Fenriswolf
The Fenriswolf (also Fenrir , Fenrisúlfr , nickname Hróð (rs) vitnir ) is the first child of the god Loki and the giantess Angrboda in Norse mythology before Hel and the Midgard serpent . Other siblings are Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir , Narfi and Vali .
etymology
Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse: fen for "swamp") literally means "swamp wolf". Other names for him are: Fenrir , who lives in the swamp, Vángandr , monster on the river Ván or Hróðvitnir , the famous wolf ( vitnir is a kenning for wolf. This refers to the idea that witches ride on wolves and goes to the Old Norse Word vitt "sorcery, witchcraft" back).
The Fenris Wolf in Asgard
The gods saw the threat posed by the Fenris Wolf and brought him to Asgard to keep a better eye on him. At first it was a harmless animal, but as the Fenris Wolf grew bigger and stronger every day, the gods felt threatened: They feared it would devour them all. So they decided to tie him up forever. First two heavy chains were made (Läding, the one that binds with cunning, and Droma, the inhibitor), which the wolf easily tore. Now he was to test his strength on the magical fetter Gleipnir , which looked as harmless as a simple thread. But the thread was made by the dwarfs and from the things that don't exist. For example from the tendons of bears, the breath of fish, the beards of women, the saliva of birds, the sound of a cat and the roots of the mountains. The Fenriswolf became suspicious. To protect against fraud, he demanded that one of the gods put his right hand in his mouth. Nobody wanted to give up for it except Tyr . Fenris was handcuffed, but the harder he tore the handcuff, the tighter it tightened. He remained handcuffed, but bit off Tyr's right hand. Thus the world of gods was saved and that of all things by the god Tyr, the god of war as well as the assembly of things . He was then called the one-handed Ase (Old Norse einhendr asa ). The giant wolf will only free itself in the time of the world fire, Ragnarök (fate of the gods). He will then devour Odin . Thereupon he was killed by Odin's son Vidar .
Wolves in Norse Mythology
The Fenriswolf should not be confused with the wolves Skalli and Hati , they are his twin sons who chase the sun and moon across the sky and devour them at Ragnarök. This representation can only be found in one source, according to others, Fenrir himself devours the sun at Ragnarök. Geri and Freki are the wolves at Odin's side.
literature
- Rudolf Simek : Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X .
- Leander Petzoldt : Small lexicon of demons and elemental spirits (= Beck's series. Vol. 427). 3. Edition. Beck, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-406-49451-X , p. 74.
- Felix Dahn : Valhalla. Germanic sagas of gods and heroes . Jazzybee Verlag, 2015, ISBN 384969898X .
