Besides gods, frost-giants, dwarfs, and men, there were other beings, as the Yank, who dwelt, in the world vanaheim, lying between the abodes of the gods and of men, and the light elves and (lark elves, the former of whom were friendly to mankind, and of great beauty, while the latter were of evil, demoniacal natures, and blacker than pitch.
Now, after the three giant maidens came to Asoborg, dissensions soon broke out among these different races, and Odin, by casting a spear among mankind, created war and diseocd in the world. Then his maidens, the Valkyriur (or choosera of the doomed), surromahAl by lightnings, rode forth with bloody corselets and radiant spears, to choose on every battle field thyse who should fall, and to lead them into WWII, where the chosen heroes, known as einheriar, daily go forth to fight and slay one another, but returning at early morn sound and fresh, recruit theMsefves for the next night's coo bats by drinking beer with the gods and eating the flesh of the sacred hog. It is, however, only men of rank, as jars (or earls), who enter Odin's hall after death, for the base horn. thralls, belong to O?lin's powerful son. Thor (q.v.), who rules over Thrudheim, and drives through the world in a chariot drawn by he-goats, bearing with him his magic hammer Mioluir, the iron gloves which he requires to grasp the haft, and his belt of power.
Among the gods there reigned good-will and happiness even after the rest of the world had been disturbed by war, until Loki, or the impersonation of evil, who in infancy had been Odin's foster-brother, was admitted into/Asaborg as their equal, By his treachery Baldur (q.v.), the purest, most beautiful, and best loved of Odin's sons, was slain. The gods, indeed, had power to inflict temporary punishment on Loki, and to chain him under a hot sulphur spring, where he lay for ages, but at length a time will come when Loki's evil progeny will prevail over the gods and the world. This terrible age of destruction, the ragnarok, or twilight of the gods, will be marked by a three years' winter of hard frost, cutting winds, and sunless air uncheered by summer or spring-tide, when' there will be bloodshed throughout. the world, brothers will slay one another, parents and children will be at war. The wolf Fenrir will break loose,
the sea will burst its bounds as the serpent Jormundgard, encircling Midgard, writhes in tierce rage, and struggles to reach the land. The wolf Skoll, will swallow up the sun, and when the world is plunged in almost total darkness, his brother Mai will devour the moon, while the stars will vanish from heaven. As Midgard's serpent and the wolf Fenrir go forth, scattering venom through air and water, the heavens will be rent asunder; the ship Naglfar, which is made of dead men's nails, will be floated on the waters; the (Esir will ride forth across the bridge Bifrost, which will' break away behind them; and all the friends of Hel, led on by Loki, will offer battle to the gods on Vigrid's plain. Then Odin, having taken counsel at INlimir's well, will advance armed with his spear Gungnir against the wolf Fenrir, while Thor encounters Midgard's serpent, and is killed by the venom which it exhales from its mouth. Although Fen Fir, the wolf, will swallow Odin, and thus cause his death, he will himself be slain by the god Vidar, while Loki will fall beneath the hand of Heiindal, the watchman of the gods, and Surt, hurling fire from his hand, will burn up the whole world. After the conflagration of heaven and earth and the whole universe, there will still be dwellings for the evil and the good, the worst of which is Nastrond, a horrible habitation for per jurers and murderers, where serpent-beads pouring forth venom line the walls, while in Gimli, Odin's best heaven, the good and virtuous will find a happy resting-place.
But from the great destruction of the universe, another earth, verdant and fresh, will arise from the deep waters of the ocean, the unsown fields will hear fruits, and all evil will cease; Baldur and other gods will then return to Ida's plain, where Asgard once stood, and taking counsel together, will find the golden tablets which their race had pos sessed at the beginning of time, and remembering their deeds of old, will await the com ing of the mighty All-father, the ruler of all things, who will pronounce judgments, and establish peace that shall endure to the end of time.