Fenrir - wolf of wolves
Fenrir - wolf of wolves
That the wolves cry out for freedom is understandable; when the sheep join in their cry, they only prove that they are sheep.
Mythen & Learnings
Norse mythology is not only an inexhaustible source of inspiration, but can also help us to better understand our lives today and ourselves. A fresh look at mythology can always tell us something new about our own history, but maybe also about our future. Fenrir, also known as Fenriswolf, is one of the most impressive creatures in the ancient beliefs of the Norsemen and Norse women and has therefore earned number one place in our "EDDA RELOADED" section.
The image of a wolf probably triggers similar emotions and associations in you as it does in most people. A trace of mystical attraction germinates, but something dark, something intangible also resonates. Something that can make one or the other neck shudder. Spooky and beautiful. In order to understand these "mixed" feelings, it makes sense to take a closer look at the beliefs of our ancestral brothers and sisters. In times of myths and legends, human consciousness was still fresh and unused and therefore also original. In this text I will break down the symbolic power of the story and bring the essence into our time so that we can learn from it.
We ask ourselves questions about our own origins, our primal fears and why it might make sense to pay more attention to the inner wolf. So let's not dither and tickle the "Alpha Wolf" in us awake.🔥
Spoiler Alert: Our primal fears can empower us to do great things.
But from the front... Who is this wolf and why can it still play a major role in our self-discovery as a symbol today?
Among all the fabulous and legendary figures of Norse mythology, there is very rarely a figure as imposing as the Fenriswolf. Huge, beastly, clever and cunning, the Fenriswolf embodies all those primal fears that have haunted us as humans ever since. It triggers uneasiness, but also fascination. The gods are so afraid of him that they feed him and keep him close. Fenrir is a sprout from the loins located, who had a fatal affair with the Riesin Angrboda died and fathered two more "monsters" with her. Beside Fenrir she bore the Midgard Serpent Jörmungand and her sister the Goddess Hel. This malign spawn is often referred to as the Triad of Death.
The world of legends
From the day of his birth, the gods feared this creature. Odin had his own dealings with Loki's children. The Midgardschlange he sank to the bottom of the sea, where it grew and grew until it encompassed all the lands of the Lord and could bite its own tail. The sister Whole was banished into exile by Odin, whereupon she created her own realm, which from then on should enter the world as the realm of the dead. But the gods kept Fenrir in Asgard, fearing the wolf might become overpowering and devour the world. Its appearance is described as gigantic and bestial in the Poetic Edda by Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic historian.
When the wolf opened its mouth, it is said that its lower jaw touched the earth while its upper jaw touched the sky. His eyes were pierced with eternal fire and his fur was black as nothing. So the gods raised him in the midst of Asgard and fed the eternally hungry. The wolf continued to grow, it grew almost immeasurably. The bigger the monster got, the stronger and more bloodthirsty it got and so it happened that soon only Tyr, the god of war and battle, felt empowered to feed the wolf. The gods were so concerned that they chose the wolf with the strong bonds Laedingr to calm down. Fenrir, who was cunning and knew his strength very well, allowed himself to be bound without resisting. The result would be a lesson to the gods. As expected, the gigantic wolf tore the binding without even batting an eyelid. But the gods hadn't fallen on their heads either, and so a contest of strength ensued. They brought the twice as strong rope Dromi and tickled the wolf on his ego. He let her go and again his imprisonment had no duration. The chain shattered into a thousand pieces.
The imaginary shackles
In great concern and as a last resort, the gods asked the dwarves to create a magical chain the likes of which the world had never seen before. The dwarves or also dark elves (not clear in the lore), soon made an indestructible chain out of things that do not exist: women's beards, the roots of the mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of the fish and the saliva of the bird. This invisible chain was called Gleipnir. So a last trick of the gods should make it possible to tame the wolf. The wolf, however, had meanwhile become a bit wiser and therefore also more suspicious, but agreed to the devilish deal one last time. On condition that a god would also undergo a test. The beast demanded that if he were to be bound, a god had to have the courage to put his hand in the beast's huge mouth. Only a god dared to volunteer for this dare: Tyr!
The wolf understood very quickly that this time there seemed to be no escape, so he quickly switched gears and bit off the god's hand in a frenzied rampage. It was too late and the gods laughed and celebrated because the wolf was finally under control. A god laughed no more. The more Fenrir braced himself in the chains, the tighter they clamped around his legs and ankles. The gods harnessed the wolf between two mountains until the day of the twilight of the gods.
Another chain called Stop should cement the imprisonment into eternity, because Odin had previously received a dark prophecy from the Norns that had to be averted at all costs. In order to make it impossible for the monster to bite, the gods waited until Fenrir slept and drove a sword through his jaws, making it impossible for the wolf to snap at one of the gods from then on. Since that day, the saliva has flowed freely to the ground and the Wan River has formed from it.
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Fenrir & Ragnarök - A symbol of oppression?
