There are many ancient Wolf legends: the legend of Romulus and Remus and the founding of Rome, the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the story of Peter and the Wolf, and the legend of the Werewolf.  Standing out among these is the Norse myth of birth, death, and resurrection: the legend of Hati and Skoll.

The Legend of Hati and Skoll

Hush now, for it was foretold by the Norsemen ages ago.  The wolves Hati and Skoll chase the sun and the moon across the heavens each day, but it shall not always be so.  The time of the Ragnarok will come, the time of the Gotterdammerung, when the world shall be plunged into a winter as it has never known.  This is the Fimbulvetr.  There shall be three such endless winters, winters of unspeakable cold that will freeze the hearts of men and gods alike, for this is the beginning of the end.  The wolf Skoll shall devour the sun and his brother Hati , the moon.  The world will know no light.  Yet, there is a wolf still more terrible, and he is called Fenrir.

For it shall come to pass, that the Earth itself shall tremble,and all the terrible beings that the gods have imprisoned and fettered within the bowels of Earth shall be freed.  Fenrir shall be freed.  Heimdall shall sound his trumpet summoning the Gods to the final battle.  So great is Lord Odin that he shall engage Fenrir in combat, though he knows his end.  Fenrir shall seize Odin and swallow him up.  Then the blood revenge will swell in the veins of Vidar, Odin’s son.  Vidar shall grab Fenrir by the jaws and with his bare hands rend him in twain.

It is only then that Surt will rain fire upon the Earth, burning all and everything.  In the end the Earth will sink into the sea.  The fires will be extinguished, but all light will be gone from the nine worlds.  The time of the Gods and of men shall pass forever.

Yet, Norsemen comforted their children, assuring them that this is not truly the end, for the world shall be reborn, and a new age will dawn.  It shall be an age of great bounty, where men and gods shall dwell together in peace.  The descendants of Lif and Lifthrasir shall inherit the Earth