Fenrir or Fenris

Fenrir, according to Norse mythology, is a gigantic and terrible monster in the shape of a wolf. He is the eldest child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, having 2 younger siblings, Hel, and the serpent, Jormungand.  

Fenrir’s Prophecy

The gods learned of a prophecy, which stated that the wolf and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world, so Odin sent a group of gods to kidnap them. To the gods, Fenrir looked like an ordinary wolf, so they let him roam the fields of Asgard, but they agreed they would watch him. Of all the gods, however, only Odin's son, Tyr, was brave enough to feed him.

The gods soon began to rethink their decision as Fenrir grew bigger every day. Because they did not want to desanctify Asgard, they agreed they would catch & bind him instead of killing him & spilling his evil blood. 

Fenrir’s Strength

When he was still a pup they had nothing to fear, but when the gods saw how he had grown into a fearsome giant, they decided to render him harmless. However, none of the gods had enough courage to face the gigantic wolf. Instead, they tried to trick him. They said the wolf was weak and could never break free when he was chained. Fenrir accepted the challenge and let the gods bind his neck, body, and legs. However, he was so strong that he managed to break the strongest chains like cobwebs.

The gods then made another chain called Dromi, which was even stronger as the first chain. They told Fenrir that if he could break this chain, he would be known throughout the nine worlds for his great strength. He agreed to once again let them bind him, and again was able to break the chain. 

Gleipnir

After that, the gods saw only one alternative: a magic chain. They promised the dwarves gold if they could make a stronger chain. They created a soft, thin ribbon named Gleipnir. It was incredibly strong, despite it’s apparent size. The ribbon was fashioned of six elements: the footstep of a cat, the roots of a mountain, a woman's beard, the breath of fish, the sinews of a bear, and a bird's spittle.  

The God’s Deception

The gods tried to trick the wolf again; they invited Fenrir to go with them to the island of Lyngvi in the centre of Lake Amsvartnir, and then showed him Gleipnir. This time, however, Fenrir was less eager to show his strength. He felt that was no pride in breaking such a weak chain. Eventually, though, he agreed, thinking that otherwise his strength and courage would be doubted. Suspecting treachery however, he in turn asked the gods for a token of good will: one of them had to put a hand between his jaws. The gods were not overly eager to do this, knowing what they could expect. Finally, only Tyr agreed, and the gods chained the wolf with Gleipnir. No matter how hard Fenrir struggled, he could not break free from this thin ribbon. In revenge of being deceived, he bit off Tyr's hand.

The gods then attached a large chain called Gelgja to the end of Gleipnir and passed it through a huge boulder called Gjoll to secure it. They then drove Gjoll into the ground one mile, and found a large rock, Thviti, and dropped that on top of Gjoll to anchor it. One of the gods gagged Fenrir by wedging his sword between the roof of his mouth & his lower jaw. 

Ragnarok

On the day of Ragnarok, Fenrir will break his chains and join the giants in their battle against the gods. He will seek out Odin and devour him. Vidar, Odin's son, will avenge his father by killing the wolf.

Written by Adept Trey

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