The gods tried twice with iron chains — finally bound by Gleipnir, forged by dwarves from six impossible things.
Loki fathered three monstrous children with the giantess Angrboða in Jotunheim: the great serpent Jörmungandr, the half-dead girl Hel, and the wolf Fenrir. When the gods learned of them, Jörmungandr was cast into the ocean. Hel was sent to rule the dead. But Fenrir was kept in Asgard — and he grew with terrifying speed.
The gods remembered the prophecy: at Ragnarök, Fenrir would swallow Odin. They decided to bind him while they still could.
They forged a great iron chain called Leyðingr and challenged Fenrir to test his strength against it. He snapped it on the first effort. They built Drómi, twice as strong. He shook himself once and broke it apart.
The gods sent to the dwarves of Svartalfheim, who forged Gleipnir — a ribbon made from six things that do not exist: the sound of a cat's footfall, 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. Because these things do not exist, they cannot be broken.
Gleipnir looked like soft silk. Fenrir was suspicious: if it was so light, it must be treacherous. He agreed to be bound only if one of the gods placed a hand in his mouth as a pledge of good faith. Only Týr was willing. He placed his right hand between Fenrir's jaws.
The gods bound Fenrir with Gleipnir. He strained and struggled, but the ribbon held — and tightened with each effort. When Fenrir understood he had been tricked, he bit off Týr's hand at the wrist.
The gods bound Fenrir to a great rock with a sword propped in his jaws. He lies there still, howling, until the day of Ragnarök when the bonds will finally break.
The gods remembered the prophecy: at Ragnarök, Fenrir would swallow Odin. They decided to bind him while they still could.
They forged a great iron chain called Leyðingr and challenged Fenrir to test his strength against it. He snapped it on the first effort. They built Drómi, twice as strong. He shook himself once and broke it apart.
The gods sent to the dwarves of Svartalfheim, who forged Gleipnir — a ribbon made from six things that do not exist: the sound of a cat's footfall, 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. Because these things do not exist, they cannot be broken.
Gleipnir looked like soft silk. Fenrir was suspicious: if it was so light, it must be treacherous. He agreed to be bound only if one of the gods placed a hand in his mouth as a pledge of good faith. Only Týr was willing. He placed his right hand between Fenrir's jaws.
The gods bound Fenrir with Gleipnir. He strained and struggled, but the ribbon held — and tightened with each effort. When Fenrir understood he had been tricked, he bit off Týr's hand at the wrist.
The gods bound Fenrir to a great rock with a sword propped in his jaws. He lies there still, howling, until the day of Ragnarök when the bonds will finally break.