WIST Quotations

Edda, Poetic -- Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 57 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]

Dave — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:24:16 +0000

The sun turns black,
earth sinks in the sea,
The hot stars down
from heaven are whirled;
Fierce grows the steam
and the life-feeding flame,
Till fire leaps high
about heaven itself.

[Sól tér sortna,
sígr fold í mar,
hverfa af himni
heiðar stjǫrnur;
geisar eimi
við aldnara,
leikr hár hiti
við himin sjálfan.]

Poetic Edda (800-1100) Old Norse anonymous collection of poems
Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 57 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]
(Source)

The end off the world (Ragnarok) and its rebirth. Narrated by Heiðr.

(Source (Old Norse)), Other translations:

The sun darkens;
The earth is immerged in the sea;
The serene stars are withdrawn from the heaven:
Fire rages in the ancient world:
The lofty colour reaches to heaven itself.
[tr. Turner (1836); st. 44, l. 4ff]

The sun darkens, earth in ocean sinks, fall from heaven the bright stars, fire's breath assails the all-nourishing tree, towering fire plays against heaven itself.
[tr. Thorpe (1866); st. 56]

The sun turns black, earth sinks into the sea,
the bright stars vanish from the sky;
steam rises up in the conflagration,
a high flame plays against heaven itself.
[tr. Larrington (2014); st. 57]

The sun turns black, earth sinks into the sea,
bright stars vanish from the sky;
ember-smoke rages against the life-nourisher,
high heat sports against the sky itself.
[tr. Pettit (2023); st. 55]

Edda, Poetic -- Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 45 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]

Dave — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:39:44 +0000

Brothers shall fight
and fell each other,
And sisters’ sons
shall kinship stain;
Hard is it on earth,
with mighty whoredom;
Axe-time, sword-time,
shields are sundered,
Wind-time, wolf-time,
ere the world falls;
Nor ever shall
each other spare.

[Brœðr munu berjask
ok at bǫnum verða,
munu systrungar
sifjum spilla;
hart er í heimi,
hórdómr mikill;
skeggǫld, skálmǫld
— skildir ru klofnir —
vindǫld, vargǫld,
áðr verǫld steypisk;
mun engi maðr
ǫðrum þyrma.]

Poetic Edda (800-1100) Old Norse anonymous collection of poems
Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 45 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]
(Source)

The time of Ragnarok. Narrated by Heiðr.

(Source (Old Norse)). Other translations:

Brethren will fight and slay each other;
Kindred will spurn their consanguinity;
Hard will be the world:
Many the adulteries.
A bearded age: an age of swords:
Shields will be cloven.
An age of winds; an age of wolves.
Till the world shall perish
There will not be one that will spare another.
[tr. Turner (1836), st. 44]

Brothers shall fight, and slay each other; cousins shall kinship violate. The earth resounds, the giantesses flee; no man will another spare.
Hard is it in the world, great whoredom, an axe age, a sword age, shields shall be cloven, a wind age, a wolf age, ere the world sinks.
[tr. Thorpe (1866)]; st. 45-46]

Brother will fight brother and be his slayer,
sister's sons will violate the kinship-bond;
hard it is in the world, whoredom abounds,
axe-age, sword-age, shields are cleft asunder,
wind-age, wolf-age, before the world plunges headlong
no man will spare another.
[tr. Larrington (2014), st. 45]

Brothers will battle and slay each other,
cousins will break the bonds of kin;
it’s harsh in the world, great whoredom,
axe-age, sword-age -- shields are cloven --
wind-age, wolf-age, before the world collapses;
no one will show mercy to another.
[tr. Pettit (2023); st. 44]

Emerson, Ralph Waldo -- Journal (1848-10)

Dave — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 23:39:35 +0000

The salvation of America and of the human race depends on the next election, if we believe the newspapers. But so it was last year, and so it was the year before, and our fathers believed the same thing forty years ago.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American essayist, lecturer, poet
Journal (1848-10)
(Source)

Kennedy, John F. -- Speech, United Nations (23 Sep 1961)

Dave — Wed, 25 May 2016 17:24:27 +0000

Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) American politician, author, journalist, US President (1961–63)
Speech, United Nations (23 Sep 1961)

Speech written by Theodore "Ted" Sorensen.

