Overview
Garmr is a monstrous hound of Norse mythology, a great dog with a chest caked in the blood of the dead. He keeps watch before Gnipahellir, the cave at the entrance to Hel, guarding the road that leads into the realm of the dead.
His baying is one of the dread signs of the coming end. When Garmr howls loose before the cave, it is a warning that the bonds of the world are breaking and that Ragnarök is at hand.
At the last battle, Garmr breaks free and falls upon the god Tyr. The two fight with terrible fury, and in the end each slays the other, the guardian of the dead and the one-handed god of law dying together.
Key Roles
Guardian of Hel
Garmr watches the gates of the underworld, letting the dead pass in but suffering none to leave.
Herald of Ragnarök
His howling before Gnipahellir is a sign that the doom of the gods has begun.
Foe of Tyr
At Ragnarök the hound and the god of law slay one another in a mutual, fatal duel.
Quick Facts
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Habitat
Gnipahellir
The cave at the entrance to Hel, where Garmr keeps his endless, bloodstained watch.