A Brood of Monsters
In the land of the giants, Loki took the giantess Angrboda as a lover, and with her he fathered three fearsome children: the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jörmungandr, and the half-living Hel. Each was a creature of dread, and together they carried within them the seeds of Ragnarök.
When the gods learned through prophecy that these children would one day bring them great harm, they resolved to deal with each in turn. Odin had them brought to Asgard so their fates could be decided before they grew too strong to control.
Yet no measure the gods took could truly undo what was foretold. Cast down, bound, or set to rule the dead, each of Loki's children waited for the day the old order would fall, and their part in its ending was already written.
The Three Children
Fenrir the Wolf
A wolf that grew so vast and fierce the gods dared not let him run free. They bound him with the magical fetter Gleipnir until Ragnarök, when he will break loose and devour Odin.
Jörmungandr the World Serpent
Odin cast the serpent into the ocean, where it grew so long it encircled all of Midgard and grasped its own tail. It is Thor's destined foe at the end of days.
Hel, Ruler of the Dead
Half living woman and half corpse, Hel was cast down into the misty underworld and given dominion over all who die of sickness and old age.
Loki's Other Offspring
Loki's strange parenthood did not end there. Taking the shape of a mare to lure away a giant's stallion, he later bore the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, which he gave to Odin. With his wife Sigyn he also had two sons, Narfi and Nari, whose fate would become part of Loki's own terrible punishment.
Sources and Related Tales
The children of Loki are described in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda and in the Poetic Edda. Their fates weave through many of the greatest Norse myths, above all the prophecy of Ragnarök.
Quick Facts
The Monstrous Three
Fenrir
The bound wolf
Jörmungandr
The World Serpent
Hel
Ruler of the dead
The Gods' Answer
Fenrir bound with Gleipnir.
Jörmungandr cast into the sea.
Hel sent to rule the underworld.
Themes & Symbolism
Fate Cannot Be Escaped: The gods' efforts only set the stage for the doom they feared.
Chaos Within the Order: The trickster's brood grows at the very heart of the cosmos.
Doom Foretold: Each child is a spark of the fire that will one day consume the world.