The fimbulwinter is an element in Norse pagan eschatology.

General characteristics

In Norse mythology, Fimbulwinter is the immediate prelude to the end of the world, Ragnarök. 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".Svenska Akademiens Ordbok, entry for Fimbulvinter ^*

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.Ström, Folke: Nordisk Hedendom, Studentlitteratur, Lund 2005, ISBN 9144005512 (first published 1961) among others, refer the climate change theory.

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.

Sources