Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of Mythology Explained.In today's video, we're going to be covering the circus of mayhem that is Ragnarok. Here's a quick preview of some of the things this video will touch on: a giant ship fashioned by unclipped toenails, someone riding an eight-legged horse to Hel, someone being Chinese-water-tortured with snake venom, two wolves eating the sun and moon, an enormous serpent who floods the earth and spits venom on everything, a man who uses an ancient, indestructible leather shoe to rip apart a giant wolf's head, and, of course, an enormous being of fire who engulfs all of creation in flame. Let's get into it.By the contrivances of Loki, Balder, Odin's son, he who is loved by all and a shining beacon amongst the gods, is pierced and killed by a mistletoe dart. This is a moment of great portent, for it was prophesied that Balder's death meant Ragnarok was nigh.Following Balder's death, Hermod, another of Odin's sons, rides Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse, to travel down the roots of the world tree, to Hel, which is ruled by the goddess Hel, who shares the same name. Hermod beseeches Hel to let Balder return to the land of the living. Hel agrees to do this, but only if everything in the world weeps for him. At the Gods' behest, everything and everyone weeps. That is, except for one giantess who is generally accepted to be Loki in disguise.So Balder stays dead and Loki goes on the run because, by this time, he's known to have Both orchestrated Balder's death and prevented Balder's resurrection. Eventually, Loki is caught and bound to three stones by the entrails of his son, and a serpent set above continuously drips its venom upon him, and in this perpetual torment Loki remains until his fetters are broken during the events of Ragnarok.