The dark prophecies of The Norn, let Odin act and delay the Norse doomsday as best he could. The prophecy states that the Fenriswolf would one day break his chains and lead mankind to utter ruin. It should be three consecutive winters without a summer over the people Midgards swept in, leading the species to the brink of extinction through famine and war. The prophecies also described a showdown between the Fenriswolf and Odin. Later, Odin's son Further take revenge on the wolf and tear its mouth in two. However, up to this point, Fenrir could swallow anything that came his way. Jörmungandem poisoned the sky with his breath and darkened it. Hel took revenge on her tormentors with an army of the dead. The final game ended in the world fire that of come out was brought to the world.
Ultimately, the wolf devoured the god of gods in one piece, wiping all wisdom from the earth.
Symbolism & Interpretation
So much for mythology... But what can we learn from this story and what symbolic power does it perhaps have for our lives today? In this article we have already teased the unreflected primal fears that lie dormant in almost every human being and we want to shed some light on them by approaching and confronting the nature of the wolf and our associated primal fear impartially. |
Without drifting into esoteric heights and getting lost in political realms, we see some parallels to today's challenges on a social and personal level, which we would like to explain in more detail at this point. It should be said that we make no claim to truth and that our contributions can, but do not have to, stimulate thought. We want to connect puzzle pieces together. |
The wolf as the messenger of darkness
It makes sense to shift our perspective at this point and to get involved with new ideas and possibilities. Let's see the wolf in all its glory, both in the mystified legendary form of Fenrir and the disenchanted version of the pack animal, as it is and as it lives. Where our ancestors suspected the supernatural and the divine in the world structure, we now know that there is a reason for our inner fears and trauma. Before man ruled the world, he lived in a dangerous time, and a healthy dose of caution could prolong one or the other life. The wolf symbolizes the darkness, the shadow and the wild side in us. The depth psychological significance of such legends and myths is not to be despised and the breakdown down to the origin can help us to understand others and ourselves a little better and to practice developing our full potential.🐺
The nature of the wolf is said to have attributes such as boldness, intelligence and endurance, but also hard-heartedness, cunning and unsociable outsiders. In this ambivalence one senses an additional inner turmoil. More or less, these attributes reflect the inner conflict that almost everyone faces in their life and that is known in every culture. It is the battle between evil and good, between light and dark, yin and yang, Odin and Fenrir. Odin, who symbolizes wisdom on earth, and Fenrir, who embodies the brute force of our own being. Man as a hybrid being between animal and spirit. The wolf symbolizes our dark side, which we are only too happy with Gleipnir want to chain to your own subconscious. Best imprison it there and let it disappear into the vastness of nothingness, never to be seen again. According to C.G. Jung and his archetypes here the properties of the dark unconscious and our untameable instinctual nature. And let's not fool ourselves... this instinctual nature is present in all of us, sometimes more or less pronounced, but always there. We have learned to rise above our wits, societal norms and early childhood conditioning over this inner beast and at least rein it in enough to keep its feet still when needed. Respectively to discipline ourselves in the worst case and to dig out the imaginary chains from the closet when the beast is rumbling inside again. Where would we be if everyone always did what they felt like doing?
*Indieanarchy yelling along*
Of course that's not a good idea! Especially in current events it is worth looking at our innermost being in its entirety! Also on the deep gray to black unlit parts of your own fur, i.e. exactly on that part that we like to deny, hide and, as already mentioned, lock away in the worst case. What is certain is that we fare better in the community if we coordinate with each other and shape our everyday life through a consensus of rules and norms. But it is also fairly certain that this uniformity has a high price. Community consensus on diversity? We are currently experiencing something like a rebellion in human diversity. At the same time we are experiencing a decline in natural abundance. A paradox, because we actually had every freedom to learn and to grow in harmony with nature and people. Mother Earth is crying out for help, people are crying out for help, everything is crying out for help. Everything seems somehow decoupled and fake, as if the whole planet were a single crisis area and we were the unsuspecting protagonists in an end-of-time novel...pardon: in another epic tale centered around Ragnarök, of course. As if the current chaos were the Fenriswolf unleashed, in its frenzy unmasking the illusion. Because that's what I think is really happening. The emotions, wishes, dreams that have been suppressed for so long, but also the anger, hatred and every other unpleasant feeling are bubbling under the surface and are already boiling over in some areas. No matter what topic the world seems to be talking about at the moment, the mood of doom is clearly noticeable.
But enough with the pessimism and the misery. Real Vikings don't cry, they find solutions!
In all this hustle and bustle, one can sometimes wish for some grounding in the form of peace, mindfulness, traditions and also old values. Our Viking brothers and sisters lived it. For yourself and your own clan. We feel this desire for origin and live and love it. That is why we live according to a form of paganism that has been adapted to the modern age. There are many sources that can ground us, but we think our own is the best root. We believe that we can learn a lot from our ancestors and their way of life. connectedness instead of separation. cooperation instead of conflict. Proximity to nature instead of eternal economic growth. Of course, a company must also make a profit, but it is legitimate to give back and take responsibility for the whole pack. We take this responsibility! What could better symbolize the connection between man and nature than the world tree? Yeah..nothing...that's what we thought too and that's why you can also read about our environmental awareness in the tab "Yggdrasil".
