Fenrir (or the Fenris Wolf) was a monster born from the trickster god Loki, along with the demoness Hel and Jormungandr the serpent. Destined to kill Odin at the end of the world (Ragnarok), Fenrir was at first kept as a pet of the gods and raised by them, though only Tyr was not afraid of him.

When the wolf began to grow too large and powerful, the gods devised a plan to bind the wolf. They told Fenrir he would be famous if he could break the chains they made for him, and he did break the first two chains. But the third chain was magic, so Fenrir demanded a hostage and Tyr volunteered to place his hand in the wolf’s mouth so that he could be bound. When the magic chain proved strong enough to bind the wolf, Fenrir bit off Tyr’s hand rather than let him go free unharmed.

In the novel Freya the Huntress, Fenrir was a legendary wolf monster that was bound by Woden and bit off Tyr’s hand before being imprisoned deep in the earth. When the fox demon plague breaks out, the largest of these “reavers” is believed to be Fenrir himself having escaped from his cage under the mountains. Of course, the truth is far more complicated and far more horrific.

Tyr was the ancient Germanic god of battle and glory, and he was the king of the gods, possibly predating the two clans of the Aesir and Vanir, but he was probably one of the Aesir (a sky god of war and death). The most important story about Tyr is about Fenrir, the demon wolf. The gods were unable to kill Fenrir, so Odin made a chain to shackle him, but the wolf would only agree to this if he had a hostage. Tyr agreed to be the hostage and put his right hand in the wolf’s mouth. When the chain proved strong enough to hold the wolf, Fenrir bit off Tyr’s hand. This injury meant Tyr was no longer physically fit to command the gods and made way for Odin to become king. But Tyr remained a respected deity of justice.

In the novel Freya the Huntress, “Bloody” Tyr was a violent god of war who reveled in killing and terrified the other gods and humans. During the battle with Fenrir, Woden seized the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. He shackled the wolf’s jaws shut around Tyr’s arm, forcing the king to lose his hand and thus allowing Woden to replace him.

Fun fact: The word “Wednesday” is derived from “Woden’s Day”.

Odin, as portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in THOR

He rides an eight-legged horse and has a pair of wolves, a pair of ravens, and a magic spear. To master the runes and magic, he sacrificed himself on a tree for nine days and nights. He also sacrificed one of his eyes for wisdom. He is often depicted as an old man with a wide-brimmed hat (to hide his missing eye) who travels the world telling tales and playing riddle games. (He was the archetype for the wizard Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.) Odin was also unique for his mastery of magic, which was considered the domain of women.

In the novel Freya the Huntress, Woden is the king of the Yslander gods, one principally concerned with death and magic. The witches, or “valas”, appeal to Woden for wisdom and guidance. Legend tells that Woden sacrificed himself on the island of Delver to gain wisdom, and that he battled with the ravens for their knowledge of the runes. He also made war on the demons of the earth so that humans could live in Ysland.