Gleipnir

"When you bind the beast, spare no loose ends. The cord will stretch or shrink to fit your needs... The more you tighten the cord, the stronger it will hold and the greater it will hurt, 'til the beast is rooted to the ground."

―Ivaldi telling Odin how Gleipnir functions

Glepnir was a device crafted by the Isu dwarven blacksmith Ivaldi at the request of the Æsir leader Odin. Its purpose was to subdue and contain Loki's bastard son Fenrir while harming him to discourage resistance.

Owners

• Ivaldi (? – ?)
• Odin (? – ?)
• Fenrir (? - 75,000 BCE) (involuntarily)

Mythology

In Norse mythology, Gleipnir was a chain used to bind the wolf Fenrir. Described in the Prose Edda as being thin as silk yet stronger than iron, it was forged by a team of dwarven blacksmiths in their homeland Niðavellir using the sound of a cat's footfall, a woman's beard, a mountain's roots, a bear's sinews, a fish's breath, and a bird's spittle. Despite Gleipnir's legendary strength, Fenrir was still fated to break the chains when Ragnarök came, and would seek and devour Odin in revenge for his years-long captivity.

History

Sometime during the Isu Era, the leader of Asgard found out through the calculations that Loki's bastard son Fenrir would kill him in Ragnarök. Searching for a way to survive, he commissioned the captive blacksmith Ivaldi to forge a device strong enough to bind Fenrir for good. The dwarf said he could create such a device, but would need certain near-impossible materials to craft with, though Odin easily acquired them. Ivaldi started forging the device as Odin went to Jotunheim in search for a way to survive the wider coming apocalypse.

Returning to Asgard from his travels afar, Odin was met by Ivaldi at the teleport junction in Heimdall's Tower. Having completed the device, Ivaldi gifted it to Odin and explained how it was used. The one-eyed Isu gave his thanks to his blacksmith and agreed to let him go, much to Ivaldi's surprise. The two then parted ways and the dwarf eventually left the shore of the realm to return to his homeland of Svartálfaheimr.

Fenrir bound by Gleipnir

Travelling to the island of Lyngvi where Týr was guarding Fenrir, Odin decided to manipulate Týr into convincing Fenrir that the device was not harmful. The two Isu then entered the prison, with Týr coaxing its captive to come out. Together, Odin and Týr claimed that the technology they had with them would allow Fenrir to walk freely in Asgard by serving as a beacon to other Asgardians that he could not harm them. However, as Fenrir had been severely beaten by Odin before being imprisoned, he was highly distrustful of their words.

Unaware of Odin's trickery, Týr sought to prove the truth of their sayings and put his right hand forward, offering his arm in compensation if they were being untrue. Odin put the device on Fenrir, binding him to the ground, though Týr lost his arm in the struggle when Fenrir severed it on realizing he had been tricked. The two Isu then walked away, leaving Loki's son bound in prison until the Great Catastrophe struck.

Behind the scenes

In the mythology arcs of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Glepnir is depicted as a golden cord, though it is unknown if the actual Isu device used by Odin was a cord or if its depiction is due to Eivor Varinsdottir's cultural upbringing mixing with her memories inherited from Odin.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
  • Dawn of Ragnarök (indirect mention only)
• Echoes of History (mentioned only)
• The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (mentioned only)