The Old Norse compound ragnarok has a long history of interpretation. Its first element, ragna, is unproblematic, being the genitive plural of regin (n. pl.) "the ruling powers, gods". The second element is more problematic, as it occurs in two variants, -rök and -røkkr. Writing in the early 20th century, philologist Geir Zoega treats the two forms as two separate compounds, glossing ragnarök as "the doom or destruction of the gods" and ragnarøkkr as "the twilight of the gods".
The plural noun rök has several meanings, including "development, origin, cause, relation, fate". The word ragnarök as a whole is then usually interpreted as the "final destiny of the gods".
The singular form ragnarøk(k)r is found in a stanza of the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna, and in the Prose Edda. The noun røk(k)r means "twilight" (from the verb røkkva "to grow dark"), suggesting a translation "twilight of the gods". This reading was widely considered a result of folk etymology, or a learned reinterpretation, of the original term due to the merger of /ǫ/ and /ø/ in Old Icelandic after c. 1200 (nevertheless giving rise to the calque Gotterdammerung "Twilight of the Gods" in the German reception of Norse mythology). However, Haraldur Bernharðsson in a 2007 paper suggested that the singular form -røkr "twilight" (from the Proto-Germanic *rekwa) might have been the original reading.[ – ] Haraldur argues that the words ragnarök and ragnarøkkr are closely related, etymologically and semantically, and suggests a meaning of "renewal of the divine powers".
Other terms used to refer to the events surrounding Ragnarök in the Poetic Edda include aldar rök (aldar means age, "end of an age") from a stanza of Vafþrúðnismál, tíva rök from two stanzas of Vafþrúðnismál, þá er regin deyja ("when the gods die") from Vafþrúðnismál, unz um rjúfask regin ("when the gods will be destroyed") from Vafþrúðnismál, Lokasenna, and Sigrdrifumal, aldar rof ("destruction of the age") from Helgakvida Hundingsbana II, regin þrjóta ("end of the gods") from Hyndluljod, and, in the Prose Edda, þá er Muspellz-synir herja ("when the sons of Muspell move into battle") can be found in chapters 18 and 36 of Gylfaginning.
YOU ARE READING
Ragnarok (Wikipedia)
General FictionIn Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle, foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures This entire book is from the wikipedia and all copy right goes to the creators/authors of th...
