In the final part of our saga on the Children of Loki we look at the most famous of them, the Great Wolf, Fenrir.
Loki's deception had been unveiled, he had fathered a further three children with the Jotun witch Angrboda. These three children were destined to bring calamity to the Norse gods (Aesir and Vanir) during Ragnarök. The All-Father Odin had sent his son, the god of thunder, Thor and the god of war, Tyr, to retrieve the children and bring them back to Asgard where the gods will decide what to do with them.
Journeying into the mystical icy realm of Jotunheim proved to be a challenge for the two gods as the Jotun and Aesir were seemingly always at war. Eventually, they fought their way through to the Iron Woods where Angrboda's home dwelt and saw the three siblings playing happily in the great hall where their mother had left them, she of course was not expecting two Aesir to turn up at her door. Thor and Tyr bound the children and set off back to Asgard. During a rest, Thor noted that it was strange that none of the Jotun had pursued them, not even Angrboda, who would have surely noticed her three children missing by now. Tyr brushed it off saying Thor was simply being paranoid but secretly Tyr agreed it was strange and thought it was as if someone wanted them to bring the children to Asgard.
After finally making it to beautiful Asgard, the group is brought before Odin. After dealing with the other two siblings Odin came to the smallest of them, he was a wolf, grey and black with eyes the colour of dark amber. When he was found he was the size of a puppy and Tyr had grown fond of him on their journey back often scratching the wolfs neck and head and playing with him. The wolf cub ate his meat raw but spoke as if he were a man and he was very proud, the wolf revealed his name to be Fenrir.
Fenrir shocked the gods with the speed to which he grew, one day he was the size of a wolf, the next the size of a bear, the next a great elk, this led the gods to fear him but only Tyr remained a friend to Fenrir, still playing with him as he had when they first met. It was Tyr that fed Fenrir each day and with each day the wolf became fiercer and stronger. Odin watched Fenrir with ever growing fear, he had foreseen that a mighty wolf would be at the end of everything and that his own final moments would be looking at amber eyes and the sharp white teeth of Fenrir.
After a council on what to do with the ever growing wolf, the gods decided to bind Fenrir. Not revealing that they meant to bind him for good, the gods would challenge the proud Fenrir to prove his mighty strength by breaking the heavy chains and shackles they bound him with, he of course broke the chains to the gods dismay. Fenrir in his innocence did not see the gods intentions seeing them only as a game and asked his friend Tyr if the gods would repeat such a fun challenge to which Tyr said they would and that he would stake his right hand on it he was that certain.
So again the Aesir brought stronger chains to bind Fenrir telling the wolf if he broke free of these then everyone in the nine realms would know of his strength and glory would be his. The proud Fenrir agreed to this challenge and once again to his delight Fenrir broke free but this time he noticed the gods did not seem to revel in his victory, not even his friend Tyr, Fenrir would brood on this for a time.
It was then Odin sought wisdom from the light elf, Skirnir, who described a chain named Gleipnir that was unbreakable. Odin set the dwarves to making this chain so he may finally bind the great wolf. Finally, work on the ribbon was completed; the chain was more like a ribbon, smooth and soft, it was almost weightless.
The gods traveled to the Black Lake where Fenrir dwelt, the gods called out to him and he came at a run like a happy dog, the gods marvelled at how large and powerful he had become. The gods told him they had finally found something that even he could not break free from, Fenrir scoffed, there was nothing he couldn't break free from. It was then Odin showed him Gleipnir, to which Fenrir once again scoffed, the gods revealed that even they could not break it but even then Fenrir declined bidding the gods to bring him chains, this flimsy ribbon would not do. It was then the gods mocked Fenrir asking if he was scared and if that was why he refused, to which Fenrir's pride was hurt. He stated if he broke free of this simple ribbon how would that prove how strong and formidable he was, what glory was in that? Odin repeated his claim that the great wolf was scared.
At this, Fenrir sniffed the air and said he smelt treachery and trickery and that he still believed Gleipnir was only a ribbon but he did not consent to be tied up with it. Once again the gods tried to provoke him but Fenrir was suspicious of them now, he stated he was afraid of nothing and that he thought the Aesir were the ones afraid of him. Odin in his wisdom realised this was not the way to trick Fenrir into being bound, the All-Father said if Fenrir could not break this ribbon then the Aesir would have nothing to be afraid of, the gods would untie him and they would finally let Fenrir run free and go his own way.
Fenrir accused Odin of lying, not believing the gods would untie him should he not be able to break free and that their true intention was to leave him there and abandon him. Odin once again accused Fenrir of using excuses to cover his cowardice. The great wolf laughed and said to prove there was no trickery, one of the gods was to place their arm in his mouth, he would not bite down and if he breaks free Fenrir will open his mouth and free the god unharmed. Fenrir asked which of the gods it would be, the Aesir all looked at each other, none wanting to put their arm in the wolfs mouth, finally, with a sigh, Tyr stepped forward. He placed his right arm into Fenrir's mouth and closed his eyes. The gods then wrapped Gleipnir around the wolf making him immobile.
Fenrir strained and struggled against his bonds but it seemed to get tighter and tighter. It was then the gods started to snicker and then laugh uproariously, it was only Tyr that did not join in. Fenrir stopped struggling and waited for the gods to untie him but they only continued with their laughter, Tyr and the wolf looked at each other and Tyr whispered for Fenrir to do it and the wolf bit off his arm. It was then the gods staked down Gleipnir so the great wolf could not escape. Fenrir, furious at this betrayal stated:
"Treacherous Odin!" called the wolf. "If you had not lied to me, I would have been a friend to the gods. But your fear has betrayed you. I will kill you, Father of the Gods. I will wait until the end of all things, and I will eat the sun and I will eat the moon. But I will take the most pleasure in killing you." Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman
The gods only continued to laugh and congratulate themselves on their plan as they believed they had done something clever indeed.
