Grown with each day to giant size,
The serpent soon inclosed the world,
With tail in mouth, in circle-wise;
Held harmless still
By Odin's will."

Valhalla (J. C. Jones).

None too well pleased that the serpent should attain such fearful
dimensions in his new element, Odin resolved to lead Fenris to
Asgard, where he hoped, by kindly treatment, to make him gentle
and tractable. But the gods one and all shrank in dismay when they
saw the wolf, and none dared approach to give him food except Tyr,
whom nothing daunted. Seeing that Fenris daily increased in size,
strength, voracity, and fierceness, the gods assembled in council
to deliberate how they might best dispose of him. They unanimously
decided that as it would desecrate their peace-steads to slay him,
they would bind him fast so that he could work them no harm.

With that purpose in view, they obtained a strong chain named Laeding,
and then playfully proposed to Fenris to bind this about him as a test
of his vaunted strength. Confident in his ability to release himself,
Fenris patiently allowed them to bind him fast, and when all stood
aside, with a mighty effort he stretched himself and easily burst
the chain asunder.

Concealing their chagrin, the gods were loud in praise of his strength,
but they next produced a much stronger fetter, Droma, which, after
some persuasion, the wolf allowed them to fasten around him as
before. Again a short, sharp struggle sufficed to burst this bond,
and it is proverbial in the North to use the figurative expressions,
"to get loose out of Laeding," and "to dash out of Droma," whenever
great difficulties have to be surmounted.

"Twice did the AEsir strive to bind,
Twice did they fetters powerless find;
Iron or brass of no avail,
Naught, save through magic, could prevail."

Valhalla (J. C. Jones).

The gods, perceiving now that ordinary bonds, however strong, would
never prevail against the Fenris wolf's great strength, bade Skirnir,
Frey's servant, go down to Svart-alfa-heim and bid the dwarfs fashion
a bond which nothing could sever.

By magic arts the dark elves manufactured a slender silken rope from
such impalpable materials as the sound of a cat's footsteps, a woman's
beard, the roots of a mountain, the longings of the bear, the voice of
fishes, and the spittle of birds, and when it was finished they gave
it to Skirnir, assuring him that no