Ragnarok

The Wild Hunt of Odin by Peter Nicolai Arbo (1872)(Public Domain)

16 October, 2020 - 23:05 ashley cowie

The God-Gifted Weapons of Norse Mythology

The Vikings were warriors and therefore weaponry was at the forefront of their culture, and this is why the heroes and gods of Norse religion and folklore were armed with a range of awesome weapons...

Mimir, the bodiless god of wisdom, plays a fundamental role in the stories of Odin and the Norse gods.

11 August, 2020 - 12:49 Riley Winters

The Bodiless God of Wisdom: Mimir in Norse Mythology

The god who transcends even Odin’s power, Mimir (or sometimes called Mim) is remembered throughout Norse mythology as the oracular head from which the two races of gods, the Aesir and Vanir, seek...

25 June, 2020 - 22:56 johnblack

The Story of Ragnarok, The Ancient Norse Apocalypse

In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a series of apocalyptic events that will define the end of the world, where giants of frost and fire will band together to fight against the gods in a final battle...

27 May, 2020 - 21:33 Riley Winters

The Enigmatic Loki, A Trickster Among Gods in Norse Mythology

The trickster god Loki is undoubtedly the most debated figure from Norse mythology to this day. Though he appears to be a scheming, mischievous deity who has no real loyalties, scholars still explore...

Written in stone by Vikings – the Rok runestone from the 9th century features the longest known runic inscription and is considered the first piece of Swedish literature. Credit: rolf_52 / Adobe Stock

19 January, 2020 - 13:30 ashley cowie

Decoded Viking Runestone Reveals Fears of Climate Change Apocalypse

Scholars have long been baffled by the coded runic message of the ‘Rök Runestone’ but a new interpretation claims it spells out a chilling Armageddon prophecy. One of the world's most famous Norse...

Close up of the Viking runestone (‘the Rök Stone’) from the 9th century, features the longest known runic inscription and is considered the first piece of Swedish literature. Source: rolf_52 / Adobe stock

9 January, 2020 - 18:38 Ed Whelan

Viking Runestone Uncovers Climate Fears That Fed Ragnarök Myth

Much of the modern world is very worried about climate change and it appears that Vikings were also very concerned about changes to the climate. Researchers now argue that one of the world’s most...

17 March, 2019 - 16:29 Riley Winters

Fenrir: The Monstrous Wolf of Norse Legend

One of the three children of Loki by a giantess (jötunn ) named Angrboða, Fenrir plays an imperative, though short, role in Norse mythology. A wolf of remarkable size and strength, Fenrir has one...

15 July, 2018 - 21:38 Riley Winters

How it Ends: The Ancient Roots of Doomsday Prophecies and End of the World Beliefs

Hollywood’s obsession with the End of Times is not over yet – Armageddon, Deep Impact, Doomsday, Legion, Thor: Ragnarok and 28 Days Later, are just a few of the blockbusters, out of hundreds, that...

25 April, 2018 - 19:00 Caleb Strom

Denizens of Valhalla and the Transient Afterlife of Norse Myth

The ancient Norse were one of the few cultures to create a mythology that did not necessarily promise eternal life of any kind for the souls of the deceased. The world was believed to be heading...

Thor and the Midgard Serpent, by Emil Doepler, 1905.

11 April, 2018 - 19:01 dhwty

Thor: How a Norse Warrior God of Thunder Handles a Predicament

Thor is one of the most important gods in the Norse pantheon. He’s normally depicted as a middle-aged man with a red-beard wielding his famous weapon, a magical hammer known as Mjollnir...

9 April, 2018 - 23:03 dhwty

Heimdall, Watchman of the Gods, Will Sound the Horn as Ragnarok Approaches

Heimdall is a god in the Norse pantheon, most well-known for his task to announce the coming of Ragnarok by sounding his horn, which will be heard across all worlds. He is one of the better-known...

1 June, 2017 - 19:03 Veronica Parkes

Epic Battle Equals Doom or Twilight for Norse Gods? Ragnarök: The Real Message in the Myth

In Norse mythology, Ragnarök encompasses a series of events that will come to pass. It foretells an epic battle which leads to the death of numerous gods, natural disasters, and the death of the...

