Ragnarok: What the Old Norse Sources Say

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  • Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
  • A look at what Snorri's Prose Edda and the poems of the Poetic Edda tell about Ragnarok, the final battle of the Norse gods.
    Dr. Jackson Crawford is Instructor of Nordic Studies and Nordic Program Coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder (formerly UC Berkeley and UCLA). He is a historical linguist and an experienced teacher of Old Norse, Modern Icelandic, and Norwegian.
    FAQs: • Video
    Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: www.amazon.com/gp/product/162...
    Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Saga of the Volsungs with The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok: www.amazon.com/gp/product/162...
    Jackson Crawford's Patreon page: / norsebysw

Комментарии • 78

  • @mytube001
    @mytube001 6 лет назад +44

    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
    @notnavonnam 6 лет назад +57

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

    • @Noone-rc9wf
      @Noone-rc9wf 6 лет назад +7

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

  • @nexioniceland1716
    @nexioniceland1716 6 лет назад +14

    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
    @ragnarblobarr9567 6 лет назад +27

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

  • @Aliskandr
    @Aliskandr 2 года назад +12

    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.

  • @ragnarblobarr9567
    @ragnarblobarr9567 6 лет назад +19

    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.

  • @TheHumanSynthesisProject
    @TheHumanSynthesisProject 6 лет назад +12

    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.

  • @bigfootisjustreallyshy
    @bigfootisjustreallyshy 3 года назад +2

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

  • @ingeborg-anne
    @ingeborg-anne 6 лет назад +57

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

    • @JohnMorley1
      @JohnMorley1 6 лет назад +2

      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
      @michaelstora70 4 года назад

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

  • @MrCearl
    @MrCearl 6 лет назад +25

    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
      @AvieMare 6 лет назад +6

      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
      @AvieMare 6 лет назад

      KingKLR ;

    • @gregorymacdonnell7914
      @gregorymacdonnell7914 6 лет назад +1

      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
      @MrCearl 6 лет назад +1

      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
      @Siriusly_Sirius 6 лет назад +1

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

  • @desi3427
    @desi3427 4 года назад +5

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

  • @tsunderechan8160
    @tsunderechan8160 5 лет назад +8

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

  • @VXMasterson
    @VXMasterson 5 лет назад +2

    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.

  • @renarddubois940
    @renarddubois940 3 года назад +2

    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

  • @davidritchey5555
    @davidritchey5555 5 лет назад +2

    Thanks Jackson. Great presentation.

  • @mrgwinn26
    @mrgwinn26 5 лет назад +3

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

  • @alexandersilady4751
    @alexandersilady4751 4 года назад +3

    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.

  • @athb4hu
    @athb4hu 6 лет назад +6

    Certainly interesting and informative. Thanks.

  • @vikingtoaster2096
    @vikingtoaster2096 6 лет назад +5

    I love your videos!

  • @klasnm_5364
    @klasnm_5364 6 лет назад +3

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

  • @Noone-rc9wf
    @Noone-rc9wf 6 лет назад +15

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

  • @TheCimbrianBull
    @TheCimbrianBull 6 лет назад +6

    Winter is coming!

  • @thefnaffan2
    @thefnaffan2 6 лет назад +1

    Thank you for sharing ..

  • @TheBernito2
    @TheBernito2 5 лет назад +3

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

  • @sunshinesilverarrow5292
    @sunshinesilverarrow5292 6 лет назад +1

    Thank you so much. Hugs & sunshine 🌞 N

  • @stefanrydehed5381
    @stefanrydehed5381 6 лет назад +3

    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.

  • @Sammedine
    @Sammedine 6 лет назад +5

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

  • @tlotus3032
    @tlotus3032 6 лет назад +6

    Those gloves could startle a barbed wire fence. ;)

  • @leagillact-o-graphy1690
    @leagillact-o-graphy1690 6 лет назад

    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

  • @ragnarblobarr9567
    @ragnarblobarr9567 6 лет назад +6

    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 =)

  • @Rayboblego
    @Rayboblego 6 лет назад +8

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

  • @tlotus3032
    @tlotus3032 6 лет назад +3

    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
    @tenzin682 6 лет назад +21

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

    • @luciusavenus8715
      @luciusavenus8715 6 лет назад +5

      Everyone's ready; dying is easy.

    • @chaserose5127
      @chaserose5127 5 лет назад +1

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

    • @Demetori_Fan
      @Demetori_Fan 4 года назад +1

      @@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
      @thumphreybrogart4108 2 года назад +2

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

  • @MP-om9fj
    @MP-om9fj 4 года назад +8

    Id love to see a comparison between Ragnorak and Revelation.

  • @NEprimo
    @NEprimo 6 лет назад +8

    Love the creepy reverb, what is that audio distortion?

    • @ihmejakki2731
      @ihmejakki2731 6 лет назад +5

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

    • @lemonZzzzs
      @lemonZzzzs 6 лет назад +4

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

    • @zackberesheim
      @zackberesheim 3 года назад +1

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

  • @jkasper4523
    @jkasper4523 2 года назад

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

  • @thefnaffan2
    @thefnaffan2 6 лет назад +4

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

  • @brodieknight772
    @brodieknight772 4 года назад +2

    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.

  • @DarkrarLetsPlay
    @DarkrarLetsPlay 6 лет назад +6

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

  • @The-Random-Hamlet
    @The-Random-Hamlet 5 лет назад

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

  • @mmariokart231
    @mmariokart231 6 лет назад

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

  • @Dadutta
    @Dadutta 5 лет назад

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

  • @kurakczek
    @kurakczek 6 лет назад +4

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

    • @saatvikam
      @saatvikam 6 лет назад

      ruclips.net/video/XNpjOTu9I5E/видео.html

    • @kurakczek
      @kurakczek 6 лет назад +1

      Kate Elliott thanks, somehow I missed that video :)

    • @saatvikam
      @saatvikam 6 лет назад

      You're welcome!

  • @garychynne1377
    @garychynne1377 6 лет назад +2

    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

  • @garychynne1377
    @garychynne1377 6 лет назад +1

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

    • @IanLeoden
      @IanLeoden 6 лет назад

      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. ;^)

  • @jonko82
    @jonko82 6 лет назад

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

  • @thogameskanaal
    @thogameskanaal Год назад

    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.

  • @JohnMorley1
    @JohnMorley1 6 лет назад +3

    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.

  • @TheJtjensen
    @TheJtjensen 6 лет назад +2

    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!

  • @MismeretMonk
    @MismeretMonk 5 лет назад

    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."

  • @samuelmarberry4761
    @samuelmarberry4761 Год назад

    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.

  • @phillipr.mctear8962
    @phillipr.mctear8962 Год назад

    👍

  • @artexfyne8122
    @artexfyne8122 3 года назад

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

  • @IdiotinGlans
    @IdiotinGlans 5 лет назад +1

    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
      @shreyvaghela3963 2 года назад +2

      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.

  • @sveinunglunestad7167
    @sveinunglunestad7167 Год назад

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

  • @sunriseoergalilee8388
    @sunriseoergalilee8388 5 лет назад

    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.