The Wolf
the Æsir brought up at home, and Týr alone dared go to him to
give him meat. But when the gods saw how much he grew every
day, and when all prophecies declared that he was fated to be
their destruction, then the Æsir seized upon this way of
escape: they made a very strong fetter, which they called
Lædingr, and brought it before the Wolf, bidding him try his
strength against the fetter. The Wolf thought that no
overwhelming odds, and let them do with him as they would. The
first time the Wolf lashed out against it, the fetter broke;
so he was loosed out of Lædingr. After this, the Æsir made a
second fetter, stronger by half, which they called Drómi, and
bade the Wolf try that fetter, saying he would become very
famous for strength, if such huge workmanship should not
suffice to hold him. But the Wolf thought that this fetter was
very strong; he considered also that strength had increased in
him since the time he broke Lædingr: it came into his mind,
that he must expose himself to danger, if he would become
famous. So he let the fetter be laid upon him. Now when the
Æsir declared themselves ready, the Wolf shook himself, dashed
the fetter against the earth and struggled fiercely with it,
spurned against it, and broke the fetter, so that the
fragments flew far. So he dashed himself out of Drómi. Since
then it passes as a proverb, 'to loose out of Lædingr,' or 'to
dash out of Drómi,' when anything is exceeding hard.
"After
that the Æsir feared that they should never be able to get the
Wolf bound. Then Allfather sent him who is called Skírnir,
Freyr's messenger, down into the region of the Black Elves, to
certain dwarves, and caused to be made the fetter named
Gleipnir. It was made of six things: the noise a cat makes in
foot-fall, the beard of a woman, the roots of a rock, the
sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a
bird. And though thou understand not these matters already,
yet now thou mayest speedily find certain proof herein, that
no lie is told thee: thou must have seen that a woman has no
beard, and no sound comes from the leap of a cat, and there
are no roots under a rock; and by my troth, all that I have
told thee is equally true, though there be some things which
thou canst not put to the test."
…
Then the
Æsir went out upon the lake called Ámsvartnir, to the island
called Lyngvi, and summoning the Wolf with them, they showed
him the silken ribbon and bade him burst it, saying that it
was somewhat stouter than appeared from its thickness. And
each passed it to the others, and tested it with the strength
of their hands and it did not snap; yet they said the Wolf
could break it. Then the Wolf answered: 'Touching this matter
of the ribbon, it seems to me that I shall get no glory of it,
though I snap asunder so slender a band; but if it be made
with cunning and wiles, then, though it seem little, that band
shall never come upon my feet.' Then the Æsir answered that he
could easily snap apart a slight silken band, he who had
before broken great fetters of iron,--'but if thou shalt not
be able to burst this band, then thou wilt not be able to
frighten the gods; and then we shall unloose thee.' The Wolf
said: 'If ye bind me so that I shall not get free again, then
ye will act in such a way that it will be late ere I receive
help from you; I am unwilling that this band should be laid
upon me. Yet rather than that ye should impugn my courage, let
some one of you lay his hand in my mouth, for a pledge that
this is done in good faith.' Each of the Æsir looked at his
neighbor, and none was willing to part with his hand, until
Týr stretched out his right hand and laid it in the Wolf's
mouth. But when the Wolf lashed out, the fetter became
hardened; and the more he struggled against it, the tighter
the band was. Then all laughed except Týr: he lost his hand.