Now we come to Ragnarök, the end of all things. After the death of Odin's beloved son Baldur (you can read more on this in our case on Hel), a winter so fierce none have seen it before, the Fimbulwinter will make brother fight brother, fathers kill sons, mothers and daughters will be set against each other and sisters will fall in battle with sisters as the cruel winter pushes people to survive, the wolves, Skoll and Hati, who have hunted the sun and moon will finally, at last, catch their prey, the stars will disappear leaving a black void in the heavens, it is then that Fenrir's brother Jormungandr will release his tail and cause earthquakes and the life tree Yggdrasil will tremble setting free all those who are bound.
Fenrir will finally be free to exact his revenge. Now enormous in size his upper jaw will reach the heavens and his lower jaw will touch the earth, there is nothing the great wolf will not devour and destroy. Flames will come from his eyes and nostrils causing flaming destruction where he walks, the brothers will finally be reunited on the final battle field, Vigrid.
After the watchman, Heimdall, has blown the horn, Gjallerhorn, to warn the gods of the start of Ragnarök, that the Aesir will ride into battle. Odin will ride at the head of the gods wearing his golden helmet and gleaming armour. Fenrir and Odin lock eyes and the All-Father makes straight for him, gripping his spear, Gungnir, tight in his hand. Odin will fight bravely against Fenrir but the great wolf is too strong even for Odin and he is devoured. Odin's son, Vidar, witnesses his fathers death and is enraged at the gloating Fenrir, he steps forward to fight the mighty wolf. He puts his one foot in Fenrir's lower jaw, Vidar's one shoe is made from all the leather that is thrown away when making shoes, this weighs down the great wolfs mouth and with one hand reaches up and grasps Fenrir's upper jaw and rips his mouth apart. Fenrir the Great Wolf finally dies and Vidar avenges his father.
And so this is the tale of the Great Wolf who ate the world. His tale is one of betrayal, heartbreak and vengeance, just like his siblings Fenrir has been painted a villain when his only crime was being feared for something that wasn't his fault. He was kidnapped, imprisoned and tricked, it is no wonder that Fenrir became so angry. If the gods had only treated poor Fenrir with kindness they would not have made such a powerful enemy and perhaps Ragnarök may not have happened, the gods were victims of their own arrogance and fear. People may now recognise Fenrir from the Marvel Cinematic Universe where audiences have come to love Thor and his brother Loki and in Thor: Ragnarok, where the brothers have to stop their sister Hela who rides the wolf Fenris. Thank you for reading our series on the Children of Loki! Skål!
The Fate of Loki
What happened to the god of mischief you ask? After the death of Baldur, Loki was feeling very proud of himself but cunning as he was Loki knew the gods were very angry indeed with him so decided to hide out until they calmed down and forgot about his deception and his drunken insulting of them shortly after. He decided to flee to his hideout on a mountain near the sea where he had doors facing each side of the house so he could see danger coming from any side. During the day Loki would transform himself into a salmon and hide in the nearby river, he thought this was clever as no one could catch a salmon, but how naive Loki would be in this, he started to think about how they could catch him and started to make a net. The gods finally came for Loki, and he quickly burnt his new invention but the gods noticed this net and made one of their own and quickly caught the transformed Loki from the river.
They brought him to a cave where his wife and two sons were waiting for him. Narfi and Vali pleaded for the gods to release their father and stated they could not kill Loki as they had sworn oaths not to kill him and he was the brother of Odin but the gods simply replied "What is the worst thing a brother can do to a brother?" to which the sons said betrayal and for a brother to murder a brother such as what Hod had done to Baldur. It was then the gods revealed that there was no such oath protecting the sons of Loki, it was then Vali was turned into a wolf and attacked his brother, killing him and running off into the wild.
Loki was forced onto the rocks and with the enchanted entrails of Narfi he was bound to the rock. It was then the Jotun Skadi came holding a snake that the punishment became clear; Loki was to be bound to the rocks with the venom from the snake dripping onto his face causing him great pain. It wouldn't be until Jormungandr would cause terrible earthquakes at the start of Ragnarök that Loki would finally be free.
Loki would be at the helm of the ship Naglfar, it was made from the fingernails of the dead. The crew would Jotun and the legions of his daughter, Hel. They are the ones who died a shameful death who seek to destroy anything that loves and lives. This great army will meet the other at Vigrid. The honourable dead who fill Valhalla will fight against Hel's horde of dead and many will fall until there is only two left.
The watchman Heimdall and Loki stare at each other over the field of dead and flames. Finally, they fight remembering a time long ago they fought but in animal form when Loki had stolen Freya's necklace (on Odin's request) but Heimdall has gotten it back and Loki never forgot an insult. Their fight will end when they both fall to the ground fatally wounded.
Loki is pleased that he has finally won but Heimdall can see far into the future and smiles as Loki hasn't won at all. Two humans hid in safety in the trunk of Yggdrasil and their descendants will repopulate the earth, a new beginning will blossom out of the old. Loki would have liked to say something cutting to have the last word but the life had drained out of him and so he dies next to his old nemesis. So, that is the fate of the trickster Loki, who schemes and cunning plans led to the destruction of all but life found a way to perserve and foiled Loki in the end, all his plans lead to the deaths of all his children, his brother Odin and the other gods and he didn't win in the end.
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