Vánargandr - The Wolf of Hope
So, there's been this thing that has been sitting in the back of my mind for a while: the name of Fenrir. Like most gods in the Nordic pantheon (who have various names, heitis, and kennings in abundance), Fenrir has many names which can give us insight about different aspects we might find in him. This post gets a bit nerdy as we’re looking at words and stuff, but words have meaning. They are powerful and evoke emotion and - especially within our little world of modern Heathenry - names are important. They are descriptive and often tied to some sort of association, which can be both helpful and also often lead to unfortunate pigeonholing.
I should make it clear before we dig in: I'm not against the name "Fenrir" and I'm not suggesting we ditch it, but perhaps I can offer an alternative. I also speculate on the possibility of an historical positive view of an entity who some assholes stuffy reconstructionists deem as a "agent of pure chaos" and whose worship is “inviting bad things into your life.” I’d also like to point out I'm not a linguist or a philologist, and I know Old Norse names are weird and descriptive by nature, but this is just a blog, and I like to read into things way too much.
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| Brock, C. E.. The Binding of Fenrir. From: Keary, Annie, and Liza Keary. The Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology. London: Macmillan and Co. Limited, 1930. [176]. MyNDIR: My Norse Digital Image Repository. Ed. P. A. Baer. 2024. Edition 2.6. Victoria, B. C.: Humanities Computing and Media Centre, University of Victoria. 2024. |
Let's look at the word Fenrir
"Fenrir" is just a shorter version of Fenrisúlfr - "Fenris Wolf". Like many long and complicated names, they get shortened, its easier to remember, and rolls off the tongue better. However looking at the original sources, namely the Codex Regius, we see "Fenrir" as a name mentioned only 4 times: Once in the Voluspa, twice in Vafþrúðnismál, and once in the Lokasenna. We see a lot more mentions in Skaldic poetry and Snorri's Edda, but there is a slight shift of usage here. In these later sources there is a lot more "of Fenrir", "the Fenrir" or "that Fenrir" and is quite often used as a synonym for just "wolf". Words are weird (especially in Old Norse poetry) and deciphering them is hard... but I digress and persevere.
Fenrir is a compound word made up of only 2 parts, but it has its own little challenges. Let's start with the basics:
"Fen" means "bog" or "marsh", so this translates to something like Fen Dweller, or Bog Dweller. Pretty straight forward right?
Well there is an interesting extra "R" in the suffix. Most Norse compound words would have '-ir' on the end, not '-rir' [1].
So perhaps it's actually Fenr-ir. "Fenr" meaning "food" or "fodder", so Fenr-ir would roughly mean "he who feeds himself, feeder, eater". This ends up being a little bit more descriptive (and badass) than just Bog Dweller.
Fenrisúlfr
This name is an extension of Fenrir, translating to "Fenris wolf" or "fen-dwellers wolf". The phrasing here could refer to the wolf as a hamr, or a physical shape or appearance - but, that might be for another post. We will take it as something like "wolf of the fen" or "wolf of the bog" or alternatively "the wolf who feeds himself."
As mentioned above, the phrasing we often see in the sources is often "the Fenrir" or "of Fenrir" and frequently is just referring to a wolf. The interesting bit here is that the term or name Fenrisúlfr doesn't really sound like a name to me, but more of a kenning or heiti, a bit like Miðgarðsormr.Jörmungandr / Miðgarðsormr
Now, for comparison reasons, lets look at his bro, Jörmungandr (also known as Miðgarðsormr) for a minute. Miðgarðsormr is pretty straight forward:
"Miðgarðs" means "midgards/worlds" and "ormr" means "serpent."
So "Worlds Serpent". A descriptive name, much like "Fen Dweller."
"Jǫrmun" means "vast, big" lorge. "Gandr" is a little trickier (recommend reading Eldar-Heide - on the word gand/gandr) but let's accept, for the sake of this blog, that it means "monster, serpent" as it's mostly accepted (and not penis as it can also be translated to. It doesn't mean "huge penis" in this context, I promise).
Jörmungandr loosely means "the vast/big serpent". An apt name.
So, to me, there seems to be a difference here between the usage of "Jörmungandr" and "Miðgarðsormr," so it stands to reason that it's likely a similar case with "Fenrir" and "Fenrisulfr." There is another name mentioned for Fenrir as well that Anthony Faulkes defines as a name of Fenrisúlfr: Vánargandr
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| Faulkes Uppsala Edda |
If we look at Vánargandr, "Vána" meaning "of the river van" and "gandr" - which is tricker and has lots of meanings, but the most agreed upon in this context is "monster."
Thus Vánargand / Vánargandr loosely means "monster of the river Ván" and personally aligns much more with the the usage of Jörmungandr / Miðgarðsormr, with the second being a more description -oriented name:
In addition to that, we see this pairing in kennings for Loki in Skáldskaparmál 48;
Faulkes (Uppsala Edda) - Skáldskaparmál 48:
Hvernig skal kenna Loka? Svá at kalla son Fárbauta ok Laufeyjar, Nálar, bróður Býleists ok Helblinda, föður Vánargands (þat er Fenrisúlfr) ok Jörmungands (flat er Miðgarðsormr) [....]
