Home Philosophy & Religion Ancient Religions & Mythology
Alternate titles: Fenrisúlfr
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fenrir
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other
Our editors will review what you've submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work!
Encyclopedia Mythica - Fenrir
Ancient Origins - Fenrir: The Monstrous Wolf of Norse Legend
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Fenrir - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica | View Edit History
Fenrir, also called Fenrisúlfr, monstrous wolf of Norse mythology. He was the son of the demoniac god Loki and a giantess, Angerboda. Fearing Fenrir's strength and knowing that only evil could be expected of him, the gods bound him with a magical chain made of the sound of a cat's footsteps, the beard of a woman, the breath of fish, and other occult elements. When the chain was placed upon him, Fenrir bit off the hand of the god Tyr. He was gagged with a sword and was destined to lie bound to a rock until the Ragnarök (Doomsday), when he will break his bonds and fall upon the gods. According to one version of the myth, Fenrir will devour the sun, and in the Ragnarök he will fight against the chief god Odin and swallow him. Odin's son Vidar will avenge his father, stabbing the wolf to the heart according to one account and tearing his jaws asunder according to another. Fenrir figures prominently in Norwegian and Icelandic poetry of the 10th and 11th centuries, and the poets speak apprehensively of the day when he will break loose.
The binding of Fenrir.
Dorothy Hardy/Myths of the Norsemen by H. A. Guerber
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.