Garm - Reality's End


	Garm

Name	Garm
Alternates	Garmr
Classification	Hound
Origin	Norse
Latin Text	None

In Myth:
Garm was the gatekeeper of the Norse underworld, Nifleheim. It possessed four eyes, and its chest was splattered in blood. It is described as the greatest of hounds in all the world and the most terrible monster.
Chained to Gnipa-Cave, the Overhanging Cave, Garm prevented the dead from leaving and the living from entering, snarling at those travelers who were unkind to the poor in their lifetime. Those who gave bread to the poor could appease the hound with Hel cake. Final Howl

Only in three instances would Garm not fulfill its duty. When Hermod rode to Hel's abode on Slepnir to plea for Baldar's soul, he lept straight over the gates. When Odin, chief of the Æsir gods, died after hanging from the World Tree, he simply walked out of Nifleheim. He was also able to enter freely and revive corpses for council. Finally, when Ragnarök -- the end of the world -- comes, the overcrowded dead will spill forth from Hel.
Garm will howl to signal the beginning of the final war and break from its chains. At Ragnarök's end, at which time only Garm and the one-handed god Tyr are left standing, they will then take each others' lives.
In some instances, multiple hounds guard the gates of Hel.
Garm is sometimes compared with Fenris and Manegarm, but is in fact a seperate beast.
The name Garm is means "Barking".

Stages	Pup Prime
Strength	Physical Attributes
Weakness	Poor Magic Defense
Added	May 22, 2003

Creator's Notes:
Garm was the ninth creature added to Battling Dragons, and the fifth made by the webmaster.
Yet another obscure Norse creature, Garm was difficult to find descriptions of. A four-eyed, blood-drenched dog is as far is as far as most descriptions went. Mention of it occurred periodically in Norse texts, but rarely with any physical description.
The four eyes of Garm were a very big problem. Arrangement on the head in a way which they would show up was difficult to find. Early ideas included a vertical mouth and even a four-way mouth, with an eye on each piece. The finalized version seemed most fitting, keeping its hound-like aspects. You can even flip the pictures upsidedown to see a second face of Garm with most often hilarious results.
The original concept of Garm's pup form had no nose whatsoever. In fact, its head was sort of round. It was also by far furrier and cuter, but it proved difficult to draw, especially from varying angles. Old pictures on this site probably feature the gatekeeper sporting this look.