Scientists have found evidence suggesting that the Vikings may have experienced a Ragnarok, an apocalyptic event in Norse mythology.
According to mythology, the world will undergo “Fimbulwinter” (Great Winter) lasting three years before the apocalyptic Ragnarok occurs. Blizzards blow from every direction, temperatures plummet, famine, suffering, and war spread. Shortly thereafter, Ragnarok is destined to begin.
Illustration of the Fimbulwinter event before Ragnarok occurs – (Image: Wiki).
Ragnarok is often interpreted as a symbolic event highlighting the rise and fall of human civilization, the power of nature, as well as the destruction and rebirth of the Norse.
However, a new study from the National Museum of Denmark suggests that “volcanic winter” could be a sign of the apocalypse and the origin of Fimbulwinter, according to an article on IFLScience dated November 3.
The year 536 AD is regarded as the worst year in human history when one or possibly multiple volcanoes erupted in the Northern Hemisphere. This event created a “volcanic winter” that blanketed the globe in ash and sulfur gases, preventing sunlight from reaching the ground.
Life for people around the world was affected: China experienced snowfall in summer, average temperatures in Europe dropped by 2.5 degrees Celsius, Peru faced drought, and the plague eventually spread to Egypt in 541.
“There are many speculations about this, but this is the first time we can demonstrate that perhaps the greatest climate disaster in human history severely impacted Denmark,” said senior researcher Morten Fischer Mortensen, who works at the museum.
Previously, scientists were unclear on how this climatic event affected Denmark. However, new research on Denmark’s agricultural activities from the Bronze Age to the Viking Age has indicated the severity of its impact.
The research team reached this conclusion by examining the growth rings of over 100 pieces of oak wood from the 6th century, which showed that these trees barely grew during that period, particularly during the summers from 539 to 541.
Growth rings showing that oak trees in the 6th century barely grew – (Image: The National Museum of Denmark).
“When trees cannot grow, nothing can be cultivated in the fields. In a society where everyone relies on agriculture, that is a catastrophic consequence. In Norway and Sweden, researchers believe that up to half the population may have died, and one cannot help but imagine that this also happened in Denmark,” Mr. Mortensen stated.
Analyses of crops in the following years indicate that people had to diversify their crops to ensure food security. The cultivation of rye, which became increasingly popular in the subsequent centuries, is an example, as rye requires less sunlight than other grains.
Of course, this is not definitive evidence that Fimbulwinter in mythology was based on these events, but the coincidence is quite convincing.
“Mythology may be a product of imagination but could also contain echoes of truth from the distant past. Many have speculated whether Fimbulwinter refers to the climate disaster of the 6th century, and now we can assert that there is a remarkable coincidence with what we can prove scientifically,” Mr. Mortensen concluded.
The research was published in the journal Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
