Three types of destruction myths - Essay Example

Destruction Myths A myth is usually a story of an event or a hero that is passed on for decades without having any clear background or evidence. It may be about a natural phenomenon of society or a belief regarding deities or Gods. Someone usually tells them and no one really knows where exactly they originated. Similarly, there are certain myths regarding the destruction of the world and the way people suffer (Leeming, pp. 23-25). One such myth is that of Ragnarok. It is a belief of the people of Norse mythology that the world will end at Ragnarok.

According to them, the world will face a time of destruction and at that time, the Gods will have a battle against all the evils and giants of the world. According to the myth, the world will have three consecutive winters whereby conflict will arise in all parts of the world. People will start fighting amongst themselves, families will break, and all codes of morality will be broken. The wolf skull will destroy the moon and his brother Hati will eat the moon, which will push the world into complete darkness leaving no stars in the sky.

Three cocks will be found who will crow to the giants, Gods and the dead. Natural calamities such as earthquakes will destroy the world and these will free the wolf known as “Fenrir” (Lindemans, 1999). A serpent will twist the seas and make his way to the land where he will spread his poison and will crash the waves against a ship called Naglfar and all the giants will come towards the battlefield. The dead will rise again and the inhabitants of hell will return. A giant called the Surt will set the world on fire.

Meanwhile, a horn will be blown inviting all the Gods and the giants to the battlefield. The Gods, evils, and giants from all over the world will gather to fight and the battle will begin. The poison of Surt will be spread and kill many Gods like that of thunder. There will be a final encounter between Loki and Heimdall and both of them will be finished off in the battle. Odin’s son will however kill the wolf and escape victorious. The world will eventually be set ablaze, the nine worlds will burn, and everything will perish in it.

A new start will emerge after the destruction and all the evil and misery will vanish from the world. Only a few Gods will survive who will live peacefully and happily with the men. The second myth is that about Hades who was considered the lord of the dead and the ruler of nether world. Hades received the control of the underworld when the world was divided. Hades sits on an ebony throne where he carried a scepter and a helmet, which enable him to become invisible. Hades rules the dead and possesses the wealth of the world.

Among all the gods, Hades was the one who suffered the most and he is liked the least. Hades was believed to be merciless and stern. The Greeks believed that he would turn a deaf ear towards anyone’s prayers (Lindemans, 1999). Fenrir was a huge monster who was shaped like a wolf. The gods had a prophecy about him, which said that he would be responsible for the destruction of the world. Hence, they caught the wolf and chained him up considering him harmless. The gods tried to trick him by telling him that he is weak so that he accepts that and would not try to free himself.

He accepted the challenge and eventually broke free of the strongest barrier. Therefore, Fenrir is one of the strongest Gods and it is believed that one day he will destroy the whole world and everything will finish. Work Cited Leeming, David Adams. The world of Myth. Oxford University Press, 1992. Lindemans, Micha. F. “Ragnorak.” Encyclopedia Mythica, 1999. Retrieved on May 05, 2011: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/r/ragnarok.html