Surt (or Surtr), in Norse mythology, a fire demon or fire giant who ruled
in the fiery wilderness called Muspelheim. Surt was the guardian of Muspelheim.
He stood at the border, brandishing a flaming sword. At the time of Ragnarok,
the end of the world, Surt was destined to lead the fire giants into battle
against the gods. During this battle, the heavens would open and Surt, along
with his legion, called the Sons of Muspel, would spill through the rift.
Surt would be at the forefront, flinging fire everywhere with his sword more
dazzling than the sun. Surt and his followers would charge across Bifrost,
the Rainbow Bridge leading to the land of the gods, and the bridge would
break under their weight. They would advance to a field called Vigrid, and
there they would join forces with the frost giants and demons against the
gods. Surt would kill the god Frey, who had long before given up his sword
in order to marry the goddess Gerd and would therefore be weaponless. By
the battle's end, Surt would burn the whole world with fire, defeating all
the gods. But afterward, a new and better world would emerge from the destruction
of the old.