“A sword age, a wind age, a wolf age. No longer is there mercy among men.”
In Norse Mythology, the period of Ragnarök saw the passing of dark times that led to the deaths of god figures and men alike. The assertion is the description of the times to come that will see the obliteration of mankind by themselves. The destruction of the world is to be followed by a period of healing and restoration for a newer world to be created void of all the evils. Through poetry, Sturluson captures the nature of time in how human life withers and dies but works of the past remain to be conserved.
“Everybody can imagine how frightened the farmer became as he watched Thor’s eyebrows sink down low over his eyes.”
Sturluson’s work aims to showcase the nature of gods in Norse mythology by demonstrating their connection to humanity. The quotation refers to the fear that comes with seeing a powerful god express human emotion to further his own ends. In the narrative, the gods act as symbols of the connection that humanity has with the universe. Therefore, the human emotion in this case anger is shown as a trait that a god like Thor possesses. He illustrates the embodiment of human consciousness through the impulsiveness of the gods, thus human nature.
