Gleipnir

In Norse mythology, Gleipnir (Old Norse "open one"[1]) is the binding that holds the mighty wolf Fenrir (as attested in chapter 34 of
the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning). The Gods had attempted to bind Fenrir twice before with huge chains of metal, but Fenrir was
able to break free both times. Therefore, they commissioned the dwarves to forge a chain that was impossible to break. To create a
chain to achieve the impossible, the dwarves fashioned the chain out of six supposedly impossible things:

The sound of a cat's footfall

The beard of a woman
The roots of a mountain
The sinews of a bear
The breath of a fish
The spittle of a bird
Therefore, even though Gleipnir is as thin as a silken ribbon, it is stronger than any iron chain. It was forged by the dwarves in their
underground realm of Niðavellir.

Gleipnir, having bound Fenrir securely, was the cause of Týr's lost hand, for Fenrir bit it off in revenge when he was not freed.
Gleipnir is said to hold untilRagnarök, when Fenrir will finally break free and devourOdin.

Notes
1. Orchard (1997:58).

References
Orchard, Andy (1997).Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2

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