Fenrir
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: Fenris
In Scandinavian mythology the wolf of Loki (<?.v.). He was the brother of Hel (tf.v.), and when he gaped one jaw touched earth and the other heaven. In the Ragnarok he swallows the sun and con- quers Odin; but being conquered by Vidar, he was cast into Niflheim, where Loki was con- fined.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Fenrir” mean?
In Scandinavian mythology the wolf of Loki (<?.v.). He was the brother of Hel (tf.v.), and when he gaped one jaw touched earth and the other heaven. In the Ragnarok he swallows the sun and con- quers Odin; but being conquered by Vidar, he was cast into Niflheim, where Loki was con- fined.
Is “Fenrir” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.