Fimbulwinter

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The fimbulwinter is an element in Ásatrú eschatology.

1 General characteristics
2 Sources
3 Influences
4 See also

General characteristics

In Norse mythology and Ásatrú (according to the Eddas), Fimbulwinter is the immediate prelude to the end of the world, Ragnarok. Fimbulwinter is three successive winters where snow comes in from all directions, without any intervening summer. During this time, there will be innumerable wars and brothers will kill brothers.

The original spelling of this word in the Old Norse language is Fimbulvintr (Denmark and Sweden) or Fimbulvetr (Iceland and Norway), fimbul meaning "the great/big" so the correct interpretation of the word is "the great winter".<ref name="saob">Svenska Akademiens Ordbok, entry for Fimbulvinter [1]</ref>

There have been several popular speculations about whether this particular piece of mythology has a connection to the climate change that occurred in the Nordic countries at the end of the Nordic Bronze Age, about 650 BC. Before this climate change, the Nordic countries were considerably warmer.<ref>Ström, Folke: Nordisk Hedendom, Studentlitteratur, Lund 2005, ISBN 9144005512 (first published 1961) among others, refer the climate change theory.</ref>

In Sweden, Norway and other Nordic countries, the term fimbulwinter may also casually be used to refer to any unusually cold and harsh winter with lots of snow.<ref name="saob" />

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Sources

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Influences

In the video game series Fire Emblem there is a magical spellbook named Fimbulvetr which uses the power of a snowstorm.
The Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth released an album entitled Arrival of the Fimbul Winter in 1994.
In the game Warrior Kings Fimbulwinter is an Act of God that can be called down upon an enemy village.
In the video game Age of Mythology, there is a godpower named Fimbulwinter, causing opponents' devastation by invoking nordic wolves.
Fimbulvetr is the name of a club night in Edinburgh, playing dark ambient and neofolk music - styles often drawing inspiration from Norse mythology and the Ásatrú religion.

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