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Fenris | |
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The monstrous wolf Fenris was the son of the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angerboda. Born in a brood along with its brother and sister the Midgard Serpent and Hel, it too was seen as a threat to the very existance of the world. As it grew, so did the hound's destructive power. So massive was its jaw that, when opened, it stretched from the ground to the sky. The Æsir gods therefore conspired to bind it. They brought forth the mightiest chain, Lœthing, and asked if they might test Fenris's strength, seeing if he could break from it. He did so quite easily. A similar fate met an even stronger chain, Dromi. Beseeching the aid of the dwarves below, a new fetter was made. This was a magical twine Gleipnir, made from the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, the spittle of a bird, roots of a mountain, beard of a woman, the sound of a cat's footfall, and other impossible ingredients. Suspicious of the gods, Fenris agreed to be bound by this thin string only if one among them would place his hand into the wolf's mouth. Only Tyr, god of bravery, was courageous enough to step forward. Once bound, the wolf struggled and writhed but could not free himself from the seemingly flimsy bonds. Upon realizing that he had been tricked, he took the brave god's right hand. The Æsir cast him into Mirkwood the Iron Forest on the island Lyngvi located in the lake Amsvartnir, where he would remain, kept alive by a hag that would feed him from time to time. Gleipnir was tied to a chain called Gelgja (and yes, the Norse do like naming everything), which was bound to a rock named Gjoll. Another stone named Thviti was placed on top of this one to keep the wolf secure. To keep him from biting, a sword was placed within his open mouth, the point driving up. From Fenris's lolling mouth, the river Van flowed. At Ragnar&oml;k, Fenris will loose his fetters and join the side of evil in the final war. Odin and his steed Slepnir would gallop into the monster's waiting maw. He would be avenged by his son, Vidar, who -- along with his giant boot made from the scraps of other boots -- would deliver a blow so forceful that Fenris's head would split apart. Fenris's name means "dweller in the swamp." The alternative name Fenrisulf is nothing more than Fenris Wolf. The final "R" in the Viking tongue can be pronounced as either a normal "R" or an English "Z", thus why the name often appears as "Fenrir."
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