Monster
Fenrir
The great wolf of Norse mythology, bound until Ragnarök.
Fenrir (Old Norse: Fenrir, also Fenrisúlfr, 'Fenris Wolf') is the monstrous wolf of Norse mythology, son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða and brother of Jörmungandr and Hel. He was raised among the Aesir gods but grew so terrifyingly large that they bound him with the magical ribbon Gleipnir, forged by the dwarves, with Tyr sacrificing his hand as pledge. Fenrir remains bound on an island until Ragnarök, when he will break free, swallow Odin, and be slain by Odin's son Víðarr. His story is told in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda (Gylfaginning 34, 51).
Quick facts
- Pantheon
- Norse
- Figure type
- Monster
- Period
- Attested in Norse literary sources from the 13th century CE
- Primary sources
- Snorri Sturluson Prose Edda: Gylfaginning 34; Snorri Sturluson Prose Edda: Gylfaginning 51; Poetic Edda: Völuspá 35–36
- Related figures
- loki, tyr, odin, vidar, jormungandr, hel
Binding with Gleipnir
Snorri's Prose Edda (Gylfaginning 34) narrates that the gods, alarmed by Fenrir's rapid growth, tried to bind him twice with conventional iron chains — both of which he snapped easily. They commissioned the dwarves of Svartalfheim to craft Gleipnir, a magical ribbon made from six impossible things: the sound of a cat's footstep, 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. So smooth and soft it seemed harmless; Fenrir refused to allow it unless a god placed a hand in his jaws as a pledge. Tyr volunteered. The ribbon held; Fenrir bit off Tyr's right hand.
Ragnarök
At Ragnarök, Fenrir will break free of his bonds. Snorri (Gylfaginning 51) narrates: 'He will proceed with his mouth gaping: his upper jaw will be against the sky and his lower jaw against the earth, and he would gape even wider if there were room. Fire blazes from his eyes and nostrils.' Fenrir will swallow Odin whole. He will then be slain by Víðarr, Odin's son, who will either set his foot on Fenrir's lower jaw and tear his upper jaw apart, or stab him through the palate with his sword. Víðarr's thick boot (made from scraps of leather that cobblers have discarded) enables him to brace against Fenrir's jaws.
Sources & further reading (2)
- primary-source — accessed 2026-05-06
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-06
Frequently asked questions
What is Gleipnir?
Gleipnir is the magical binding that holds Fenrir, described in Snorri's Prose Edda (Gylfaginning 34). It was crafted by the dwarves of Svartalfheim from six ingredients that do not exist: the sound of a cat's footstep, 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. This is why these things no longer exist in the world — the dwarves used them up. Gleipnir looks like a slender silken ribbon but is stronger than any iron chain. It holds Fenrir on the island of Lyngvi in the lake Ámsvartnir until Ragnarök.
Who kills Fenrir at Ragnarök?
Víðarr, son of Odin, kills Fenrir at Ragnarök, according to Snorri's Prose Edda (Gylfaginning 51) and the Poetic Edda (Völuspá 55). After Fenrir swallows Odin, Víðarr steps forward to avenge his father. He sets his thick-soled boot on Fenrir's lower jaw — the boot has been prepared for this moment from all the leather scraps cobblers have ever trimmed — and tears the wolf's jaws apart. Alternatively, he stabs Fenrir through the palate with his sword. Víðarr is one of the few gods who survive Ragnarök.