Four Signs That Said Ragnarok Was Looming Large in Norse Myth
Four is not really a lucky number. In Norse mythology, four signs happened before Ragnarok. In other words, Ragnarok was prophesied to befall after four signs came to Nine Worlds.
The Death of Baldur the Shining God
Baldur was the son of Odin and goddess Frigg Queen of Asgard. From the beginning, Baldur was loved by everyone not only because of his handsome appearance but also of his kindness and generosity.
When Baldur became a man, he started dreaming of his own death. The Norse seeresses once prophesied that the death of God Baldur was the first sign of Ragnarok which meant Norse Pantheon was drawing to an end. Odin and his fellows did attempt to either prevent or prepare for this final battle. They did try to find the way to save Baldur but failed.
Frigg the Queen travelled around the cosmos asking everyone not to harm Baldur. She asked everyone except for the small mistletoe which was left behind for unknown reason. When Loki learnt of this secret, he made an arrow from a mistletoe. And whoosh! The arrow hit Baldur right in the chest leaving him dead right on the spot.
Asgard's shining god no more shone. Norse gods severely punished Loki for what he had done. But no matter what they did, Ragnarok was about to happen.
Fimbulwinter
After the death of Baldur, there should come a great winter that was named "Fimbulwinter". Never before had anyone seen such type of winter. Three winters came in a row without a summer in between.
The biting winds would blow the Nine Worlds with snow and rain. Midgard had never been in such condition. The warmth from the sun finally disappeared leaving everything for this bitter cold.
Mankind would become desperate for food and other necessities of life. All morals of life vanished into thin air. Everything was pulled back to the age of swords and axes. Bloodshed was everywhere. Brothers killed one another. Everything was for survival.
The disappearance of Sun and Moon
Wolves Hati and Skoll were allegedly the offspring of Fenrir the Monstrous Wolf. From the beginning of the world, these two wolves attempted many times to chase down the Sun and the Moon, yet failed all the time.
It was not until the beginning of Ragnarok that the pair finally caught the Sun and the Moon. They swallowed these two brilliant stars sending the world into blackness.
The shake of Yggdrasil raised Naglfar ship
The dragon-like serpent Nidhogg living under the roots of Yggdrasil started to gnaw at the roots of this Great Ash Tree. Yggdrasil trembled and Jormungand the Midgard serpent started to move his giant move getting ready to emerge from the ocean.
This universal shake made the Naglfar ship ready to leave the harbour. Naglfar ship was mentioned as the ship that would carry the dead from Underworld to join Ragnarok battle. It was purely made from nails of the dead and its name meant "Ship of Nail". The ship was about to set sail to Asgard. What it was waiting for was their leaders: Loki and his children.
