Fenrir
The Giant Wolf
He Who Dwells in the Marshes
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Source: https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/giants/fenrir/Fenrir (pronounced “FEN-rir;” Old Norse Fenrir, “He Who Dwells in the Marshes”) is the most infamous of the many wolves in Norse mythology. His importance for the pre-Christian Scandinavians is demonstrated by his being depicted on numerous surviving runestones, not to mention his ubiquity in Old Norse literary sources.
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He’s the son of the god Loki and the giantess Angrboda, which makes him the brother of the serpent Jormungandr and the underworld goddess Hel.
Read More Jormungandr The Great Cosmic Serpent click
Read More Hela Goddess of Death Underworld Germanic Book of The Dead click
Read More Angrboda
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As is recounted more fully in the tale The Binding of Fenrir, the Aesir gods raised Fenrir themselves in order to keep him under their control and prevent him from wreaking havoc throughout the Nine Worlds. He grew at an astonishingly fast pace, however, and eventually the troubled gods decided to chain him up. Their first two attempts were unsuccessful; while the cunning gods convinced Fenrir that it was only a game, a test of his strength, he broke through the fetters easily.
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For their third attempt, the gods had the dwarves forge the strongest chain ever built, which nevertheless gave the appearance of being very light and even soft to the touch. When the gods presented Fenrir with this third fetter, he became suspicious, and he refused to be bound with it unless one of the gods would stick his or her hand in his mouth as a pledge of good faith.
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Only Tyr was brave enough to do this, knowing that it would mean the loss of his hand. And, sure enough, when Fenrir found himself unable to break free of his bonds, he ripped Tyr’s hand from his arm. The chain was then tied to a boulder and a sword was placed in Fenrir’s jaws to hold them open. As he howled wildly and ceaselessly, a foamy river called “Expectation” (Old Norse Ván) flowed from his drooling mouth.
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As the river’s ominous name implies, this was not the end of Fenrir. At Ragnarok, he will break free and run throughout the world with his lower jaw against the ground and his upper jaw in the sky, devouring everything in his path. He will even kill the god Odin before finally being put to death by one of Odin’s avenging sons.
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Fenrir and Other Wolves in Norse Mythology
There’s good reason to think that many of the other wolves mentioned in Old Norse literature are actually Fenrir going under different names. One Old Norse poem states that he will swallow the sun during Ragnarok, a feat which is elsewhere reserved for another wolf named Skoll (“Mockery”).
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Another Old Norse poem repeatedly mentions a wolf named Garm who will break free from chains at Ragnarok; this is quite possibly Fenrir going under a different name. In another source, we find the wolf who will consume the moon called by the name of “Moon-garm” (Mánagarmr). Thus, the moon-eating wolf, who is elsewhere called Hati (“Hatred”) could be another extension of Fenrir – or at least of Garm, if Garm is not himself an extension of Fenrir.
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Perhaps the Vikings thought that it is ultimately Fenrir who, in addition to killing Odin and destroying much of the world, will eat the sun and the moon during Ragnarok. But these wolves are never precisely delineated in the primary sources, so we’re left to guess as to what exactly the relationship between them is.
Read More Jormungandr The Great Cosmic Serpent click
Read More Hela Goddess of Death Underworld Germanic Book of The Dead click
Read More Yggdrasil The Cosmic Tree click
Read More Ymir The First Giant Jotun The Story of Creation click
Read More Surtr The Great Black Fire Giant Jotunn Guardian click
Read More Angrboda
Sanctorum - 𝔽𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕚𝕣 - ℕ𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕔 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔
Norscan Warlord - Fenrir
Lyric Video
Fferyllt - Фенрир (Fenrir)
Lyrics Language is Russian Translated into English
Nine worlds will be shaken by the howl of wolves.
The elves and dwarves will forget peace.
Loki's son is torn in merciless bonds,
Spittle flows like a poisonous river.
The flame of revenge will burn in his eyes.
The treachery of the Aesir will not be tolerated for long.
The prophets predicted the army to his father:
The evil Fenrir will bring him death.
The bonds of the black elves are torn.
The corpse beast growls.
The sun goes out in its greedy mouth -
The bright shield of the sky.
The winds howl, thunder rumbles,
Winter sows death.
The elves groan, the dwarves are in fear.
The world will be swallowed by darkness.
Loki leads the armies of the Jotuns.
The snake crawls out of the water onto the shore.
Bifrest collapses under the tread of the Beast.
Garm barks loudly, he will break the leash!
Gallarhorn's call sounds over the world,
Waking up heroes in the pitch-black night.
The doors of Valhalla are wide open.
The Aesir have drawn their swords!
Loki's offspring has opened his mouth,
The wolf is spraying saliva.
The Lord of the Aesir is going into battle,
Into his last battle.
The winds howl, the thunder rumbles,
Winter sows death.
The elves groan, the dwarves are afraid.
The world will be swallowed by darkness.
The wolf's groan will shake the nine worlds.
The evil Fenrir is forever defeated.
Born by the witch of the Iron Forest,
He is slain by the son of the Lord Hlidskjálf.
Wolves, in the forests scorched by fire
Prowl the snow both night and day.
You can hear their howl over the doomed land,
They will remind people of their ancestor.
