THE BINDING OF GLEIPNIR

The gods had failed with Iron; again they failed with brass.
The wolf had broken free of every chain the Aesir had.
He got loose out of Laeding, and Droma snapped in half,
Fenrir destroyed every fetter by the might of his wrath.

Gleipnir, at last,
Was by dark elves cast,
In Svartalfaheim, with strong spells wrought
Unto Odin was by Skirnir brought.

Soft as silk, as light as air, filled with magic power rare,
Stronger than the wolf could know, yet smoother than the finest hair.
Bind the wolf unto the stone and run the chain through the boulder Gjoll
Where he shall stay to writhe in pain until the day of Ragnarok

(Fenrir) “This fetter seems so frail and weak, what glory lies in its defeat?
I suspect foul treachery used in the forging of these bonds.
I do not trust these simple chains, I will not be bound again,
Lest one of you is brave enough to place your fist between my fangs.”

As Tyr stepped up and raised his fist, a sacrifice to the beast,
Between his jowls he placed a hand, the wielder of his sword.
Gleipnir was pulled tight across his legs and the wolf was bound from tail to head
And the god of war lost his hand for the safety of both gods and men

The sound of feline footsteps, the sinews of a bear
The spittle of a bird and a fish’s gasp for air
The beard of a woman and the roots of mountains deep
I know dark elves came to earth and made Gleipnir from these things

And now the spawn of Loki waits for the day he is set free
He knows one day that stone will break and Gleipnir is released
And when he charges onto Vigrid, he searches for his kill
Odin Allfather will be swallowed whole and eaten for a meal
But Vidar will avenge his death, and rip his jaws asunder
The lord of beasts, the Fenris wolf shall torment us no longer!