Aeger, the ruler of the turbulent and stormy sea, is a Yotun, but he is a friend of the gods.  When they visit him his hall is lighted with shining gold.  His wife is Ran, and their daughters are the waves.

In the beginning there was peace among gods and men.  But the arrival of the Yotun women in Asgard undermined the happiness of the gods, and in heaven and on earth a struggle commenced which must last until both are destroyed.  The Yotuns continually attack the inhabitants of Asgard, and it is only the mighty Thor who can hold them at bay.  It is the evil Loke, who is the worst enemy of gods and men.  He belongs to the Yotun race, but was early adopted among the gods.  He was fair in looks, but wily and evil in spirit.  He had three evil children—­the Fenris-Wolf, the Midgard-Serpent, and Hel.  The gods knew that this offspring of Loke would cause trouble; therefore they tied the Fenris-Wolf, threw the serpent into the sea, and hurled Hel down into Niflheim, where she became the ruler of the dead.  All who die from sickness or age are sent to her awful dwelling, Helheim.  This is the origin of the saying, “Whom the gods love die young.”

The greatest sorrow which Loke caused the whole world was that by deceit he caused the death of the lovely god, Balder.  Then the gods took an awful revenge.  They tied him to three stones, and over his head they fastened a venomous serpent, whose poison was always to drip upon his face.  Loke’s faithful wife, Sigyn, placed herself at his side and held a cup under the poisonous drip; but whenever the cup is full and she goes to empty it, the poison drips into Loke’s face, and then he writhes in agony so that the whole world trembles.  This is the cause of earthquakes.

There will come a time when these gods and the world shall perish in Ragnarokk, which means the perdition of the gods.  They will have many warnings.  Corruption and wickedness will be common in the world.  For three years there will be winter without sun.  The sun and the moon will be swallowed up by the wolves of the Yotuns, and the bright stars will disappear.  The earth will tremble and the mountains will collapse, and all chains and ties are sundered.  The Fenris-Wolf and Loke get loose, and the Midgard-Serpent leaves the ocean.  The ship Naglfar carries the army of the Yotuns across the sea under the leadership of the Yotun Rym, and Loke advances at the head of the hosts from the abode of Hel.  The heavens split, and the sons of Muspel come riding ahead, led by their chief Surt.  As the hosts are rushing across the Bifrost, the bridge breaks with them.  All are hastening to the great battlefield, the plains of Vigrid, which is a hundred miles wide.  Now Heimdal arises and blows his Gjallar-horn, all the gods are assembled, the ash Ygdrasil trembles, and everything in heaven and on earth is filled with terror.  Gods and Einherier (the fallen heroes) arm themselves for battle.  In the front rides