Norse Mythology

Wolves and serpents are powerful symbols in Norse mythology. These creatures were important to Viking culture, appearing as recurring motifs in art, ships, and poetry. Wolves are used to symbolize brutality, barbarism, and betrayal. Serpents are a symbol of binding, punishment, and destiny.

The most obvious example of a wolf in Norse Mythology is Fenrir—Loki's monstrous son. The gods fear Fenrir’s power; he grows rapidly, and his strength becomes alarming. They betray Fenrir, binding him in unbreakable bonds. He will escape during Ragnarok and take his revenge. Another example of a wolf is the binding of Loki. The gods turn Loki’s son Vali into a wolf, his mind “replaced by hunger, by anger, by madness” (262). Vali tears his brother Narfi apart and runs off. Narfi’s entrails are used to bind Loki.

Jormungundr is, literally, the largest serpent in Norse Mythology: it encircles the world, bound by swallowing its own tail. The Midgard serpent’s form, the Ouroboros, represents eternity; breaking that form by removing its tail from its mouth, will signal Ragnarok. Another example of a serpent is demonstrated by Loki’s punishment for the murder of Balder. A serpent drips venom into Loki’s eyes, tormenting him until Ragnarok; he is relieved only by his wife catching its venom in a bowl.