The Time and Fate of Ragnarok Essay -- Literary Analysis

The Norse tale of Ragnarok presents an interesting example of apocalyptic literature as it presents both an end and a notable new beginning. The world which rises from the cosmic rubble is essentially equivalent to that which was destroyed, possessing the same creatures, features and Gods of times past. Thus through the themes of time and fate Snorri challenges the concepts of what was, is and will be by providing a framework which allows for the potential reiteration of history. By reviewing the Prose Edda’s telling of the the events before, during and after Ragnarok, the relationship between fate, time and history becomes clear. The Prose Edda begins by introducing several key concepts to the later work, beginning with Snorri’s connection of the Christian Genesis to Norse mythology. He cites the northern migration of man away from his origins as the cause of the slow loss of the name of the Abrahamic God. Snorri uses this loss as the primary reason for the need for alternate explanations of natural phenomena and thus the evolution of Nordic mythology (Snorri, 3). Typical exampl...