The End of the World in Scandinavian Mythology is a detailed study of the Scandinavian myth on the end of the world, the Ragnaroek, and its comparative background. The Old Norse texts on Ragnaroek, in the first place the 'Prophecy of the Seeress' and the Prose Edda of the Icelander Snorri Sturluson, are well known and much discussed. However, Anders Hultgard suggests that it is worthwhile to reconsider the Ragnaroek myth and shed new light on it using new comparative evidence, and presenting texts in translation that otherwise are available only to specialists. The intricate question of Christian influence on Ragnaroek is addressed in detail, with the author arriving at the conclusion of an independent pre-Christian myth with the closest analogies in ancient Iran. People in modern society are concerned with the future of our world, and we can see these same fears and hopes expressed in many ancient religions, transformed into myths of the future including both cosmic destruction and cosmic renewal. The Ragnaroek myth can be said to be the classical instance of such myths, making it more relevant today than ever before.

About the Author
Anders Hultgard is emeritus professor of religions at Uppsala University, before which he worked at the University of Bergen, and was a visiting professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Ecole pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, and the Universite Marc Bloch in Strasbourg. He is a member of the Royal Society of Humanities in Uppsala, the Royal Gustaphus Adolphus Academy in Sweden, and 'Correspondant etranger' de l'Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, Paris.


Book Information
ISBN 9780192867254
Author Anders Hultgard
Format Hardback
Page Count 480
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 165mm * 28mm