Ragnarok: Crash Course World Mythology #24

Ragnarok! It's the end of the world, Norse style. It's got everything you want in an apocalypse. Earthquakes, destruction, armies of the dead, a giant evil wolf, giants with flaming swords, and a kind of happy ending. It's got it all. But is it really Norse? It wasn't written down until after Christianity had arrived in Europe. So how much influence is there?

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[kelpy_w_]

"The most beautiful and beloved of the Gods, Baldur returns from the dead" - *And thus an angry Father and his boy must fight him once again*

[dlausactor]

So, Magni and Modi are supposed to survive Ragnarok?

Oops... Guess Kratos screwed the world again...

[diktateore]

I remember baldur losing his invincibility while punching a kid and got his neck snapped my a Greek boi XD

[MrMrx]

Korg: The damage doesn't seem too foundation is still strong, we can rebuild this place. It will become a Haven for all people and aliens of the universe...

*Surtur blows up Asgard*

Korg: this foundation is gone. Sorry.

[brennajones]

That “Loki dies spoiler alert” really got me man.

[elarianasky]

It's interesting how God of War 2018 and now God of War: Ragnarok was done based off of this. When comparing the game to the myth itself, there's a handful of similarities but also a ton of differences (for one, Loki is a literal child, therefore having him be married _and_ tied to a rock with the guts of his child is something Sony SM knew they absolutely weren't gonna do). Great stuff.

[sedlsonsimon]

3:30 "First, we'll have three long winters in a row"


global warming: *allow me to introduce myself*

[elijahwatson]

I can’t wait for Kratos vs. Gargantuan Shoe

[restinpeacegabethedog]

I like how in god of War Loki is the good guy and Baldur is the bad guy

[somerandomguy]

Where does my boi Kratos fit in all of this

[itsahsah]

*SPOILERS FOR GOD OF WAR*
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As a Norse fan, I love the way that God of War approached the mythic tales from the point of view of Mimir, and Loki. For example, Baldur as a deeply scarred individual driven to madness, and hatred toward his mother for casting a spell on him that doesn't allow him to feel, how Frigg and Freya are the same person, but in Odin's scorn for Freya, had scribes separate the two in stories, so that Freya would never get any positive credit, and how Mimir expertly tells stories of Odin and Thor's more deplorable actions, showcasing their selfish natures, whether for violence or wisdom. All of these examples essentially adding an asterisk to the heroic tales of these particular Aesir. In order to soften the actions of Thor and Odin, Odin vilified the Giants in myth, along with the actions of Loki. Meanwhile, Loki is heralded as the clever hero who pays for his actions, but breaks free as the hero of the Giants and nature. With the death of Baldur in God of War, Ragnarok is initiated early, and thus the turning of the tide on a generation of the selfish Aesir who took everything they wanted, made sure the good of their kind like Ty'r was killed, and cared little for the lives of mortals, nature, and the giants. All in all, Highly recommended game.

[joejoelesh]

Neil Gaiman's "Norse Mythology" is an awesome read, fairly close to Snori's telling but with just enough modernization to be humorous (in appropriate places) and enjoyable by modern readers.

I can not recommend it highly enough.

The audiobook (narrated by the author) is awesome too, great for a family road trip.

[meganthefencer]

Nothing like starting your day off with the Nordic apocalypse

[jake_]

Why arent there movies about this whole mythology?! Marvel doesn't count in my eyes because they really only focus on Thor... There should be a Norse Mythology Cinematic Universe.

[ZexionII]

Something that you left out is Lif and Lifthrasir, two humans female and male, who manage to survive the fires of Ragnarok by hiding in a wood (possibly tied to Mimir based on the name, and therefore might represent Yggdrasil as a kenning).

These tie into the theme of hope and new life from the old, as they repopulate the now-fertile land of ash and water.

[rymdalkis]

Actually most of what we know about Ragnarök comes from the Völuspá in the Poetic Edda, which was written some time 9th and 10th centuries in Iceland, a century before Iceland was christianized. But sure, the oldest found versions of the poem are copies from the 12th century, so it could have been altered by later authors

[JuanVilorio]

So what part does the Incredible Hulk plays in all of this?

[MuhammadNadeem-fkcv]

So Beerus was right. "Before creation, comes destruction"

[LauraDFTBA]

Sigyn didn't 'arrange' to be left with Loki, the Gods left the decision to her. She hadn't committed any crime but was married to Loki, so her punishment was enough to see her sons die as part of the imprisonment of their father. So she was left either to leave Loki to suffer for the death of their sons, or stay with him because... what else was there left for her to do?
Admittedly we don't have a lot of sources about Sigyn (blame the Norse oral tradition and Christians destroying or rewriting written versions), she completely disappears from the Sagas after Loki escapes and the start of Ragnarok. Does she die, does she wander off and show up with Odin's sons to help rebuild the world after Ragnarok, does she turn into a flea who gets put in to a box and put into a bigger box and then smashed with Mjölnir, who knows.

[MiltosPol-qnzh]

The most interesting series of crash course