FENRIR, in Norse mythology, the offspring of Loki (the evil genius) and Augur boda (anguish-boding), a giantess from .JOtunheim. Loki had a legitimate wife, Sigyn; but with Angurboda he became the father of three monsters: 1. The wolf Fenrir; 2, the 'Midgard Serpent; 3, the Goddess of Death, whose name is Hell (the English word " hell ' is of similar derivation). The wolf Fenrir was bred among the gods, but only Tyr had the courage to give him food, When the gods saw how much he increased daily, and remembered that the predictions were that he was destined to be their destruc tion, they endeavored to chain him. But he easily broke the first two chains. Then they made a third. It vas composed of the sound of a cat's footsteps, a woman's beard, the roots of a mountain, a fish's breath, and a bird's spittle. Fenrir suspected some trick in this, and he said: " If ye bind me so fast that I cannot free myself again, I am well convinced that I shall wait long to be released by you. I am,Therefore, not at all desirous to let the cord be fastened upon me. But rather than that ye shall accuse
me of want of courage, let one of you place his hand in my mouth as a pledge that there be no guile in the ease." The gods hesitated, but finally Tyr put his hand in the wolf's mouth, and the wolf in his vain struggles to break the chain bit off the hand. Fenrir could not break the magic chain, and became a captive to the gods until Ragn rock—the end of time—comes. Fenrir will then break loose, his upper jaw will touch heaven, his nether jaw the earth; fire will blaze from his eyes and nostrils. In the tremendous tumult which precedes the general dissolution, the wolf will swallow Odin (father of gods), and sp cause his death. But at the moment will come Vidal., the silent god, who wears a. wonderful shoe made from shoe-parings since time began.
With that shoe he will hold down Fenrir's lower jaw, and with his hands tear off the upper jaw, and thus will the monster wolf be slain.