The End of the World in Scandinavian Mythology: A Comparative Perspective on Ragnarök

The Old Norse texts on Ragnarök, in the first place the ‘Prophecy of the Seeress’ and the Prose Edda of the Icelander Snorri Sturluson, are well known and much discussed. However, Anders Hultgård suggests that it is worthwhile to reconsider the Ragnarök myth and shed new light on it using new comparative evidence, and presenting texts in translation that otherwise are available only to specialists. The intricate question of Christian influence on Ragnarök is addressed in detail, with the author arriving at the conclusion of an independent pre-Christian myth with the closest analogies in ancient Iran.People in modern society are concerned with the future of our world, and we can see these same fears and hopes expressed in many ancient religions, transformed into myths of the future including both cosmic destruction and cosmic renewal. The Ragnarök myth can be said to be the classical instance of such myths, making it more relevant today than ever before.The End of the World in Scandinavian Mythology: A Comparative Perspective on Ragnarök is written by Anders Hultgård and published by OUP Oxford. ISBNs for The End of the World in Scandinavian Mythology are 9780192692849, 0192692844 and the print ISBNs are 9780192867254, 0192867253. Additional ISBNs include 9780192692832.