Alfaleith.org - The Prose Edda

Erst was the age                        when nothing was:
Nor sand nor sea,                nor chilling stream-waves;
Earth was not found,                nor Ether-Heaven,—
A Yawning Gap,                 but grass was none.”

Then said Jafnhárr: “It was many ages before the earth was shaped that the Mist-World was made; and midmost within it lies the well that is called Hvergelmir, from which spring the rivers called Svöl, Gunnthrá, Fjörm, Fimbulthul, Slídr and Hríd, Sylgr and Ylgr, Víd, Leiptr; Gjöll is hard by Hel-gates.” And Thridi said: “Yet first was the world in the southern region, which was named Múspell; it is light and hot; that region is glowing and burning, and impassable to such as are outlanders and have not their holdings there. He who sits there at the land's-end, to defend the land, is called Surtr; he brandishes a flaming [17] sword, and at the end of the world be shall go forth and harry, and overcome all the gods, and burn all the world with fire; thus is said in Völuspá:

Surtr fares from the south                 with switch-eating flame,—
On his sword shimmers                 the sun of the War-Gods;
The rock-crags crash;                 the fiends are reeling;
Heroes tread Hel-way;                 Heaven is cloven.”

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