The Fenrir Viking Axe (#1759)

The ‘Fenrir’ Viking Axe

*NEW* This is our most recent Norse Viking Axe. We are very proud of this axe. It is light, versatile, beautifully made and most importantly, destructive !  

You can’t read about Norse mythology without coming across the concept of Ragnarök. A catastrophic, world ending conflict, Ragnarök is the pinnacle event of Viking mythology and features in multiple versions of surviving legends. Not only will the world perish in fire as a result of this climactic battle, but multiple Viking gods- including Odin, Loki, Heimdall, Thor, and Tyr – are fated to meet their end. Ragnarök literally means “The Twilight of the Gods,” and the gods have known it is coming for thousands of years.

Besides the Norse gods we know and love, other figures feature in this legend. One is the Midgard serpent Jörmungandr, who threatens to Devour the world and is killed by Thor – though the god of thunder loses his life as a result. Another character who appears that plays a role of great importance is Fenrir, the Great Wolf and offspring of Loki, who is fated to bring catastrophe upon the world.

In the Norse writings Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Fenrir’s place in the final days are described. A prophecy given to the Gods describes how Fenrir would devour the Sun, beginning Ragnarök, and slay Odin himself – which should be an indication of how deadly the creature is. In chapter 25 of the Prose Edda Fenrir is lured by the Gods into a trap designed to prevent him from beginning Ragnarök. Fearing Fenrir’s growing strength and seeking to delay the beginning of the Twilight of the Gods, the gods praised Fenrir’s great strength and invited him to test it against some magical bindings they had designed. While he broke the first two with ease, Fenrir distrusted the Gods and when the third binding was brought to him would only submit to test it should one of the gods place their right hand into his jaws. Only Tyr was brave enough to do so, and when the third binding prove to be unbreakable Fenrir bit down and took the god’s hand. Ever after Tyr would go one handed, and Fenrir remains bound until the ending of the world.

Despite the fact that Fenrir is according to myth currently unable to harm the gods or the world, the future that awaits us should this great wolf escape is far from ideal. Fenrir will have grown to great size and ferocity in his captivity, his upper jaw touching the sky and his lower jaw reaching to the Earth. After devouring the sun and the father of the gods, Fenrir will only be defeated when Odin’s son Vithar – god of vengeance – grips the wolf’s jaws and rips him in half with all the strength of his rage and grief. The Earth will appear once again, joined by the surviving gods and two humans who will repopulate the world. Rising in the east, the daughter of the sun will take her place in the sky to give the world light and lead it into a future free of war and pain.

The Darksword Armory Fenrir axe is inspired by this dark yet hopeful tale. Unlike our shorter axes this is a true war axe, nearly 4 ft from end to end. The hardwood handle is extended to provide extra reach and torque for powerful, helmet splitting blows. Leather wrap on the mid-handle improves the grip, while the tapered end of the handle creates a comfortable place for extending the reach of the weapon. The head of the axe is carefully inscribed with the visage of a ferocious wolf depicted with Norse knotwork, certainly one of our most beautiful axe designs. The steeply dropping edge of the bearded axe head creates a cutting edge nearly a foot long, which went backed by the significant weight of the weapon is truly fearsome. By bringing this axe into your home, you bring a piece of legend with it – while we sit and wait for the sun devourer, it will surely keep you safe.

Total Length : 47”
Viking Axe head (width): 9”
Viking Axe head (height) 12” long
Weight: 4 lbs. 12 oz.