Myths about Ice

King Aun of Sweden, a ruler of the legendary Yngling dynasty, sought to evade the inevitability of death by striking a grim bargain with the god Odin. For every ten years of additional life granted to him, Aun sacrificed one of his ten sons to the All-Father, eventually living for two hundred years. By the time he prepared to sacrifice his last remaining son, he was so physically diminished...

Following the tragic death of the god Baldur, Loki is apprehended by the Aesir and sentenced to an eternal punishment in a subterranean cavern. Bound with the iron-hard entrails of his own son and subjected to the venom of a serpent, Loki’s violent convulsions in response to the poison create the phenomenon known as earthquakes. His faithful wife Sigyn remains by his side, catching the venom...

At the culmination of Ragnarök, the guardian god Heimdall and the trickster Loki meet on the vast battlefield of Vigrid to settle their ancient rivalry. After a series of apocalyptic clashes between gods and giants, these two eternal enemies engage in a duel that results in both of them striking each other down simultaneously. Their mutual destruction marks the final end of the old world...

At the onset of Ragnarök, the world-ending battle of Norse mythology, the god of justice and law, Tyr, meets his final adversary in Garmr, the blood-stained hound that guards the gates of the underworld. Having long ago sacrificed his right hand to bind the wolf Fenrir, Tyr enters his final duel with a disadvantage, yet he fights with unparalleled courage. The struggle between the one-handed...

During the final battle of Ragnarök, Thor faces his arch-nemesis, the World Serpent Jörmungandr. Although Thor successfully slays the beast with a mighty blow from Mjölnir, he is coated in the serpent's lethal venom. The god of thunder manages to walk exactly nine steps away from the fallen monster before the poison takes his life, marking the end of the protector of Midgard.

The god Freyr, having sacrificed his magical self-swinging sword to win the love of the giantess Gerðr, enters the final battle of Ragnarök largely defenseless. Without his legendary blade, he faces the formidable fire giant Surtr on the battlefield of Vígríðr wielding only a stag's antler. Despite his divine strength and nobility, Freyr is ultimately overwhelmed by Surtr's flaming sword,...

Garmr, the blood-stained hound of Hel, guards the mouth of the Gnipahellir cave at the threshold of the underworld. According to prophecy, his thunderous howling signals the arrival of Ragnarök, the twilight of the gods. When the world begins to end, Garmr breaks his iron chains, escapes his subterranean vigil, and joins the final battle where he and the god Týr ultimately slay one another.

Surtr, the primordial fire giant and ruler of Muspelheim, is destined to lead the destruction of the world during Ragnarök. Carrying a flaming sword that outshines the sun, he emerges from the realm of fire to split the heavens and engulf the earth in flame. This cosmic event is traditionally linked to the volcanic activity of Iceland, specifically the massive Eldgjá eruption of the 10th century.

Following the peace treaty between the Æsir and the Vanir gods, the wise Mímir was sent as a hostage to Vanaheim alongside the god Hoenir. The Vanir eventually felt cheated by the exchange when they realized Hoenir could not make decisions without Mímir's counsel, leading them to decapitate the sage. Odin preserved the head using magic and herbs, allowing it to continue providing him with...

The fertility god Freyr commits a grave transgression by sitting upon Odin's sacred throne, Hliðskjálf, which allows the observer to see into all worlds. From this high seat, he glimpses the beautiful giantess Gerðr and falls into a profound, soul-sickness of desire. To win her love, Freyr must sacrifice his most powerful weapon, the magic sword that fights on its own, setting the stage for...