Fire giant who leads the sons of Muspelheim at Ragnarok and sets the world ablaze.
Surtr (Old Norse Surtr, 'the black one') is the fire giant who guards the borders of Muspelheim. He wields a flaming sword that shines brighter than the sun. At Ragnarok he rides south at the head of the sons of Muspel and crosses Bifrost, which collapses under their weight.
In the final battle Surtr faces Freyr, who falls because he gave away his sword to Skirnir. Surtr then casts fire over the entire world and destroys it. Völuspá describes how the flames lash the sky and everything sinks into the sea. From the devastation a new, green earth rises.
Sources in the Eddas
- Völuspá 50-53
- The seeress describes Surtr's advance at Ragnarok, his battle with Freyr, and the world conflagration.
- Gylfaginning 4, 51
- Snorri names Surtr as the guardian of Muspelheim and describes his role at Ragnarok.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Surtr is the guardian of Muspelheim wielding a flaming sword who destroys the world at Ragnarok, attested in Völuspá and Gylfaginning.
B What we think we know
Whether Surtr represents an older, pre-Christian fire myth or a late cosmological construction is disputed.