Any information on Fimbulwinter and Ragnarok?

Question

I need to know anything and everything I can about those two events in norse mythology. I've got some good knowledge about Ragnarok, everything I find about that was detailed, but Fimbulwinter is another story. Everything I find says the same thing:

-3 years(30 months) of ice and snow

-no summers in between

-precedes Ragnarok

-brothers will kill eachother

I would like details, like what certain people were doing like the different gods and such.

So any more information on these subjects would be fantastic.

Travito

Answer 1

There really isn't much on Fimbulwinter (The Great Winter), but the Wikipedia entry has this to say:

In Norse mythology, Fimbulwinter (Old Norse Fimbulvetr) is the immediate prelude to the end of the world, Ragnarök. Fimbulwinter is three successive winters where snow comes in from all directions, without any intervening summer. During this time, there will be innumerable wars and brothers will kill brothers.

which you pretty much know. The Ragnarok entry adds this:

The Poetic Edda

Vafþrúðnismál

The Vanir god Njörðr is described as being a future survivor of Ragnarök in stanza 39 of the poem Vafþrúðnismál. In the poem, Odin, disguised as "Gagnráðr" faces off with the wise jötunn Vafþrúðnir in a battle of wits. Vafþrúðnismál references Njörðr's status as a hostage during the earlier Æsir-Vanir War, and that he will "come back home among the wise Vanir" after the events of Ragnarök.[18]

In stanza 44, Odin poses the question to Vafþrúðnir as to who of mankind will survive the "famous" Fimbulvetr ("Mighty Winter"[19]). Vafþrúðnir responds in stanza 45 that those survivors will be Líf and Lífthrasir, and that they will hide in the forest of Hoddmímis holt, that they will consume the morning dew, and will produce generations of offspring. In stanza 46, Odin asks what sun will come into the sky after Fenrir has consumed the sun that exists. Vafþrúðnir responds that Sól will bear a daughter before Fenrir assails her, and that after Ragnarök this daughter will continue her mother's path.[20]

In stanzas 51, Vafþrúðnir states that, after Surtr's flames have been sated, Odin's sons Víðarr and Váli will live in the temples of the gods, and that Thor's sons Móði and Magni will possess the hammer Mjolnir. In stanza 52, the disguised Odin asks the jötunn about his own fate. Vafþrúðnir responds that "the wolf" will consume Odin, and that Víðarr will avenge him by sundering its cold jaws in battle. Odin ends the duel with one final question: what did Odin say to his son before preparing his funeral pyre? With this, Vafþrúðnir realizes that he is dealing with none other than Odin, whom he refers to as "the wisest of beings," adding that Odin alone could know this, and that he is doomed.[21] Odin's message has been interpreted as an promise of resurrection to Baldr after Ragnarök.[22]

Prose Edda

Gylfaginning chapter 51

"The Death of Odin" (2003) by Anker Eli Petersen.

Chapter 51 provides a detailed account of Ragnarök interspersed with various quotes from Völuspá, while chapters 52 and 53 describe the aftermath of these events. In Chapter 51, High states the first sign of Ragnarök will be Fimbulvetr, during which time three winters will arrive without a summer, and the sun will be useless. High details that, prior to these winters, three earlier winters will have occurred, marked with great battles throughout the world. During this time, greed will cause brothers to kill brothers, and fathers and sons will suffer from the collapse of kinship bonds. High then quotes stanza 45 of Völuspá. Next, High describes that the wolf will first swallow the sun, and then his brother the moon, and mankind will the occurrence as a great disaster resulting in much ruin. The stars will disappear. The earth and mountains will shake so violently that the trees will come loose from the soil, the mountains will topple, and that all restraints will break, causing Fenrir to break free from his bonds.

I don't think the Eddas really go into too much detail on the Fimbulwinter. It's pretty much a human affair, the time for us to kill each other off in preparation for the big show.