In Norse mythology, Ragnarök (fate of the godsSnorri Sturluson in his Prose Edda spelled it Ragnarøkr (sometimes "Ragnarøkkr") which means "Twilight of the Gods," whence the German title of Wagner's work "Götterdämmerung." The phrase "Twilight of the Gods" is not, in fact, a latter day error of translation, but an error dating no later than 1200.) is the battle at the end of the world. It would supposedly be waged between the gods (the Æsir, led by Odin) and their aggressors (the fire giants, the Jotuns and various monsters, led by Loki). Not only will some of the gods, giants, and monsters perish in this apocalyptic conflagration, but almost everything in the universe will be torn asunder.

In Viking warrior societies, dying in battle is admirable. This is carried over into the worship of a pantheon in which the gods themselves will one day be overthrown at Ragnarök. Exactly what will happen, who will fight whom, and the fates of the participants in this battle are well known to the Norse peoples from their own sagas and skaldic poetry. The Völuspá (Prophecy of the völva (sybil)), the first lay of the Poetic Edda, dating from about 1000 AD, spans the history of the gods, from the beginning of time to Ragnarök, in 65 stanzas. The Prose Edda, written two centuries later by Snorri Sturluson, describes in detail what would take place before, during, and even after the battle.

What is unique about Ragnarök as an eschatological myth is its emphasis on the idea that the gods already know through prophecy what is going to happen: when the event will occur, who will be slain by whom, and so forth. They even realize that they are powerless to prevent Ragnarök. But they will still bravely and defiantly face their bleak destiny. This is thought by many scholars to represent the ordered world (the Æsir) eventually succumbing the unavoidable forces of chaos and entropy (the Giants). This is similar to the representation of the monstrous children of Uranus in Greek mythology as the primordeal forces of chaos.

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