Grand Belial's Key - In Rapture by the Fenrir Moon
Lyrics
The moon ignites the thyestean flame
Tempestuous winds call out my name
Red orphic rays shine unto me
It's the threshold of lycanthropy
The wanton cravings and salacious desire
Kindle my seething promethean fire
The tethered wolf has been unleashed
To hunt and kill voraciously
Diana, fake me into thy womb
To thine lunar radiance I swoon
My lustfulness forever blooms
In rapture by the fenrir moon
With mordacious fangs and feral claws
I exercise the primordial laws
My lupine cock is fixed to rise
And fuck the marrow of life
Pious lambs know not Satanic truth
Sweetest the tongue, sharpest the tooth
The dawn ascends and I evade
Rack into the woods from whence I came
Diana, take me into thy womb
To thine lunar radiance I swoon
My lustfulness forever blooms
In rapture by the fenrir moon
Pictures Videos Music and Additional Reading
Filip Lackovic - Viking Meditation Music - Fenrir
Fenrir and Naglfar on the Tullstorp Runestone. The inscription mentions the name Ulfr ("wolf"), and the name Kleppir/Glippir. The last name is not fully understood, but may have represented Glæipiʀ which is similar to Gleipnir which was the rope with which the Fenrir wolf was bound. The two male names may have inspired the theme depicted on the runestone.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenrir -
Fenrir (Old Norse 'fen-dweller') or Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"), also referred to as Hróðvitnir (Old Norse "fame-wolf") and Vánagandr (Old Norse 'monster of the [River] Ván'), is a monstrous wolf in Norse mythology. In Old Norse texts, Fenrir plays a key role during the events of Ragnarök, where he is foretold to assist in setting the world aflame, resulting in the collapse of humanity and society, and killing the god Odin.
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Fenrir, along with Hel and Jörmungandr, is a child of Loki and female jötunn Angrboða. He is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, composed in the 13th century. In both the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Fenrir is the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson, is a son of Loki and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök, but will in turn be killed by Odin's son Víðarr.
Read More Jormungandr The Great Cosmic Serpent click
Read More Hela Goddess of Death Underworld Germanic Book of The Dead click
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In the Prose Edda, additional information is given about Fenrir, including that, due to the gods' knowledge of prophecies foretelling great trouble from Fenrir and his rapid growth, the gods bound him and as a result Fenrir bit off the right hand of the god Týr. Depictions of Fenrir have been identified on various objects and scholarly theories have been proposed regarding Fenrir's relation to other canine beings in Norse mythology. Fenrir has been the subject of artistic depictions and he appears in literature.
Read More Yggdrasil The Cosmic Tree click
Read More Ymir The First Giant Jotun The Story of Creation click
Read More Surtr The Great Black Fire Giant Jotunn Guardian click
Bjorth & AETHYRIEN - The Binding of Fenrir
Inspired by the rich folklore of ancient Norse mythology, this instrumental song pays homage to the legendary story of Fenrir, a colossal and ferocious wolf whose significance runs deep within Norse folklore. According to the ancient tales, Fenrir, son of Loki, was destined to bring chaos and destruction to the realms of gods and humans alike. In an attempt to prevent this calamity, the gods devised a plan to bind Fenrir. Through cunning deception, they lured him into accepting a magical chain called Gleipnir. However, as Fenrir sensed the trickery, he demanded a show of good faith by having one of the gods place their hand in his jaws as a guarantee of safety. Tyr, the brave god of war, willingly sacrificed his hand for the greater good, sealing Fenrir's fate. I hope this song captures the essence of this timeless Norse myth, immersing the listener deep into this dark and ominous tale.
XIV Dark Centuries - Fenrir
Lyrics Language is German Translated into English
Ragnarök
Muspelsheim's sons ride ahead
Surt holds a dazzling light in his hand
Fenrir's mouth gapes from the earth to the firmament
The serpent writhes, the sea floods the earth
Naglfar swims across the vast sea
The sky bursts, the Einherjer traverse the Helweg
Bifröst breaks, they ride after Wigrid
Fenrir's howl is more terrible than ever
His eyes glow, the rage ignites within him
He will devour Odin on this last night
Ragnarök - the end of our world
But Vidarr took revenge before the end draws near
All life passes, even this last heroic deed
Before the earth, in flames, perishes with its woes
Loki and Heimdall kill each other eye for eye
Ragnarök - the end of our world
Abbath - Fenrir hunts
Lyrics
Rank and file of Legions vile form their battle lines
Clad in armour black as night Northern Darkness sines
Banners raised skin of slaves slap in Vanir's breeze
Seidmen cut rune wards deep Hel thaws all shall freeze.
Release the flood a rampant tide of blood
Will fill this black lagoon
Warriors weened on gore and gruel must heed
The carrion call of doom.
Pack Master! Unleash the Reavers eager for rapine.
Emerge from lair of ice and gneiss cave and ravine.
Vulpine scouts, winter-lean, scent meat on ripe spore
A feast awaits the frenzy of rabid fang and claw.
Volcanic shores bleed a gush of iron ore
From ashes Death will bloom.
Howl for Hel Voracious Dogs of War.
Fenrir hunts Snaps jaws of doom.
Skills to hone, swords to whet to keen edge damascene.
Spear tip to taper, arrow fletch, hammerhead to clean
In spleen.
Shield to boss, helm to crest, battle axe to grind
Wound to stitch, gut to void, Berzerker-rage to blind.
Sick mind.
Beneath a shroud of bludgeoned sky
We tread the dust on corpse-strewn roads.
Hum laments of requiems
Half-remembered odes
Of orphaned brats, weeping widows.
We march to crack of thunder Ragnarok in our eyes
To drumbeat of the Damned we salute your sacrifice
We march for love of slaughter drunk on wine of blades
We fight for eternal night until the End of Days
Release the flood a rampant tide of blood
Will fill this black lagoon.
Warriors weened on gore and gruel must heed
The carrion call.
Volcanic shores bleed a gush of iron ore
From ashes Death will bloom.
Howl for Hell Voracious Dogs of War.
Fenrir hunts Snaps jaws of doom.