they were profuse
in their thanks to the messenger for the trouble he had given himself;
and taking the wolf with them to the island called Lyngvi, in the Lake
Amsvartnir, they showed him the cord, and expressed their wish that he
would try to break it, assuring him at the same time that it was
somewhat stronger than its thinness would warrant a person in supposing
it to be. They took it themselves, one after another, in their hands,
and after attempting in vain to break it, said, "Thou alone, Fenrir,
art able to accomplish such a feat."

"'"Methinks," replied the wolf, "that I shall acquire no fame in
breaking such a slender cord; but if any artifice has been employed in
making it, slender though it seems, it shall never come on my feet."

"'The gods assured him that he would easily break a limber silken cord,
since he had already burst asunder iron fetters of the most solid
construction. "But if thou shouldst not succeed in breaking it," they
added, "thou wilt show that thou art too weak to cause the gods any
fear, and we will not hesitate to set thee at liberty without delay."

"'"I fear me much," replied the wolf, "that if ye once bind me so fast
that I shall be unable to free myself by my own efforts, ye will be in
no haste to unloose me. Loath am I, therefore, to have this cord wound
round me; but in order that ye may not doubt my courage, I will
consent, provided one of you put his hand into my mouth as a pledge
that ye intend me no deceit."

"'The gods wistfully looked at each other, and found that they had only
the choice of two evils, until Tyr stepped forward and intrepidly put
his right hand between the monster's jaws. Hereupon the gods, having
tied up the wolf, he forcibly stretched himself, as he had formerly
done, and used all his might to disengage himself, but the more efforts
he made, the tighter became the cord, until all the gods, except Tyr,
who lost his hand, burst into laughter at the sight.

"'When the gods saw that the wolf was effectually bound, they took the
chain called Gelgja, which was fixed to the fetter, and drew it through
the middle of a large rock named Gjoell, which they sank very deep into
the earth; afterwards, to make it still more secure, they fastened the
end of the cord to a massive stone called Thviti, which they sank still
deeper. The wolf made in vain the most violent e