In Norse mythology, Sköll and Hati are the sons of Fenrir and grandsons of Loki. They’re commonly depicted as having a huge wolf-like head with wide jaws, which they use to eat their prey. It is said that, Sköll and Hati are siblings that chase the sun and moon with their horses, when these creatures catch their prey in the form of the sun and moon, the events leading up to Ragnarök have taken place.
1 Norse Wolves Sköll and Hati Will Sent To This World In Order To Destroy The Sun & Moon
Folklore and religion is fascinating- both ancient and modern cultures have many of their own unique stories and histories that hold meaning beyond what we can understand. Sköll and Hati, are just one such example. Sköll and Hati are two most powerful mythical giant wolves that play an important role in Norse mythology. They are the offspring of Fenrir (The wolf god) and Larnvidia (The immortal giant). Sköll and Hati chase the sun and moon across the sky respectively. Every day, They regularly come close, but usually fail and lastly they will succeed in erasing the sun and the moon, it means the sun and moon’s light will be consumed. Each night, they creep closer to their goal of eliminating the sun and moon. This change will indicate the end of the world, Ragnarok.
Sköll and Hati are the names of a Nordic mythological wolves. Skoll is one of the two most feared creatures in Norse mythology. Whereas Hati is the other creature. Sköll and Hati are two powerful wolves that symbolize destruction and chaos to their world. They never give up in their quest to hunt down the sun and moon. These ferocious wolves are a reminder that even the most powerful beings can be brought down by the unstoppable route of time, in another word even the mightiest beings are not invincible and they too can be destroyed.
In the inception, one day the god of the sun (Sol) and the god of the moon (Mani) receive two enchanted chariots from Odin in order to quickly cross the sky and bring light to the whole world and eventually they bring light. What was surprising to Odin did not seem possible, that the two gods would be very facilely distracted. The sun had a natural inclination to watch the waves collisioning on the rocks in clever view as well as nature in all its forms from the sky. For the moon, some things are always the same, she liked to look at what humans were doing, even if the view wasn’t always pretty.
However, In spite of their actions, the gods were not affected only. Their actions had a great impact ultimately on humans as well. When the sun and the moon were beyond control, they started changing the earth’s course. The day and night became unbalanced as well and which caused people to decide when to sleep or stay awake.
Then, Odin became angry and frustrated, and decided to bully the Sun and Moon gods alongside his enchanted spear. However, knowing that they were their only chance at doing this work well, the two gods did not take his threats seriously. Loki had been searching for a solution to the cycle of night and day. But finally, he found a solution to the problem, Loki went on a journey to meet Sköll and Hati, the son of his son Fenrir, who would help him carry on with the task of pursuing the Sun and Moon. As a bounty, if they managed to catch up with them, then they might be able to eat them.
Starting off quickly, the two wolves proceeded to chase after the gods of the Moon and the Sun. Seeing them in their full pursuit, the gods then noticed that they were in a panic and left immediately, continuing their usual trajectory. This meant that day and night finally resumed its normal cycle.
The story of Ragnarök, which is the end of time, is complicated. According to myths, at the end of time during the event a wolf named Skoll and another named Hati would ultimately grasp the sun and the moon and it’s foretold that they’d devour them, at the same time that the universe becomes cold enough and freeze the hearts of man and gods – kind of like being a vampire. It means this would take place at the same time humanity’s world would become an ice age. Then the world would go dark and there is no more light on earth, that will be the beginning of the end of the world.
2 Like Their Father Fenrir, They are Symbolism Of Both Destruction & Protection
Sköll and Hati have been associated with the aspect of Fenrir through mythology. In Norse mythology, Fenrir (Monstrous wolf) was the son of Loki (Demoniac god) and the offspring of Fenris, were two wolves known as Sköll and Hati. This makes them a part of wolves and deities. They are emblems of both destruction and protection as their father was, in other words they are symbolic representations of both the negative and positive sides.
3 Mother Of Sköll and Hati Were Transformed Into A Female Wolf By Loki
Larnvidia was a giantess who had two children, Hati and Skoll who chased the sun and moon respectively. Larnvidia is the name of a giant that is wedded to Fenrir and mates with him after his father-in-law, Loki, has transformed her into one she-wolf.
4 Sköll and Hati Are Known For Their Different Colors & Respective Interpretations
Skoll and Hati have different colored furs. The colors of Skoll and Hati’s fur is black or red respectively, reminiscent of the cyclical nature of life and death. It means their fur colors are symbolic of how the cycle of life and death continues, one after another. The black and red colors of the two wolve’s (Skoll and Hati) furs in this story, represent death and life respectively. It is considered that this cycle is eternal and portrayed in the endless pursuit of the sun and moon by these two wolves.
Some cultures show that Sköll and Hati are also benevolent beings where they are focused on bringing about balance in the universe and helping peoples. For some other cultures, people see these creatures as dangerous or often described as monstrous creatures and they avoid them as much as possible to avoid a terrible outcome. As a part of myths, these two wolves played an important role in Norse mythology. They’re known for their colors, which have been said to have a powerful meaning.
5From Chaos To Power, They Have Multiple Symbolism In Different Cultures
Norse mythology is filled with important symbols, one of which is the formidable pairing of Skoll and Hati. While they represent destruction and protection in equal parts, it’s important to remember what they show, everything is appended in the cyclic process of life and death. In various ways, The relationship between Skoll and Hati is similar to that of yin and yang (Two Forces). One is always opposite but complementary to the other.
