Læðingr
First Fetter of Fenrir
Norse Mythology
Eiður Eyþórsson, 31st of July, 2026
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The First Fetter of FEnrir
Læðingr is an iron fetter in Norse mythology crafted by the Æsir gods in their attempt to bind the wolf Fenrir. It is the first of three fetters used against Fenrir, preceding Drómi and the magical fetter Gleipnir.
According to Gylfaginning, the gods become increasingly alarmed as Fenrir grows larger each day and because prophecies foretell that he will bring them great harm. They therefore make a very strong fetter, called Læðingr, and ask the wolf to test his strength against it.
Fenrir does not consider Læðingr beyond his ability to break and allows the gods to bind him. The first time he strains against the fetter, it breaks apart, and he frees himself. The failure of Læðingr leads the gods to make a second fetter, Drómi, which is twice as strong. When Drómi also fails to restrain the wolf, Odin sends Skírnir to the dwarfs in Svartálfaheimr to have the magical fetter Gleipnir made.
Although Gylfaginning does not describe Læðingr when it is first introduced, it is later said to be one of the “great iron fetters” (stóra járnfjötra) that Fenrir had previously broken when the gods urge him to test the seemingly fragile Gleipnir.
Læðingr is mentioned only in Gylfaginning and is also preserved in the proverbial expression leysa ór Læðingi (“to be released from Læðingr”), which, together with drepa ór Dróma (“to break out of Drómi”), describes escaping from something overcome only with great difficulty.
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In the Sources
Læðingr is only mentioned in the Prose Edda, in chapter 34 of the section Gylfaginning, which is a part of the Prose Edda, work considered to have been written by Snorri Sturluson in the early 13th century.
“…they made a very strong fetter, which they called Lædingr, and brought it before the Wolf, bidding him try his strength against the fetter. The Wolf thought that no overwhelming odds, and let them do with him as they would. The first time the Wolf lashed out against it, the fetter broke; so he was loosed out of Lædingr.” [1a]
Gylfaginning, XXXIV.
“þeir gerðu fjötur allsterkan, er þeir kölluðu Læðing, ok báru hann til úlfsins ok báðu hann reyna afl sitt við fjöturinn, en úlfinum þótti sér þat ekki ofrefli ok lét þá fara með sem þeir vildu. En it fyrsta sinn, er úlfrinn spyrnði við, brotnaði sá fjöturr. Svá leystist hann ór Læðingi.” [2a]
Gylfaginning, 34th chapter.
Later it is mentioned in connection to Drómi, the second fetter fashioned by the gods:
“But the Wolf thought that this fetter was very strong; he considered also that strength had increased in him since the time he broke Lædingr.” [1b]
Gylfaginning, XXXIV.
The chapter concludes that the names of the first two fetters gave rise to a proverbial expression:
Since then it passes as a proverb, ‘to loose out of Lædingr,’ or ‘to dash out of Drómi,’ when anything is exceeding hard.” [1c]
Gylfaginning, XXXIV.
The last, but not the least of the mentions sheds light on the material the gods used to make both Læðingr and Drómi.
“Then the Æsir answered that he could easily snap apart a slight silken band, he who had before broken great fetters of iron,” [1d]
Gylfaginning, XXXIV.
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References
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