Ragnarok: What the Old Norse Sources Say

[@mytube001]

I now understand how cleverly named the island of Surtsey (belonging to Iceland) was when it rose from the sea following a submarine volcanic eruption.

[@notnavonnam]

You remind me of an archaeologist...... *queue Indiana Jones theme song*

[@Noone-rc9wf]

notnavonnam He's gonna be running from Bolder Colorado now!

[@nexioniceland1716]

Interestingly, I remember my grandfather had this habit of cutting his nail to half. I asked him why he did it and he said his family have done it for long time so they dont go to naglfar. I also found it in Jónas Árnason folklore books from 19th century.

[@ragnarblobarr9567]

It’s stanza 63 in your translation.. Then the dark dragon will come flying down from the dark mountains, that glistening serpent. Nithhogg will bear corpses in his wings as he flies over that valley... for now I must retire... Amazing translation and I love the end of voluspa. Skål Brother.

[@ragnarblobarr9567]

Niðhoggr also survives Ragnarok as the Voluspa seems to foreshadow his antagonistic role for the future world..

[@ingeborg-anne]

That's a very convoluted way of telling people why they ought to trim their nails :p

[@JohnMorley1]

It would be a much more substantial vessel if made out of toe nail clippings. Would be if it was made out of mine anyway.

[@michaelstora70]

It won't change the outcome one bit but will indicate which side you are on,

[@Aliskandr]

Interesting to listen to this again after the new insights of the Rökstenen. Ragnarök might be referring to a return of a solar eclipse and the generational memory of a three year winter that coincided with a previous eclipse and a volcanic explosion in the mid 500’s.

[@TheHumanSynthesisProject]

I've always felt that the final battle or climax between the gods and giants is a reflection of the sort of trials mankind must face one day. Each god seems to represent a sacrifice, or form of value, that must be laid bare before the alter of catastrophe. I can't help but get chills down my spine whenever this myth or particular story is retold, and you did it brilliantly. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the myth.

[@MrCearl]

My Tolkien senses are tingling when he quotes 'an age of wolves, shields will be cloven'. Before the Battle of the Black Gates Aragorn refers to the endtimes as 'an hour of wolves and shattered shields'.

[@AvieMare]

KingKLR JRRT found many of his ideas and muses from the Viking Sagas. All the dwarves were from the Sagas and even Gandalf is named. Being a Tolkien fan(antic) I even taught my horses commands in elvish. Haha. There is much comfort for me in that, for some strange reason.

[@AvieMare]

KingKLR ;

[@gregorymacdonnell7914]

King,I have read everything Tolkien ever wrote,my favorite being "The Silmarillion". Tolkien "was inside language" as C.S. Lewis, his best friend wrote.J.R.R. took almost all of his material straight out of Norse mythology. Think of Theoden`s words as he cries to the Eorlinga`s, " Ride now ,Ride to Gondor,its a grim day,a red day,shiels will splinter axes will shatter...... something like that.I am not reaching up to get the book downfrom the shelf. Keep up the Norse study,and you will be quite astounded as you see Tolkien`s great love for the Myths.And Elvish is based on Finnish.

[@MrCearl]

Indeed, every time I re-read the Legendarium or read a work in Germanic literature I find something new. The first time I realised the connection was after reading the Wanderer and noticing how similar the 'ubi sunt' element was to Aragorn's Lament of the Rohirrim.

[@Siriusly_Sirius]

KingKLR Not to pollute Tolkien, but my Tolkien and Rowling senses tingle. :)

[@VXMasterson]

I just discovered your channel in my research of Norse Mythology and all these suggested videos keep popping up that keep catching my interest. You've earned a subscriber.

[@desi3427]

Very interesting. Especially seeing the similarities between this and parts of biblical end times prophecy. Thank you for sharing.

[@bigfootisjustreallyshy]

I very much enjoy the mental image of Loki and Heimdallr in seal form slapping their bellys at eachother before they fight.

[@Noone-rc9wf]

Welp I'm ready to start trimmin' me nails and sharpenin' me shoes!

[@klasnm_5364]

Not much of an inference, attributing cyclical time to an indo-european pantheon. Your point, however, is spot on. Excellent video, as always. Takker

[@davidritchey5555]

Thanks Jackson. Great presentation.

