crops. In early spring, his wooden image was paraded through the countryside in a chariot to bless the fields and ensure a fruitful harvest. Frey owned a ship that could travel on land and sea and fold up like cloth, and a boar with golden bristles, which he often rode.
The boar, swifter than a horse, was likely a symbol of the sun, responsible for ripening crops. Frey's flashing sword, which fought autonomously when drawn, also embodied the concept of sunshine. The month preceding Christmas was sacred to both Frey and Thor. At this time, it was customary to bind a large wooden wheel with straw, set it alight, and roll it down a hill, symbolising the sun's return to banish winter.
A great feast was held for all the gods, with a boar's head being the primary meat, in honour of Frey. Early Christian missionaries, recognising the feast's importance, transformed it into a Christian festival by substituting Christ for the Norse gods, much like the adaptation of the Easter festival.
Saturday
Saturday, known as Dies Saturni in the Roman calendar, honours Saturn, Jupiter's father, who was eventually overthrown by his son. Saturn found refuge on Earth and ruled a kingdom in Italy called Latium, and a major festival in his honour was held in December.
The Old English name Saater-daeg, from which Saturday derives, appears to be a direct translation of the Latin name, and thus does not explicitly point to an Angle or Saxon god. However, the day was sacred to Loki, the God of Fire, with some suggesting Saeter-daeg means the day of Saetere, another name for Loki.
Loki's nature was a blend of good and evil; he aided the gods in their predicaments but also played dangerous tricks that often brought them harm. Over time, he became solely a spirit of evil. Consequently, the gods banished him from Asgard and subjected him to a terrible punishment: he was chained to a cave wall, with a snake fastened above his head, its venom dripping onto his face.
His loyal wife, however, remained by his side, holding a cup to catch the poison, only leaving to empty it. In her absence, the poison that fell onto Loki's face caused him to writhe in agony, shaking the Earth and causing earthquakes. While Loki's suffering parallels that of Prometheus, Prometheus endured his torment as a benefactor of mankind, whereas Loki's suffering was a consequence of his malevolence.
Loki was destined to escape his bonds on the great day of Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods, and join the giants against the divine forces, ultimately meeting his demise at the hands of Heimdall. Unlike the Greeks and Romans, the Northmen perceived their gods as mortal, believing their reign would eventually conclude.
They envisioned a final cataclysmic struggle between the forces of good (the gods) and evil (Loki, the frost-giants, and terrible monsters). Odin, in his vast wisdom, foresaw this future and strove to prolong his rule, preparing for the inevitable day. He welcomed great heroes to Valhalla and nurtured Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, with water from the sacred spring. Conversely, the giants sought to steal Thor's hammer, their most dreaded weapon.
Many signs heralded Ragnarök's approach: six successive, extraordinarily severe winters blanketed the Earth in ceaseless snow and freezing winds. Humanity, struggling under these conditions, lost faith in the gods and succumbed to evil. Sin and crime became rampant, and the spirits of evildoers became sustenance for the wolves relentlessly pursuing the sun and moon.
These wolves grew stronger and swifter, until one day, they finally overtook and swallowed Sol and Mani, plunging the world into darkness. The foundations of the Earth trembled, stars fell, and mountains collapsed. This chaos signalled Loki and the fierce wolf Fenrir to break their chains. The dragon at Yggdrasil's base gnawed through the sacred tree's roots.
The Midgard serpent, Iormungandr, thrashed violently, causing immense waves, then broke free and crawled onto land. Heimdall, the bridge keeper, recognising the impending twilight of the gods, sounded a blast on his horn, heard across the world. The gods quickly donned their armour and marshalled their army of heroes. Odin lamented the loss of his eye, Tiu his hand, and Frey his sword.
On the plain of Vigrid, the site of the ultimate battle, Loki led the followers of the goddess Hel, joined by Hel herself, Garm (the fierce dog guarding the Underworld entrance), and Fenrir, the monstrous wolf. From the misty North came the frost-giants' army, while from the South, Surtr, the giant of the Flaming Sword, erupted onto the plain. Despite the overwhelming forces arrayed against them, the gods, like the Northmen themselves, faced battle without fear, ready to resist evil to the last.
Amidst fire, smoke, and thunderous shouts, the armies clashed. Odin and the wolf Fenrir collided with a world-shaking impact, but even the mighty Odin could not withstand this formidable foe. Fenrir, fiercer than ever, opened his vast jaws, stretching from heaven to Earth, and devoured the leader of gods and men. Odin's death was swiftly avenged by his son Vidar, who, wearing the iron shoe reserved for this day, placed his foot on Fenrir's lower jaw and, seizing the upper, tore the wolf asunder.
Tiu grappled with Garm, slaying him but falling mortally wounded beside him. Frey attacked the fire-giant Surtr but succumbed to his flaming onslaught. Heimdall and Loki met in a final, deadly conflict, with Heimdall vanquishing the God of Evil, yet also falling mortally wounded. Thor, with his hammer Miolnir, confronted the colossal Midgard serpent.
After a long and terrible struggle, Thor delivered a mighty blow that killed the monster, but as he staggered back, he was overwhelmed by the flood of its venom. The heroes of Valhalla were all overthrown by the giants and Hel's followers, leaving no one from Odin's host to withstand the forces of evil.
Surtr then engulfed the world in fire, consuming Asgard in roaring flames. The Earth, scorched and blackened, sank into a boiling sea. Ragnarök had arrived, and the old gods had passed away.
However, in the minds of the Northmen, evil could not achieve lasting victory. The very flames that destroyed the gods' home and overwhelmed the Earth had purified the world of evil. A new Earth emerged from the sea, illuminated by a new sun, Sol's daughter. Life, drawn forth by its warm rays, spread across the planet once more.
Trees reclothed themselves with leaves, and fields blossomed with flowers. From the depths of the forest, near Mimir's spring, emerged Lifthrasir (Desire of Life) and his wife Lif (Life), who eventually became the rulers of a new race.
To the field of Ida, where the gods once held their games, came the divine survivors: Odin's sons, Vidar, Fenrir's slayer, and Vali, who had avenged Balder's death by killing Hodur; Thor's sons, Magni (Strength) and Modi (Courage), who had rescued Miolnir from the battlefield and now wielded it; and finally, Balder and Hodur, freed from Hel, now living together as brothers, their past forgotten.
This cyclical view of destruction and renewal, though seemingly strange, was a common belief among many heathen peoples, who perceived an inevitable end to everything, followed by a new heaven and Earth. The Northmen's account of Ragnarök remains the most complete description of this world catastrophe.