The Binding of Fenrir

“The Binding of Fenrir” has become one of the most popular tales in Norse mythology. Fenrir is a large wolf, and the offspring of the god Loki. Fenrir lived with the gods in Asgard, but as Fenrir continued to grow and grow into a monstrously large size, the gods knew he posed too much of a threat to continue his residence in Asgard. So, the gods executed a plot to bind Fenrir and remove him from Asgard.

The gods bound Fenrir with various chains as a test of Fenrir’s strength. Each time, Fenrir answered the challenge and was able to break free of every chain presented to him. However, in secret, the gods sent a messenger to Svartalfheim, the home of the dwarves, master craftsmen who forged a magical binding which could not be broken. They named this magical chain Gleipnir.

When presented with the magical Gleipnir, Fenrir detected something was up, and requested one of the gods place their hand in his mouth as an assurance that this was no trick. Every god refused knowing full well that this would mean the loss of their hand to the mighty Fenrir. Only Tyr, bravest of the gods, was willing to offer his hand to Fenrir.
After being bound by Gleipnir and discovering that he was indeed trapped and unable to free himself, Fenrir took his revenge and bit off the hand of Tyr. The gods promptly hauled Fenrir away to a far away place where he remains until Ragnarok.

The symbolism of the brave Tyr sacrificing his hand to the powerful Fenrir is reflected in this artwork.

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