[@tsunderechan8160]

At the end you will here "hello im old norse specialist jackson crawford"

[@renarddubois940]

I've asked a surgeon about this and it appears that forcefully dislocating jaws isn't lethal so in order to kill Fenrir, Vidar would have the bend the top jaw so far back that he would break its spine/sever the spinal cords or do something equivalent to tearing the top part of the skull from the body, kinda like Mickael did to William in Underworld 2

[@mrgwinn26]

If I ever come out that way I hope to have beers with you lol

[@alexandersilady4751]

Hodmimir, the owner(?) of the forest that Lif and Lifthrasr hide out in, sounds like both "Hodr" and "Mimir" - I've heard speculation that it's actually Mimir himself under an alternate title, but of course we have no way of knowing what the original intent was.

[@TheBernito2]

"Because the only thing that grows in Hela's realm is the nails of the dead" so it was either that or rocks...

[@athb4hu]

Certainly interesting and informative. Thanks.

[@TheCimbrianBull]

Winter is coming!

[@Sammedine]

Are you planning to make a video about the Vinland Saga?

[@tlotus3032]

Those gloves could startle a barbed wire fence. ;)

[@vikingtoaster2096]

I love your videos!

[@stefanrydehed5381]

Thank you for your videos. Have you ever read about Fimbultyr. Also a survivor of Ragnarök. He is sometimes said "the god who shall not be named" and sometimes refered to as Oden. He is also said to be the god of light. Any fact about him? I read about him in an Swedish dictionary about the Norse myths, written by Åke Ohlmark.

[@Rayboblego]

Will you ever sell your own translation of the Prose Edda?

[@brodieknight772]

I love how Odin is always trying to avoid ragnarok, but by its very nature, ragnarok cannot be avoid. He does everything that he can to stop it. He is a God. But even so, he will fail. Just like how men, no matter how hard they try or how powerful they are, cannot prevent their own death either.

[@ragnarblobarr9567]

Þar kemr inn dimmi dreki fljúgandi, naðr fránn, neðan frá Niðafjöllum; berr sér í fjöðrum, - flýgr völl yfir, - Niðhöggr nái. Nú mun hon sökkvask. Stanza 66 One of my favorites =)

[@DarkrarLetsPlay]

„Götterdämmerung“ I like it when you speak German :D

[@sunshinesilverarrow5292]

Thank you so much. Hugs & sunshine 🌞 N

[@thefnaffan2]

Thank you for sharing ..

[@NEprimo]

Love the creepy reverb, what is that audio distortion?

[@ihmejakki2731]

NEprimo I think the wind causes the distortion in the audio here and there

[@lemonZzzzs]

works pretty well, given the subject matter (not to mention the timing)

[@zackberesheim]

Didn't see any other comments about so I thought I was losing it lol.

[@tlotus3032]

Two seals biting each other to the pink meat. I can see why this hasn't made it into a movie yet. They'd probably use elephant seals.

[@tenzin682]

Ragnarok sounds like what we are going through today. I'm ready.

[@luciusavenus8715]

Everyone's ready; dying is easy.

[@chaserose5127]

Maybe we can join the military and get some places in Valhalla (or Folksvagnar) while there's time

[@Demetori_Fan]

@@chaserose5127 it is important who you fight for, with and against in these battles.. Military isn't the way. You can go to Valhall by living an honorful life as well. Dying in honor or with honor. That means you'd die for your word, for what you say is the truth, if that makes sense. Praise the gods, your ancestors, family and future generations. Respect them. Stay traditional and don't forget who you are and where you come from, as well as where you will go in the here after. Remember, 540 doors in Valhall and 800 warriors will come out of each door.

[@thumphreybrogart4108]

@@Demetori_Fan no, Valhalla is specifically for those who died well in battle. It's not "Viking heaven" , there is no such thing.

[@Beansareamagicalfruit]

Id love to see a comparison between Ragnorak and Revelation.

[@kurakczek]

What do you think about the 'Ragnarok' album by Wardruna and the ideas it explores?

