Fenrir

Fenrir, also known as Fenrisúlfr ("Fenrir's wolf"), Hróðvitnir ("fame-wolf"), and Vánagandr ("monster of the River Ván"), is a legendary wolf figure in Norse mythology. Central to the apocalyptic events of Ragnarök, Fenrir is destined to devour Odin himself during the final battle that leads to the destruction of the world.

Born to the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboða, Fenrir is sibling to both Hel, ruler of the underworld, and Jörmungandr, the world serpent. His own offspring include the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson.

The gods, foreseeing the danger Fenrir posed as he grew to enormous size, attempted to bind him. After two failed attempts with conventional chains, they commissioned the dwarves to forge a magical fetter called Gleipnir. Made from impossible elements (including the sound of a cat's footfall and a woman's beard), this ribbon-like binding finally secured the wolf. During this binding, the god Týr sacrificed his right hand, which Fenrir bit off when he realized he had been deceived.

Fenrir remains bound until Ragnarök, when he will break free to join the giants' assault against the gods. Following his prophesied killing of Odin, Fenrir will meet his own end at the hands of Víðarr, Odin's son, who will avenge his father by ripping apart the wolf's jaws.

This fearsome creature appears throughout the medieval Norse literary tradition, including the 13th-century compilations of the Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, and Heimskringla. Artistic depictions of Fenrir have been found on various archaeological objects from the Norse world.