In Norse mythology, there was a wolf so terrifying that the gods believed his very existence threatened the world.

His name was Fenrir.

Born to Loki and the giantess Angrboỗa, Fenrir was raised among the gods of Asgard. But as the young wolf grew, so did their fear.

Prophecies warned that he would one day bring destruction to the gods themselves.

Only the god Týr had the courage to approach him and feed him.

The others began plotting how to bind him.

First, they brought Fenrir a mighty chain called Læningr, challenging him to test his strength.

The wolf broke it.

Then came Drómi, a chain twice as powerful.
He shattered that too.

Finally, the gods turned to the dwarves, who fashioned Gleipnir, a binding made from six impossible things, including the sound of a cat’s footsteps and the roots of a mountain.

It looked like nothing more than a delicate ribbon, Fenrir was no fool.

He suspected deception and demanded that one of the gods place a hand inside his mouth as a promise of good faith.

Only Týr stepped forward.

When Fenrir discovered he could not escape, he bit down, taking Týr’s hand.

The gods had succeeded but their victory came at the cost of a broken trust.

Bound until Ragnarök, Fenrir would eventually break free and fulfil the prophecy the gods had feared all along, swallowing Odin during the final battle and maybe that is what makes his story so haunting.

Fenrir was feared for what he might become, restrained before he had committed the destruction foretold of him.

The gods believed they were protecting their world but the wolf experienced their protection as betrayal.

His story leaves us with an uncomfortable thought.

Sometimes, in trying desperately to prevent a terrible future, we help create the very thing we fear.