Bible, Vol. 2. New Testament -- 2 Peter 3: 10-12 [JB (1966)]

Dave — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:54:53 +0000

The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all that it contains will be burnt up.
Since everything is coming to an end like this, you should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat.

[Ἥξει δὲ ἡμέρα Κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης ἐν ᾗ οἱ οὐρανοὶ ῥοιζηδὸν παρελεύσονται στοιχεῖα δὲ καυσούμενα λυθήσεται καὶ γῆ καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ἔργα [οὐχ] εὑρεθήσεται. Τούτων οὕτως πάντων λυομένων ποταποὺς δεῖ ὑπάρχειν ὑμᾶς ἐν ἁγίαις ἀναστροφαῖς καὶ εὐσεβείαις προσδοκῶντας καὶ σπεύδοντας τὴν παρουσίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμέρας δι’ ἣν οὐρανοὶ πυρούμενοι λυθήσονται καὶ στοιχεῖα καυσούμενα τήκεται.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
2 Peter 3: 10-12 [JB (1966)]
(Source)

(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
[KJV (1611)]

But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish.
Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God, as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon -- the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat.
[GNT (1976)]

The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and melt away, the earth and all that it contains will be burned up.
Since everything is coming to an end like this, what holy and saintly lives you should be living while you wait for the Day of God to come, and try to hasten its coming: on that Day the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat.
[NJB (1985)]

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a dreadful noise, the elements will be consumed by fire, and the earth and all the works done on it will be exposed.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives, waiting for and hastening the coming day of God. Because of that day, the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt away in the flames.
[CEB (2011)]

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
[NIV (2011 ed.)]

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and destroyed and the elements will melt with fire?
[NRSV (2011 ed.)]

Jefferson, Thomas -- Letter (1825-01-17) to Alexander Smyth

Dave — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:11:22 +0000

Least and last of all should I undertake to criticise works on the Apocalypse. it is between 50. and 60. years since I read it, & I then considered it as merely the ravings of a Maniac, no more worthy, nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) American political philosopher, polymath, statesman, US President (1801-09)
Letter (1825-01-17) to Alexander Smyth
(Source)

On the Book of Revelation.

Aykroyd, Dan -- Ghostbusters [with Harold Ramis] (1984)

Dave — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:11:22 +0000

VENKMAN: This city is headed for a disaster of Biblical proportions.

MAYOR: What do you mean, “Biblical”?

RAY: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the sky! Rivers and seas boiling!

EGON: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes …

WINSTON: The dead rising from the grave!

VENKMAN: Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!

Dan Aykroyd (b. 1952) Canadian comedian
Ghostbusters [with Harold Ramis] (1984)
(Source)

Kierkegaard, Soren -- Either/Or, “Diapsalmata” (1843)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

In a theatre it happened that a fire started off stage. The clown came out to tell the audience. They thought it was a joke and applauded. He told them again, and they became still more hilarious. This is the way, I suppose, that the world will be destroyed — amid the universal hilarity of wits and wags who think it is all a joke.

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) Danish philosopher, theologian
Either/Or, “Diapsalmata” (1843)

Alternate translation: "It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theater. The clown came out to inform the public. They thought it was a jest and applauded. He repeated his warning. They shouted even louder. So I think the world will come to an end amid the general applause from all the wits who believe that it is a joke."

Alternate translation: "A fire broke out backstage in a theatre. The clown came out to warn the public; they thought it was a joke and applauded. He repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. I think that's just how the world will come to an end: to the general applause of wits who believe it's a joke"