Fenrir Facts for Kids

According to old stories, Fenrir bites off the hand of Týr (John Bauer, 1911)

In Norse mythology, Fenrir is a giant, powerful wolf. He is also known as Fenrisúlfr (meaning "Fenrir's wolf") or Vanargand ("Monster of the River Van"). Fenrir is the son of the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboða. His siblings are Hel, who rules the land of the dead, and Jörmungandr, the giant sea serpent.

Ancient prophecies said that Fenrir would cause great trouble for the gods. Because of this, the gods tried to chain him up. However, it was foretold that Fenrir would eventually break free. He is destined to fight and swallow the god Odin during the final battle called Ragnarök. After that, Odin's son, Víðarr, will kill Fenrir to avenge his father. Fenrir is also known as the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson.

The Legend of Fenrir's Binding
Other Names for Fenrir
Images for kids
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The Legend of Fenrir's Binding

The god Odin learned about a prophecy. It said that Loki's children would bring great problems to the gods. So, Odin had Fenrir brought to him. He also brought Fenrir's brother Jörmungandr and sister Hel.

Odin threw Jörmungandr into the sea. He sent Hel to rule the land of the dead. But Odin decided to raise Fenrir among the gods themselves. As Fenrir grew, he became incredibly large and strong. Only the brave god Týr dared to feed the growing wolf. The gods became very worried that Fenrir would one day destroy them all.

The First Chains

The gods decided they needed to chain Fenrir. They made a very strong chain called Leyding. They challenged Fenrir to break it, saying it would prove his great strength. Fenrir agreed and easily broke the chain.

Next, they made an even stronger chain, called Dromi. They challenged him again. Fenrir, confident in his power, broke this chain just as easily. The gods grew even more afraid.

The Magical Ribbon: Gleipnir

Odin then asked the skilled dwarfs to create a special chain. They made a magical ribbon called Gleipnir. It looked like a thin, silky ribbon. But it was made from six secret, magical ingredients. These were:

The sound of a cat's step
The beard of a woman
The roots of a mountain
The senses of a bear
The breath of a fish
The spittle of a bird

The gods challenged Fenrir to break this new ribbon. Fenrir looked at how thin Gleipnir was. He suspected it was a trick. He agreed to try and break it, but only if one of the gods would put their hand in his mouth. He believed this would ensure they would free him if he couldn't break the ribbon.

Only Týr was brave enough to place his hand in Fenrir's mouth. The gods then bound Fenrir with Gleipnir. The wolf struggled and tried to break free. The more he struggled, the tighter the magical ribbon held him. When the gods refused to free him, Fenrir bit off Týr's hand at the wrist.

Fenrir's Fate at Ragnarök

It is said that Fenrir will break free from Gleipnir during Ragnarök. This is the great final battle of the gods. Fenrir will join the enemies of the gods. He is destined to fight and then swallow Odin, the chief god. After Odin's death, his son Víðarr will step forward. Víðarr will then kill Fenrir to avenge his father.

Other Names for Fenrir

Fenrir is known by a few other names and spellings:

Fenrisúlfr
Vanargand, which means "Monster of The River"
Hróðvitnir, meaning "the famous wolf"
Fenris Wolf (an English translation)
Fenrisulf (another English form)
Fenrisulven (modern Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish)
Fenrisúlvur (Faroese)

Images for kids

Fenrir and Naglfar on the Tullstorp Runestone.
An illustration of an image on a bracteate found in Trollhättan, Sweden. It shows Tyr tricking Fenrir.
Odin and Fenris (1909) by Dorothy Hardy
Fenrir and Odin (1895) by Lorenz Frølich
Loki's Brood (1905) by Emil Doepler
Týr and Fenrir (1911) by John Bauer
"The Binding of Fenrir" (1908) by George Wright
"Odin and Fenriswolf, Freyr and Surt" (1905) by Emil Doepler
Fenrir (1874) by A. Fleming
Bound of Fenrir. Dorothy Hearthy (1909).
A 17th-century manuscript illustration of the bound Fenrir, with the river Ván flowing from his jaws.
Thorwald's Cross at Kirk Andreas, Isle of Man.
The Ledberg stone in Sweden.
Fenrir bites off the hand of a sword-wielding Týr in an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript.

Fenrir facts for kids

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