Fenrir Sightings
- Thorwald's Cross 1000 - 1200
It may be just a rock, but it tells a story. Etched on one side is Odin with his foot in a wolf's mouth. On the other, Christ defeats Satan. These parallel Christian and Pagan stories make this stone "syncretic"—a combination of traditions from both religions.
- Poetic Edda 1100 - 1200
Fenrir's first appearance in this collection of anonymous Old Icelandic poems comes at the end—the end of the world, that is. A wise woman called the Völuspá predicts that Fenrir will kill Odin during Ragnarök. Sorry, Odin.
- Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson 1220
The prophecies that Fenrir will wreak havoc during Ragnarök cause him lots of trouble as a young'un. The gods decide to chain him up, but he's too smart for them. It takes three fetters and Týr's loss of a hand before they finally get the job done. It still doesn't work, though: Fenrir still manages to kill Odin and to produce wolf-pups who swallow the sun and moon. What can we say? Destructiveness runs in the family.
- "Om Fenrisulven og Tyr" by Adam Goetlob Oehlenschlager 1819
This lyric poem about the binding of Fenrir was written by a guy who was kind of a big deal in Danish Romanticism—he was even crowned the "King of Nordic Poetry" in 1829. So we were surprised that we weren't able to find an English translation. (If you find one, let us know.) Anybody speak Danish?
- Journey into Mystery #114 & ff (Marvel Comics Universe) 1965
The comic-book version of Fenrir is kind of like a cross between a werewolf and a vampire. He can take on the human appearance of his last victim, and he grows stronger as he eats more people. That's a good thing, because Fenrir has more enemies here, including Beta Ray Bill and the Incredible Hulk.
- Yu-Gi-Oh!, the Card Game 1999
Fenrir has red eyes and long claws in his incarnation as a playing card. In this dueling game, he's an "effect monster," meaning that playing with him makes something bad happen to your opponent. We're guessing the one-handed Týr would agree.
- Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children 2005
Fenrir is the name of a gray wolf that follows the hero around in this CGI film version of the popular role-playing game. But this wolf seems to be just an ordinary wolf, or maybe, as fans claim on the wiki, a symbol of the hero's "loneliness and his guilt for the deaths of two of his greatest friends" (source.)
