Odin knew enough of the future to know that one of the Aesir would prove a traitor, and no one proved to be more likely than Loki, since he was born as a giant. While sitting on Lidskialf, looking over the world, Odin spied far into the land of Jotunheim, and saw Loki playing with three monsters. Odin immediately summoned Loki, and questioned him about the event. The sly Loki evaded the severe tone of Odin's voice, and told Odin that he had fallen in love with a giant called Angerboda, and together had given birth to three strange children.

Odin reproached Loki for his relationship with the giants, and summoned his three children to Asgard. The three children came, Hel, Jormungand the serpent and Fenris the wolf. Not wishing to kill them and by so bringing Ragnarok forth, Odin sent Hel down to be the Queen of the underworld. He threw the serpent into the sea where he grew until he encircled the world, to become known as the Midgard serpent. Then he set about to the task of binding the giant wolf, Fenris, whom he knew was destined to kill him.

The Aesir made a strong chain called Laeding. They then got Tyr to challenge Fenris to break the chain. Fenris just sneered at the chain, and took up the offer willingly, after which he broke the chain into a thousand pieces, which came falling onto the ground. The seond chain was Dromi, which similarly was offered to Fenris, and which was broken with much ease, on the part of the giant wolf.

Realizing they were unable to make a chain strong enough to hold Fenris, the Aesir turned to the dwarves, who agreed to make them a chain. They created a light and soft chain, Gleipnir, made of impalpable things such as the sound of a cat's footstep, the beard of a woman, the roots of a rock, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish and the spittle of a bird. They then went to try Fenris one more time.

Sensing dark magic with Gleipnir, Fenris refused to be bound by the chain unless someone put his hand in his open mouth as a pledge of good faith. Tyr bravely stood forward and offered himself. They then set about to the binding.

However Fenris struggled, the chain did not break, but it only grew stronger and tighter around him. Realising he was finally bound, the Aesir laughed with joy and relief, all except Tyr, who had lost his hand.

They bound the Wolf around solid rock and drove it deep into the earth. Thor placed a sword in his mouth to stop him from biting and howling. There he would lie bound, until the day of Ragnarok.

Next: Forging the Treasures >>