Ragnarök

Ragnarök, or "Fate of the Gods", is a major event first prophesied by the Jötunn Gróa that foresees an ultimate battle that results in the death of many gods, including Odin and Thor, as well as the "rebirth" of the world through submersion into water.

Norse Mythology

In Norse mythology, Ragnarök (/ˈræɡnəˌrɒk, ˈrɑːɡ-/ ( listen); Old Norse: [ˈraɣnaˌrɔk]) is a series of future events, including a great battle, foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water. Afterward, the world will resurface anew and fertile, the surviving and returning gods will meet, and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors. Ragnarök is an important event in Norse mythology and has been the subject of scholarly discourse and theory throughout the history of Germanic studies.

In the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá, references to Ragnarök begin from stanza 40 until 58, with the rest of the poem describing the aftermath. In the poem, a völva (a female seer) recites information to Odin.

The völva then describes three roosters crowing: In stanza 42, the jötunn herdsman Eggthér sits on a mound and cheerfully plays his harp while the crimson rooster Fjalar (Old Norse "hider, deceiver") crows in the forest Gálgviðr. The golden rooster Gullinkambi crows to the Æsir in Valhalla, and the third, unnamed soot-red rooster crows in the halls of the underworld location of Hel in stanza 43.

Prophesied Events

• Baldur's death is the first mark of the coming of Ragnarök.
• The "Fimbulwinter", a three-year-long winter following Baldur's death. Its end is the second mark of Ragnarök.
• Sköll and Hati will devour the Sun and the Moon, marking the start of Ragnarök.
• Surtr, the first Fire Giant, will burn Asgard to the ground using his flaming sword, but is killed by Thor and Odin.
• The war between the Aesir and Vanir is continued.
• Fenrir will battle Odin, during which they are both killed.
• A fierce battle between Jörmungandr and Thor, where the Thunder God strikes the World Serpent so hard that Yggdrasil splinters and sends the Serpent back in time. Thor walks nine steps before succumbing to the Serpent's poison.
• Kratos and his son Atreus intervene.

God of War (2018)

The prelude to Ragnarök is set in motion by the death of Baldur at the hands of Kratos. Despite the fact that their involvement was prophesied, Kratos and Atreus' actions are said to have accelerated the event. Right after Baldur's death, the Fimbulwinter starts. Three years after this, Ragnarök will commence.

Trivia

• Ironically, Kratos has been saying repeatedly prophecies are not set in stone throughout the game, only for Kratos himself to be proven right when Fimbulwinter began over a century before prophecy expected it to.