14 January, 2017 - 00:49 Brad Yoon

Ragnarok: The Rainbow Bridge that Connects Heaven and Earth at the Caribbean Basin – Part II

According to the Old Norse philologist Rudolf Simek and religious historian Mircea Eliade, Ragnarök marks the end of a cosmic cycle that will repeat ad infinitum. I argue that the Norsemen also...

13 January, 2017 - 00:41 Brad Yoon

Ragnarok: Norse Account of Strange & Wonderful Land Doomed to Destruction – Part I

Before the rise and spread of Christianity in the first millennium of the common era, paganism was the common religion of Europeans. Just as there is not a single Christian faith, but many...

Odin Riding Forth on the Cover of "Legends and Lore"

14 December, 2016 - 00:48 Mark Miller

Gold Pendant Found in Denmark Depicts Norse God Odin, and May Have Been a Sacrifice to Avert the Disastrous Weather of 536 AD

Odin, the high god of Norse mythology, rode his eight-legged horse Sleipnir through the nine worlds dispensing ecstasy to all those who invoked him. Now an image of a man with a horse depicted on a...

Æsir gathered around the body of Baldr. Painting by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg 1817

13 December, 2014 - 12:27 Riley Winters

Baldr: The Shining God Who Shines No More

Known among the pre-Christian Scandinavians, and the gods themselves, as the "Shining God", Baldr was the image of perfection in the Norse religion, and the pride and joy of the Æsir (members of the...

Pages

Myths & Legends

The Dogon’s Extraordinary Knowledge of the Cosmos and the Cult of Nommo

France, 1920: Marcel Griaule is a young man who is very well-established in his studies, especially in mathematics. He has recently served as a volunteer in the French Air Force and aspires to attend the prestigious Lycée Louis le Grande.

Has the King Arthur Gene Been Traced?

The Dark Reputation of the Dunmore Cave of Ireland

Were the Merovingians Descended from a Monster? Meet the Quinotaur

Legendary Black Knights: Mysterious Medieval Entities of Neutrality

Baba Yaga: The Wicked Witch of Slavic Folklore

Human Origins

The Faces of Ancient Hominids Brought to Life in Remarkable Detail

Several years ago, a team of scientists from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, set out to put a human face to ancient hominid species that once walked the Earth.

Research Confirms that Neanderthal DNA Makes Up About 20% of the Modern Human Genome

The ‘Dynastic Race’ and the Biblical ‘Japheth’ – Part I: After the Deluge

The Controversial Lapedo Child – A Neanderthal / Human Hybrid?

The Mythological Maori Origin Stories of New Zealand

The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts

Ancient Technology

Catapult: The Long-Reaching History of a Prominent Medieval Siege Engine

One of the most iconic images of the European Middle Ages is the castle. This defensive structure was often heavily fortified and provided its inhabitants with much-needed safety. It was usually quite difficult for an enemy to capture a castle, and for that, an attacking army needed siege engines.

Han Purple: A 2,800-year-old artificial pigment that quantum physicists are trying to understand

Secrets Behind the Creepy Plague Doctor Mask and Costume

Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked!

Egyptian Blue – The Oldest Known Artificial Pigment

150,000-Year-Old Pipes Baffle Scientists in China: Out of Place in Time?

Ancient Places

Tollund Man – the preserved face from Prehistoric Denmark and the tale of ritual sacrifice

Tollund Man is the naturally mummified body of a man who lived during the 4th century BC, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age. He was hanged as a sacrifice to the...

Varna Man and the Wealthiest Grave of the 5th Millennium BC

Kidd Mine Ontario: The World's Oldest Pool of Water

Ten incredible underwater discoveries that have captured our imagination

The Great Serpent Mound of Ohio, the Largest Earthen Effigy in the World

Unravelling the Mystery Behind the East Bay Walls: Who Really Made Them and Why?

Opinion

Unearthing Ancient Magic in The Runes –Messages with Hidden Symbols and Powerful Numbers

The etymology of the word “rune” means: “to carve, or to cut.” In Low German the word is “raunen.” As the runes were cut and carved into wood, metal or stone, the word “rune” was analogous to the rune letters themselves.

Petroglyphic Features of Portable Rock Art

The Northern Mysteries Current: Futhark and Mystery Schools of the Viking Age

Was There Ever a Trojan War?

Floki and the Viking Discovery of Iceland

Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time?

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At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exists countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.

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