Awaken the alpha wolf
As already mentioned, it is worth taking a look at the pack leader in the wild. It's often not what you think, and recent studies of packs in their natural habitats paint a different picture than we get in the wild Learned at school and heard in many fairy tales have.
Once upon a time... thus begin the antediluvian horror tales in which the evil big wolf lives out the dark side of the coin to the full and the other lesser-known side is hidden in our fear of him. People who turn into wolves and then can no longer be contained. These ideas have always triggered our primal fears and describe the inner conflict quite well. But heverything... It is not the wolf who acts as a callous killer...man claims it! Of course, a person roaming alone in the woods who is surprised by a pack of wolves will do well to keep quiet and keep a low profile in order to possibly survive. But this behavior of the wolves has absolutely nothing to do with calculated brutality, but with urges such as hunger or wanting to protect the pack for reasons. It is a natural right to want to preserve yourself. There's nothing sneaky behind a snarling wolf. Nothing sinister, insidious. NO!
The wolf is fascinating wildness bundled in a caring pack animal. The routes of the packs form entire river courses and the properties discussed controversially in the media do not even begin to get to the heart of the matter:
Wolves are beings with a strong sense of family and surprisingly complex social behavior, much closer to us than many a primate. There's a reason dogs are considered man's best friend. Even though the monkey may be genetically closer to us, we share similar social structures with the wolf. Weird right? Wolf researchers like Shaun Ellis have clearly shown us this connection and are changing the image of the Grimm wolf permanently. Wolves are caring parents and inherit culture. On top of that! They care for sick and old wolves in a complex hierarchy.
What really defines an alpha wolf
And that brings us to the crux of the matter! Contrary to the opinion of Martin Scorsese, the director of "Wolf of Wall Street", the word "alpha male" has a completely different meaning in human existence than that propagated by Hollywood and sexist advertisements. No alpha wolf in the world would enrich himself at the expense of his own pack and act ruthlessly and wrongly just to put his own goals into practice. The opposite is the case! A pack is only as strong as its weakest link and the leading wolf knows that and surprises with a surprising amount of empathy and patience for the last link in the chain. Alpha wolves therefore have a complex ability from which we could also learn a lot. The wolf researcher Elli Radinger describes this structure in her worldwide bestseller "The Wisdom of Wolves" and in her work creates a completely new picture of the hierarchical structures within the pack. Far from being at the bottom of the pecking order, omegas actually act as peacemakers between alphas and betas. An enormously important job, especially in times of crisis. But of course, hierarchy makes sense and alpha wolves lead the pack against all odds. Modest and purposeful, they take care of the continued existence of their families.
Back to Basic?
Vikings knew about the strength of a leader and in most cases there was not a sliver of peanuts between the leader and the clan. Everything looks a little different today. Shattered relationships between individuals and even entire countries cover the globe. How we think about our nature can be clearly seen on the outside. Highly official is from "Crossroads" and "Transformation" of humanity spoken, sometimes by shift in consciousness. But in order to create awareness, you clearly have to devote yourself to the unpleasant things. Instead of grumbling about how ver*...* bad but everything is, one could start with oneself and concentrate on one's own sphere of action, and that begins first of all around one's own navel. At the beginning of this journey maybe even deeper... inside. In the dungeon where we hold our Fenrir keep it hidden so the world around us doesn't see that we have flaws, urges and also a desire. To keep our "weakness" a secret and not overtly condemned, we turned the Alpha Wolf's value into a frightening monster that no one can touch. We have not only accepted attributes such as callousness, ambition and insidiousness, we have chosen them to be particularly worthwhile goals. Because only those who will stop at nothing can achieve something in this world and only those who show their elbows will reach their goal.
Do these phrases sound familiar to you? Do they haunt your head from time to time? You are not alone in this. It is these beliefs that can show us what we can and must work on together. Because instead of controlling the giant wolf with mental chains and shackles, we feed him all this crap every day and make him more and more powerful. So we achieve the opposite of contentment, cooperation, happiness and empathy. All we can do is make this wolf rage inside and push against the chains with all his might to finally free himself. It probably even makes sense. Because once the wolf is freed, we have no choice and must face it. And who knows, maybe he's wild and impetuous, but maybe he's gentle and genuine and, like his real role model, only bares his teeth to defend his clan and strengthen cohesion. Maybe the wolf is just wolf and not trying to play sheep. Because our problem are not the real ones alpha wolves out there, but all the sheep who want to squeeze into the wrong wolf's clothing to hide from their own inner wolf.
Wie geil ist der denn? Ihr seid der Kracher!
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