The bound monster is an important motif in Norse mythology. The theme is that of an enemy of the

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...

who is bound or restrained in some way but destined to break free during the time of Ragnarök to cause destruction. This pattern applies particularly to Loki and his three children by the giantess Angrboda - the wolf

Fenrisulfr Fenrir (Old Norse: ; "fen-dweller")Orchard (1997:42). or Fenrisúlfr (O.N.: ; "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (O.N.: ; "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (O.N.: ; " ...

(or Fenrir),

Jörmungandr In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr ( non, Jǫrmungandr, lit=the Vast gand, see Etymology), also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent ( non, Miðgarðsormr), is an unfathomably large sea serpent or worm who dwells in the world sea, encir ...

(the Midgard Serpent) and Hel, queen of the

underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...

. Loki was bound in vengeance for his role in the death of Baldr, the full version of which tale is found in ''

Gylfaginning ''Gylfaginning'' (Old Norse: 'The Beguiling of Gylfi' or 'The Deluding of Gylfi'; c. 20,000 words; 13th century Old Norse pronunciation ) is the first part of the 13th century ''Prose Edda'' after the Prologue. The ''Gylfaginning'' deals with t ...

''. As Loki struggles in his bonds, his wife

Sigyn Sigyn (Old Norse: "(woman) friend of victory"Orchard (1997:146).) is a deity from Norse mythology. She is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13t ...

holds a bowl over his head to catch the venom that drips continuously from a snake. At Ragnarök he will break free and fight against the gods, battling

Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr) is a god who keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himinbjörg, where the burning rainbow bridge Bifröst meets the sky. He is attested as possessing forekno ...

in a mutually fatal duel. Fenrir, whose role in the final days was revealed through prophecy, was leashed by the gods with a magical fetter created by the dwarfs. He refused to let himself be bound until one of the gods agreed to place a hand in his mouth as a pledge of release. Only Tyr was brave enough to do this, and as the chain tightened around Fenrir, he sensed their deception and bit off the right hand of the god. At Ragnarök, the wolf is destined to break his bond and kill Odin, whose death will then be avenged by the god Vidar. For similar reasons as Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Hel are also considered bound monsters, though in somewhat less apparent ways. The serpent was banished to the outer waters of

Midgard In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term , "inhab ...

where he lay encircling the earth with his tail in his mouth, which in itself is a form of binding. He will rise up from the ocean during Ragnarök when he and

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

will fight one another, resulting first in the death of Jörmungandr followed by that of Thor as he succumbs to the serpent's poison. Hel was likewise banished to

Niflheim In Norse cosmology, Niflheim or Niflheimr (Old Norse: ; "World of Mist", literally "Home of Mist") is a location which sometimes overlaps with the notions of Niflhel and Hel. The name ''Niflheimr'' appears only in two extant sources: ''Gylfaginn ...

, the land of the dead, as its queen. Although she is the ruler of her domain, she is bound by the confines of her realm, and her retaliatory role during Ragnarök will be represented by the

frost giants Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...

and a great army of the dead marching forth under the banner of Loki.

References

*Lindow, John (2001) ''Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs'' (Oxford University Press, ) {{Norse mythology Creatures in Norse mythology Eschatology in Norse mythology Mythological archetypes Mythological monsters Norse mythology

See also

References