Page "Fenrir" Paragraph 34

With this statement, all of the Æsir look to one another, finding themselves in a dilemma.

Everyone refused to place their hand in Fenrir's mouth until Týr put out his right hand and placed it into the wolf's jaws.

When Fenrir kicked, Gleipnir caught tightly, and the more Fenrir struggled, the stronger the band grew.

At this, everyone laughed, except Týr, who there lost his right hand.

When the gods knew that Fenrir was fully bound, they took a cord called Gelgja ( Old Norse " fetter ") hanging from Gleipnir, inserted the cord through a large stone slab called Gjöll ( Old Norse " scream "), and the gods fastened the stone slab deep into the ground.

After, the gods took a great rock called Thviti ( Old Norse " hitter, batterer "), and thrust it even further into the ground as an anchoring peg.

Fenrir reacted violently ; he opened his jaws very widely, and tried to bite the gods.

The gods thrust " a certain sword " into Fenrir's mouth, the hilt of the sword on Fenrir's lower gums and the point his upper gums.

Fenrir " howled horribly ," saliva ran from his mouth, and this saliva formed the river Ván ( Old Norse " hope ").

There Fenrir will lie until Ragnarök.

Gangleri comments that Loki created a " pretty terrible family " though important, and asks why the Æsir did not just kill Fenrir there since they expected great malice from him.

High replies that " so greatly did the gods respect their holy places and places of sanctuary that they did not want to defile them with the wolf's blood even though the prophecies say that he will be the death of Odin.