Surtr Euhemerized

King Priam in Troy was a great ruler over all the host of Turks,
and his sons were the highest in rank in his whole host. That
magnificent hall that the Æsir called Brimir’s hall or beer-hall,
was King Priam’s hall. And whereas they give a long account of
Ragnarok, this is the Trojan war. The story goes that Oku-Thor
used an ox-head as bait and pulled the Midgard serpent up to the
gunwale, but the serpent survived by sinking into the sea. This
story is based on the one about how Hector killed the splendid
hero Volucrontes while the great Achilles was looking on, and
thus lured Achilles towards him with the head of the slain man
whom they saw as corresponding to the ox from which Thor had
taken the head. And when Achilles had been drawn into this
dangerous situation by his impetuosity, then the only way for him
to save his life was to run away from Hector’s deadly stroke,
wounded though he was. It is also said that Hector pressed his
attack so violently, and that his valour was raised to such a pitch
when he saw Achilles that there was nothing strong enough to
stand before him. And when he missed Achilles and he had fled, he
slaked his wrath by killing a hero called Roddrus. In the same way
the Æsir said thdt when Oku-Thor missed the serpent, he killed
giant Hymir; and at Ragnarok the Midgard serpent came with
frightening suddenness against Thor and blew poison on him and
struck him his death-blow, but the Æsir did not like to admit that
Oku-Thor had died as a result of one person overthrowing him in
death even though such had been the case, and they exaggerated
the story beyond what was true, when they said that the Midgard
serpent suffered death there. But they adduced this, that though
Achilles gained victory over Hector, yet he was to lie dead on the
same field as a result. This was achieved by Helenus and Alexan-
der. This Helenus was called Ali by the Æsir. They say that he
avenged his brother and survived when all the gods were dead and
the fire, with which Asgard and all the possessions of the gods
were burned, was extinguished. As for Pyrrhus, they saw him as
corresponding to Fenriswolf; it killed Odin, and Pyrrhus could be
said to be a wolf according to their religion, for he paid no respect
to places of sanctuary when he killed the king in the temple in
front of Thor’s altar. What they call Surt’s fire was when Troy
burned. And Oku-Thor’s sons, Modi and Magni, came to claim
lands from Ali or Vidar. The latter is Aeneas, he escaped from
Troy and later achieved great deeds. Similarly it is also said that
Hector’s sons arrived in the land of Phrygia and established
themselves in that kingdom, driving Helenus out.


- Prose Edda, Skaldskaparmal