“Battle of the Doomed Gods” by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine (1882). Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The endtime is coming. The night is very long indeed; sun and moon have vanished. From the east march the frost-giants, bent on the destruction of all that is living. From the south come fiery powers, swords gleaming brightly. A dragon flies overhead. And, terrifyingly, the dead are walking too. Heroes are ready and waiting; representing the best of mankind, they have trained in anticipation of the greatest of battles. Now the two mighty forces lock together in apocalyptic combat. Who will emerge victorious when the fight is over and the sun returns once more?
If you’ve been watching the final season of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, you may think that you recognise this scenario as the long-anticipated showdown involving the Night King and his army of the dead. Against the elemental power of ice are ranged heroic humans in all their vulnerability and courage, supported by the forces of fire. But, in fact, what underlies the vividly horrifying vision I outline above is not Game of Thrones at all – though the similarities are indeed striking.
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