"How shall Loki be referred to? By calling him son of Fárbauti and Laufey and Nál, brother of Býleifstr and Helblindi, father of Vánargandr, that is Fenriswolf, and of Jǫrmungandr, that is the Miðgarðr serpent [....]"
A Closer Look at "Ván" and Fernrir
The word Ván simply means "Hope" (That was easy enough, more straightforward translations like this please!). The only mention of the River Ván is found in Gylfaginning 34:
"Fenrir 'howled horribly', saliva ran from his mouth, and this saliva formed the river Ván"
How Snorri got here is a mystery for the ages, but it evokes some pretty vivid imagery, doesn't it?
From the mouth of the One Ensnared - confined and restrained, anguished and in pain, his howls echoes of agony and affliction - hope emerges.
So, here we are. The Wolf of Hope.
What Does This All Mean?
I have covered this in Jotun Worship - Historical or Modern? and also briefly touched on this in my post about Hel, but a lot of the discourse around worshipping what we generally classify as Jotuns or Giants is negative. "They are chaos, they are evil, why would you want to bring that sort of thing into your life," sort of discussion. The stuffy recons will also add "there's no historical evidence of worship of Giants or Jotuns so you're doing it wrong". Both are just demonstrably invalid.
I personally know many people who worship deities such as Fenrir and they get comfort, strength and validation from that worship in many ways. Most commonly, however, they get hope from it, the possibility of change. You know what I don't see? People who invite Fenrir - or other such deities seen as "evil", into their praxis and their lives fall apart or the world fucking ends or whatever it is these morons out there suggest might happen. The argument that there's no historical evidence of worship so Fenrir (and others like him) can't be worshipped is stupid. We don't have historical evidence for a whole lot when it comes to what gods where worshipped, but stuck-up, asshole recons only use this argument when it suits them, and it’s never used when the deity in question is not accompanied with the "evil" association. We don’t have much evidence of Baldr being worshiped… and yet these people have no problems with that. Both arguments - that Fenrir is evil, and that because historical evidence of worship doesn’t exist, we shouldn’t worship him now - belong in the bin because they are rubbish.
My humble opinion is that people don't really change. What we have evidence of in regards to the day to day lives of Viking Age Heathens and beyond is a tiny, tiny snippet, a mere fragment. While surviving evidence points to veneration of Thor, Odin, etc, I just can't accept that it is impossible that deities like Fenrir were not worshiped or prayed to. The obvious example would be what we refer to as Ulfheðnar, the mightiest of Odin's wolf warriors: would they not pray or offer to the famed-wolf before battle? I also think that it's not impossible that people who were oppressed, incarcerated, or facing unjustified persecution may have looked to Fenrir and prayed to him as a god of hope. To come out the other side, right the wrongs and see justice through. These aren't just feelings of violence and revenge, but of change, a hope for a different future - not one in chains. Maybe that's why Fenrir and Tyr got along so well, and something something symbolism the hand of justice. Hope is fundamental to justice, and justice is a fulfillment of hope; they are intrinsically linked, just like Tyr and Fenrir.
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| Huard, Louis. Týr Feeding Fenrir. From: Keary, Annie, and Liza Keary. The Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology. London: Macmillan and Co. Limited, 1908. 265. MyNDIR: My Norse Digital Image Repository. Ed. P. A. Baer. 2024. Edition 2.6. Victoria, B. C.: Humanities Computing and Media Centre, University of Victoria. 2024. |
What we can get from this is a positive association. Most people who work with Fenrir already associate him with liberation as the breaker of chains, a being unjustly oppressed who broke free and got revenge against his persecutor. Of course, these are myths, but they were written for a purpose, and perhaps it was to show the strength and determination of the Wolf. Perhaps before these stories were transcribed - many, many years after they were told - there was a message of hope there… because what is the purpose of breaking chains if not to also give hope? Sometimes hope has teeth.
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| By Carl Emil Doepler (1824-1905) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
The Wolf of Hope
Vànargandr, Fenris wolf, fen dweller by name,
Hróðvitnir, Fenrisúlfur, none match your fame.
Fettered to Gjöll's river, tied to the ground,
Until the great Fjalar, calls from their mound.
A flaming heart, a mother's bequest,
Strength ablaze, to mend what is stressed.
An ancestors craft, a father's grand gift,
Inherited cunning, fast and swift.
In Jarnviðr's shadows, where secrets do rove,
A bond and a friendship, flourishes and grows.
The mouth of a river, through teeth all hope flows,
A promise of anchor, as the river Ván slows.
Guiding me through the darkest of hours,
With faith and belief you give me the power.
Vànargand, Vànargand I call out your name,
Wolf of Vàn river, bestow me your flame.
Also check out my prayer to Fenrir here!
For more information on Fenrir, in lore and practice see these videos below:
References
[1] - TAALDACHT - Fenrir
