The myth of The Binding of Fenrir has been written many times by many authors. This is a summary of the version written by Dan McCoy. Fenrir is the most well known wolf of Norse mythology. Fenrir is the son of the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboda, but was raised by the Aesir gods. The gods become concerned by how much Fenrir continues to grow and attempt to bind him. The gods tell Fenrir that they simply wish to test his strength and that the more chains he breaks, the greater his reputation will become. Fenrir breaks several bindings before the gods return with one of unequaled strength. Fenrir becomes suspicious of the gods intentions with the new binding and initially refuses to be bound. The wolf states that he will allow the gods to bind him, but only if one of them will place their hand in his mouth as a gesture of good faith. At first, none of the gods are willing to do so, knowing that they will lose their hand when Fenrir is unable to break free. Finally, the brave god Tyr consents to Fenrir's conditions. As expected, Fenrir devours Tyr's hand once he finds that he is unable to break free. Another chain binding Fenrir is tied to a boulder and a sword is placed in Fenrir's mouth to serve as a gag. The river "Expectation" flows from the wolf's gaping jaws until Ragnarok, when Fenrir is freed and kills the god Odin.
History of the Myth
Norse mythology originated in 13th century Europe, with much of the Norse text primarily being written in Ice Land. Fenrir served as a significant being in Norse mythology, as he played a crucial role in Ragnarok (Norse mythology).
Culture
The story of The Binding of Fenrir speaks to a common theme of the time, that theme being leadership and moral complexity. The gods are aware that should Fenrir be allowed to roam free, he will reek havoc throughout the nine worlds. As leaders, it is their responsibility to prevent such destruction. To do so, however, they are forced to go against their values by lying to Fenrir in order to trick and bind him. The story also attempts to demonstrate that a good leader should be willing to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good of his people, like how Tyr loses his hand in order to bind Fenrir.