Fenrir (Old Norse Fenrisúlfr) is the monstrous wolf of Norse mythology, the son of the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Prophecy said he would grow strong enough to threaten the gods themselves, so they bound him with a magical chain to wait, snarling, until Ragnarök, when he breaks free and devours Odin. His name is usually read as "fen-dweller," the one who dwells in the marshes.
Fenrir's siblings by Angrboða are just as famous: the world-serpent Jörmungandr and Hel, ruler of the underworld. For a short primer on the name itself, see our note on the meaning of Fenrir. This guide covers his names, how the gods bound him, and his part in the end of the world.
Who is Fenrir?
Fenrir is a giant wolf, a jötunn in wolf form, born to Loki and the giantess Angrboða in the Iron Wood. Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda tells how the Æsir, learning that all three of Angrboða's children were fated to help destroy them, cast the serpent Jörmungandr into the sea and sent Hel down to Niflheim. Fenrir they kept close, hoping to raise and control him, but the wolf grew so fast and so huge that only bold Tyr dared feed him.
He goes by several names. Fenrisúlfr is the full form, "Fenrir's wolf." Hróðvitnir means "fame-wolf" or "renowned wolf" (his son Hati is called Hróðvitnisson, "son of Hróðvitnir"). Vánagandr means "monster of the river Ván," the river said to form from the foam of his bound jaws.
The binding of Fenrir
As Fenrir grew, the gods grew afraid, so they set out to chain him, dressing it up as a game to test his strength. They bound him first with a chain called Leyding, which he snapped at once. They tried again with Dromi, twice as strong, and he broke that too. No ordinary iron could hold him.
So the gods sent to the dwarves, who forged a ribbon called Gleipnir, soft as silk but unbreakable. It was made from six things that do not exist: the sound of a cat's footfall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird. Making it used up all of these, which is why you will never find them again.
On the island of Lyngvi, in Lake Amsvartnir, the gods asked Fenrir to be bound one more time. Suspecting a trick with so slender a ribbon, the wolf agreed only if one of them would place a hand in his jaws as a pledge of good faith. Tyr, bravest of the gods, laid his right hand between the wolf's teeth. When Fenrir found he could not break Gleipnir, he bit the hand off. The gods had their binding, and Tyr had paid for it.
They fixed the chain to a rock deep in the earth and propped his jaws open with a sword. The drool that ran from his mouth became the river Ván. There Fenrir lies, straining against the ribbon, waiting for the end of the world.
Fenrir at Ragnarök
At Ragnarök, the foretold end of all things, earthquakes shatter the rock that holds Fenrir and the ribbon finally fails. Freed at last, the wolf races across the world with his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw in the sky, swallowing everything in his path. He meets Odin in the final battle and devours the Allfather, which is the deed he is remembered for above all others.
Odin is avenged at once. His son Víðarr, wearing a great shoe made for this moment, plants his foot on Fenrir's lower jaw, grips the upper jaw, and tears the wolf apart. It is one of the last acts of the old world, for once the gods and their enemies have fallen, a new world rises from the sea.
Fenrir and the wolves that chase the sun and moon
Norse myth is full of wolves, and many of them may be Fenrir under another name, or his kin. Two are named as his sons: Sköll and Hati, who chase the sun and the moon across the sky and finally catch and swallow them at Ragnarök, plunging the world into darkness. Other sources name Mánagarmr, the "moon-hound," and Garmr, the hound bound at the gate of Hel, in much the same role. Whether these are separate beasts or masks of the same wolf, they all carry the same dread: the day the light is devoured. You can meet the wider cast in our guide to Norse mythology creatures.
What a Fenrir pendant means
Because he stands against the gods and even brings down Odin, Fenrir became a symbol of raw strength, defiance and untamed nature. A wolf worn in silver or steel is not a charm of gentle luck; it speaks of the wearer who refuses to be bound. That is why the wolf is one of the most popular motifs in Norse jewellery. You can see the range in our Fenrir ring, and in the wolf designs across our Viking necklaces and Viking rings.
Fenrir, FAQ
Who is Fenrir in Norse mythology?
Fenrir is a monstrous wolf, the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. The gods bound him because prophecy said he would help destroy them, and at Ragnarök he breaks free and devours Odin before being killed by Odin's son Víðarr.
Who are Fenrir's parents and siblings?
Fenrir's father is the trickster god Loki and his mother is the giantess Angrboða. His siblings by Angrboða are the world-serpent Jörmungandr and Hel, the ruler of the underworld.
How was Fenrir bound?
Two iron chains, Leyding and Dromi, could not hold him, so the dwarves forged a magical ribbon called Gleipnir from six impossible things. It bound him on the island of Lyngvi, and he remains chained until Ragnarök.
Why did Tyr lose his hand?
Fenrir suspected a trick and would only let the gods bind him if one of them placed a hand in his jaws as a pledge. Tyr agreed, and when the wolf could not break free from Gleipnir, he bit off Tyr's right hand.
Who kills Fenrir?
At Ragnarök, after Fenrir devours Odin, Odin's son Víðarr avenges him. Wearing a great shoe, he steps on the wolf's lower jaw, seizes the upper jaw, and tears Fenrir apart.
What does a Fenrir wolf pendant symbolise?
A Fenrir or wolf pendant stands for strength, defiance and untamed nature, the wearer who refuses to be bound. It is one of the most popular motifs in Norse jewellery, worn in silver, bronze or steel.