Surtur: The Fire Giant of Norse Mythology

     Surtur or Surt is the main Fire Giant of Norse Mythology, as well as being the guardian of one of the worlds: Musphelhein, the Land of Fire. It is this giant that will fight the God Freyr in Ragnarok.

Surtur in Norse Mythology:

     Surt, in Norse Mythology, is the fire giant who guards Musphelhein: the Land of Fire. In Ragnarok, according to Norse mythology, Surt will set fire to the nine worlds.

     Surtur, in Old Norse meaning "Black" or "The dark one", is the elder jötunn, leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim. Surtur is quoted in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson.

     In both sources, Surtur is announced as being an important figure during the events of Ragnarök, carrying his glowing sword, he will go into battle against the Æsir, having a confrontation with the great god Freyr, and then the flames he brings will go out. swallow the Earth.

     He is the murderer of Odin's two brothers, Vili and Ve, and must surely be considered both the greatest enemy of Odin and Asgard.

Surtur is barely mentioned in this Mythology:

     Surtur is not mentioned in much of Norse Mythology which has been recovered and written down in the Eddas. There are a few schools of thought that argue whether Surtur was in fact the first being, created from primordial fire. This fire would have melted the frost of ice to reveal Audhumla, and to create the primordial being, Ymir.

     Furthermore, in time, Surtur's fire would have been enough to reveal the first of the gods, Buri, Odin's grandfather, who would become the chief of the Æsir. If this view is correct, then Surtur is the beginning of all life and the end of it as well.

Surtur Myth:

     During the cycle of Norse pagan myth, Surtur remains on the borders of the fire realm Muspelheim, where he and all of his children live. They don't have major conflicts with the gods like the frost giants, and the fire giants try to remain inactive until the time for Ragnarok comes.

     During Ragnarok (a sort of Viking version of Armageddon), Surtur and his fire giants will join the frost giants, as well as the great wolf Fenrir and his older brother Jormundgand, the World Serpent, along with their father. Loki, in a battle against the Aesir and Vanir.

     Many gods will die, and Surtur will be destined to fight the unarmed god Freyr before the fires of Muspelheim sweep the land clean and ready for a new cycle of life.

Surtur in Knights of the Zodiac:

     In the latest Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) anime, set in Asgard, titled Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold (Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold), in which the Gold Saints are mysteriously revived, Surtur appears as a of the God Warriors of Odin's supposed new representative, Andreas, and also as a childhood friend of Camus of Aquarius, who grew to hate the Knight after the Knight - accidentally - killed his sister Sinmore.

     Inside the Yggdrasil tree, in one of its Seven Chambers, Surtr protects the Chamber of Fire, known rightly as Muspelheim. He is defeated by the Aquarius Knight, whose soul awakens, along with the divine armor, but Camus spares his life so he can start over and live, this time, in the name of the true Odin.

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