The World in Flames
How far do Surt's flames reach?
In *The Deluding of Gylfi*, the sky splits open amid a tremendous din. Through the opening come those who will join the battle. Surt leads the way, with fire blazing before and behind him. His sword shines more brightly than the sun.
After the gods have fought their battles, Surt hurls fire over the earth. It burns the whole world. *The Seeress's Prophecy* tells of the sun turning black. The earth sinks into the sea, and the bright stars vanish from the sky.
Next, *The Seeress's Prophecy* describes great clouds of steam rising. The flames grow fiercer, and the soaring heat finally reaches heaven itself. Fire rises from the earth all the way to the sky in this vision of the world's end.
Sources for this story (2)The World in Flames
leikr hár hiti
við himin sjalfan.
The soaring heat reaches heaven itself.
“The Seeress's Prophecy” Stanza 57
“The Seeress's Prophecy”Völuspá
“The Beguiling of Gylfi”Gylfaginning


Image details
Emil Doepler “Ragnarök by Doepler” 1905 Public domain View original image
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