rushed furiously upon the father of gods and engulphed him bodily
within its horrid maw.

"Fenrir shall with impious tooth
Slay the sire of rolling years:
Vithar shall avenge his fall,
And, struggling with the shaggy wolf,
Shall cleave his cold and gory jaws."

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.).

None of the gods could lend Allfather a helping hand at that critical
moment, for it was a time of sore trial to all. Frey put forth heroic
efforts, but Surtr's flashing sword now dealt him a death-stroke. In
his struggle with the arch-enemy, Loki, Heimdall fared better, but his
final conquest was dearly bought, for he, too, fell dead. The struggle
between Tyr and Garm had the same tragic end, and Thor, after a most
terrible encounter with the Midgard snake, and after slaying him with
a stroke from Mioelnir, staggered back nine paces, and was drowned in
the flood of venom which poured from the dying monster's jaws.

"Odin's son goes
With the monster to fight;
Midgard's Veor in his rage
Will slay the worm;
Nine feet will go
Fioergyn's son,
Bowed by the serpent
Who feared no foe."

Saemund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.).

Vidar now came rushing from a distant part of the plain to avenge the
death of his mighty sire, and the doom foretold fell upon Fenris, whose
lower jaw now felt the impress of that shoe which had been reserved
for this day. At the same moment Vidar seized the monster's upper
jaw with his hands, and with one terrible wrench tore him asunder.

The Devouring Fire

The other gods who took part in the fray, and all the Einheriar having
now perished, Surtr suddenly flung his fiery brands over heaven, earth,
and the nine kingdoms of Hel. The raging flames enveloped the massive
stem of the world ash Yggdrasil, and reached the golden palaces of
the gods, which were utterly consumed. The vegetation upon earth was
likewise destroyed, and the fervent heat made all the waters seethe
and boil.

"Fire's breath assails
The all-nourishing tree,
Towering fire plays
Against heaven itself."

Saemund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.).

The great conflagration raged fiercely until everything was consumed,
when the earth, blackened and scarred, slowly sank beneath the boiling
waves of the sea. Ragnarok had indeed come; the world tragedy was
over, the divine actors were slain, and chaos seemed to have resumed
its f