[@saatvikam]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jn_Tm4KKqp58a6c

[@kurakczek]

Kate Elliott thanks, somehow I missed that video :)

[@saatvikam]

You're welcome!

[@jkasper4523]

I heard this guy was Harrison Ford's stunt double in Indiana Jones 13: The Last Hip Replacement

[@thefnaffan2]

Question: would the name Ragnar mean ‘of the gods’?

[@garychynne1377]

there's a gimli manitoba. wonder who lives there. haha. thank yew dr crawford enjoying the stories.

[@IanLeoden]

Hey, Gary! Love your videos, so keep them up! As an undergraduate, I was a research assistant to a graduate student studying the Icelandic spoken in Gimli, Manitoba. So to answer your question, just Canadians with Icelandic heritage. ;^)

[@leagillact-o-graphy1690]

OmG, only ten comments and me already here watching this, yay. :) Thanks Jackson Crawford for all the cool stuff!!! Pls could you explain if the o with the thingy on the bottom is the same as a German O? Sometimes I get confused as you said u is a short u but in Fugel when you said it it sounded like “Vögel” in German. Thanks!! Xxx

[@garychynne1377]

the myths talk in symbols. i'm starting to get a inkling into the idea that they often interpret the real world. the part where winter came for three years. well we know comets have caused many mini ice ages. volcanoes also. yes dog eat dog when there is only dog and brother fight brother. we know the oceans rose when the ice melted. our scientist know all this but the ancients talk of things in their terms. comets become fire breathing dragons for instance. the void is just outer space. it was a pretty good interpretation for it's time. thank u enjoy the stories. gare

[@jonko82]

Jackson, er Völsungasaga þín uppáhaldsíslendingasaga? Dr. Crawford, is the Saga of the Volsungs your favorite among the Sagas of Icelanders?

[@thogameskanaal]

Does Garmr perchance relate to Kerberos from Greek mythology? (Also spelled Cerberus) They seem to have a lot in common, and I believe I've read somewhere that their names could be of the same ancestral Indo-European root [something like ＊ger-／＊gher,] though there doesn't seem to be a clear consensus and it could all be coincidental.

[@TheJtjensen]

The fimbul winter may be a real story from the nordic past that was so important that it became a religious story, In the iron ages there was a fimbul winter with great implications for the society's of that time. And in reality it could happen again! Imagine a volcanic eruption, three consecutive vintners and three failed harvest in a row? World war would be the outcome!

[@Dadutta]

the story of little red riding hood (people being swallowed by a wolf) has some interesting similarity to the story of fenris

[@JohnMorley1]

Ragnarok sounds like a mixed up memory of what must have seemed like the end of the world when it happened. Dark sun and three winters together. We've experienced that within the span of recorded history. I can't remember if it was 3rd or 4th Century AD but not so long ago. Could it have been garbled that fast? How old do we think the story must be? This definitely sounds more like a memory of something in the past than a premonition of the future. I think a lot of religious myths start out sane and then insanity stems from misunderstanding.

[@mmariokart231]

So does everyone die then get reborn or are they just gone forever or how does that work?

[@The-Random-Hamlet]

Do you have any ideas on where the dead of Ragnarok go?

[@samuelmarberry4761]

Three years of winter.... 1800 and froze to death, 1812 or somewhere close talks about a three year span of winter with no summer for three year's world wide, even the tree rings show this happened.

[@sveinunglunestad7167]

Ragnarok= raining smoke = regner røyk.. the bok Ragnarok of ignatius Donnoly, the guy who wrote Atlantis book

[@artexfyne8122]

Didn't know biting my nails was such an honorable duty lol

[@phillipr.mctear8962]

👍

[@MismeretMonk]

7:20 very similar to Aragorn's speech: "A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down."

[@sunriseoergalilee8388]

There is a myth about hair, toenails and fingernails growing after death. Not true but may appear that way on a carcass. Not trying to be morbid.

[@IdiotinGlans]

I heard people theorizing Ragnarok could have been inserted into the text by Christian scholars, do you have any information about probability of that claim?

[@shreyvaghela3963]

No but norse conception of Ragnarok could have been inspired from revelation itself because of how popular Christianity already was throughout europe after mid millenia especially.