FENRIR, AN EXTRAORDINARY WOLF
Among all the creatures of Norse mythology, only a tiny fraction could compare to Fenrir, the giant wolf and scourge of the gods. He is the result of the union between the giantess Angrboda and the Aesir god Loki.
With his brother Jörmungandr, the giant serpent of Midgard, and his sister Hel, goddess of death, they formed a trio feared by the gods because of their destructive potential.
The first time he was mentioned in myths was in the Edda, a collection of myths and poems written by the Icelandic historian and poet, Snorri. He is described there as a being so colossal that when he opened his mouth, his lower jaw touched the earth and his upper jaw brushed the skies. His eyes were embers and his dark fur was of a rarely seen blackness.
A DANGEROUS BIRTH
From his birth, the gods quickly noticed the danger Fenrir the wolf could represent. They decided to restrain him. They first made a bond, Loeding to test Fenrir’s abilities. He did not back down from the challenge and easily broke the bond. The Aesir gods then decided to make a second bond, this time stronger, Dromi. This apparently was not a success as it lasted less than the first and gave way under Fenrir’s power. Each release made him stronger and more destructive, turning him into a merciless beast.
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The Aesir gods, realizing this was impossible, asked the dwarves of Svartalfheim to craft an unbreakable bond to imprison Fenrir. The dwarves were renowned for their skill and forging talents necessary to forge the magical weapons the gods possessed. As agreed, the dwarves forged a bond they called indestructible: Gleipnir. To make this bond, they used ingredients from the old world, among which were:
- A woman’s beard,
- Mountain roots,
- The sound of cat footsteps,
- Bear nerves,
- Bird spit,
- and fish breath
(one can hardly imagine how they managed to create a bond with these).
THE BINDING, A SUICIDE MISSION
Fenrir having become increasingly wary of the Aesir gods, it was going to be complicated for them to approach him to bind him. To let them approach, Fenrir proposed a deal to the gods. During the exchange, he had to have the arm of a god in his mouth. Among all the gods, only Tyr had the courage to sacrifice himself. When the wolf realized the sole purpose of the exchange was to bind him, he closed his jaws on Tyr’s arm. Afterwards, Tyr became known as the one-armed god.
At that moment, it was too late, the magical bond had already encircled Fenrir and prevented him from moving. After binding him, Fenrir struggled as best he could and tried to bite. To prevent this, they placed a sword in his mouth, the tip on the upper part and the hilt on the lower part, giving rise to the many illustrations of Fenrir trapped. Fenrir, furious, declared he would take revenge and devour all who dared to participate in this plan. He announced that when the sun and the moon disappear, all bonds would break, and no one could hide from his vengeance.
TWO LOYAL CHILDREN
Before being bound, Fenrir had two children with a giantess, Larnvidia. His two children, Skoll and Hati, also had the appearance of wolves, much less fierce. During their father’s imprisonment, the two wolves fulfilled their destinies. Skoll chased Sol, the driver of the sun chariot while Hati chased Mani, the driver of the moon chariot. It is said that when the two wolves catch their targets, there will be no more day and no more night, giving way to Ragnarok.
THE FINAL BATTLE
Illustration of the battle between Fenrir and Odin
The bond forged by the dwarves was extremely strong; indeed, it lasted until Ragnarok (the end of the world in Norse mythology). During this event, all chains imprisoning war spoils broke, freeing among others Fenrir and Loki. As written in the prophecy, a giant battle broke out, pitting the giants led by Loki against the Aesir. Fenrir went to fight Odin, the leader of the divine Aesir family. After a fierce battle, Odin lost his life but was avenged by one of his sons, Vidar, who, with the help of his magical shoe, pierced Fenrir’s heart and tore out his brain.
FENRIR'S ADAPTATION IN MODERN CULTURE
Without mentioning the Marvel films which are the most well-known, many 21st-century works are inspired by Fenrir and his legend:
- Silmarillion: an inspiration from Tyr since a giant wolf devours the main character’s hand during a trial.
- Warhammer: A world named Fenris, emblems centered around the wolf, and especially an important character: Leman Russ, who fights with two wolves, Freki and Geri, which are the same names given to Odin’s wolves.
- Harry Potter: Fenrir Greyback, one of the most famous Death Eaters in the saga, represents a werewolf driven by rage and anger.
- Saint Seiya: One of the six divine warriors is named Fenrir and fights with a pack of wolves at his side.
- Berserk: the dark side of the hero Guts is represented by a chained, enraged wolf, strongly reminiscent of Fenrir.
- High School DxD: Fenrir fights alongside Loki against Gremory in the underworld.
- God of War: famous video game based on Norse myths, Fenrir appears several times, not as a character but as a reference by Mimir.
FENRIR AND ODIN'S HALL
At Odin's Hall, Fenrir is one of our favorite deities. Many of our creations are inspired by the wolf; we love his violent and destructive side. And from your feedback, you love him too!
Thank you for reading, it is a pleasure to write for Odin's Hall, the reference brand in accessories inspired by Norse mythology.
You can visit our Fenrir collection to find a piece of jewelry representing vengeance.
To go further, you can continue reading our blogs on Norse deities by starting with Thor, the god of thunder for example.
You can also leave if you wish, but I must admit we prefer you stay on our site a little longer.
Let me tell you a bit about our logo if you want ! At Odin's Hall we wanted to have our own logos representing the strong symbols of Norse mythology, and Fenrir has his own of course. I put it just below.
Do you like it? Then wear our colors by getting the Fenrir T-shirt!
SKOOOLL! Glory to Fenrir!