Even though the symbolism of the wolf is present in many cultures around the world, Here are some of them: symbolism of Skoll and Hati.
Eternal cycle of life and death: The two wolves are symbolism of life and death, an eternal cycle that exists in everything. The lasting image is the Skoll and Hati symbol, a reminder to accept the reality of life’s fleeting nature and that everything comes to an end. The scenes to their sides also remind us that everything in life is temporary and that lasts just for a moment, which means the inevitable will eventually come.
It’s a positive reminder of how important it is to live in the present moment and enjoy the good times while they stay, also tell us that we should enjoy our current state of well-being and stay positive when everything seems bad. However, even though the symbol can sometimes be seen as a warning against pursuing after things that are unobtainable or not possible to catch.
Chaos: For anyone with even the slightest understanding of Norse mythology, the titles Skoll and Hati serially meaning “subterfuge” and “aversion”, which also represent the chaotic nature and anxiety vested in every human.
Time: These two giant wolves, sons of Fenrir and Larnvidia, are also symbolism of how the world around us is constantly changing and how time is passing. The pair is constantly pursuing the Moon and the Sun in their sustained motion around the cosmos and Midgard.
Power: Throughout the Viking Age, these two fierce creatures were often used as symbols of chaos and also known for their power and strength. Some Viking tribes were actually scared of the wolves brothers and had nothing but admiration for them. Their ingenuity can be seen in their most iconic piece, the Moon and Sun necklace.
Repugnance: It may be interesting to learn that as stated by Norse mythology, Skoll is also a symbol for Repugnance. In some Asian or Norse myths, the consideration of animals (Dog or Wolf) pursuing the stars or fleeing from them was comprehensive.
6 Skoll Wolf Is The Sun Devourer
Skoll spends his days and nights trying to eat the sun. He pursues Árvakr and Alsvíðr, two horses which pull the chariot that holds the sun through Midgard’s sky.
Skoll wolf would be arrived at Ragnarök and devour the Sun, However, it would pass away in a spectacular eclipse and when he would do this, darkness would fill the world.
7 Hati Wolf Is The Moon Devourer
Hati is a ferocious wolf in pursuit of the moon. Hati is also one of the Managarm wolves along with his brother, Sköll. Hati was maniac to chase the lovely light and pursues god Mani (The Moon), which he will also devour during the end of the era known as Ragnarök.
8 Both Wolves Are 15 Ft Tall & Have Emblems On Their Back
Both wolves are fifteen feet tall at the withers because of their distinctive size. Sköll is a wolf with a black coat with very striking red emblems on his back and including a sun sign on his forehead and glowing red eyes.
While Hati is covered in a plush white coat with blue symbols and a moon on his forehead with striking blue colored eyes.
9 They Are As Powerful As God
These two Norse wolves of sun and moon were similar in many ways, but have earned their names of wolf gods because of their powerful abilities. They had incredible abilities that made them a threat to anybody who dared to cross them.
They possess great speed, their speed is usually similar to that of the gods and thus makes them particularly dangerous. That vulnerability makes their opponents especially susceptible to their fangs and claws.
Despite the fact that Sköll and Hati’s fangs are less powerful than their father’s, their fangs are still enormously hazardous. Sköll and Hati’s claws are incredibly powerful, and they can cut through just about anything. The massive and extremely strong claws of Sköll and Hati make the perfect weapons for fighting.
The dense, hard and protective skin that Sköll and Hati have, offering them good protection from dangerous and powerful attacks, while their long, powerful legs help them to travel great distances without wasting more energy.
10 Why Do People Get Tattoos Of Sköll And Hati?
There are many reasons why people get tattoos. Some people choose to get tattoos of Sköll and Hati for different reasons. But there are several things that can inspire one person or many people to get a tattoo like these.
Many people get tattoos of Sköll and Hati because it has a large number of aesthetic appeal, symbolism, and topical ideas. It is said that the wolves’ features are similar to symbols representative of Yin and Yang, light and dark, the cycle of day and night.
Wolves look awesome, like the sun or moon and their popularity shows in tattoos. They are commonly connected to symbols of independence, loneliness, partnership, pack mentality and fearlessness. People also choose them because they often look fierce, serious and powerful. The sun and moon are recognized as symbols of change, stability, nature, and duality. Sköll and Hati are perfect representations of these traits.
A tattoo of Sköll and Hati can be a way to remember the duality of man. Or the tattoo could provide someone with an artistic reminder of some favorite object from outer space. There’s no one right answer to the reasons for getting a tattoo. The reasons are as varied as the people receiving them.
11 To Sum-up, Sköll and Hati Is The Answer To Unpredictable Day-Night Cycles
The sun and moon deities, Sol and Mani were known to mischievous and easily distracted. Riding across the skies in their horse drawn chariots they would often dawdle, change course, and enjoyed watching the world, people, and nature below which left the day, night cycle wildly unpredictable. Odin’s answer to this then, was to have Skoll chase the Sun, and Hati chase the moon forevermore, ensuring the days and nights would pass as expected, or be devoured by the wolf who followed. For a time, Odin’s planned had worked, although as destined, Skoll would eventually catch up to the sun, and devour it, as did Hati with the moon, and thus, plunge the world into darkness, bringing forth Ragnarok and the great war that followed, leading to the end of the Norse world.
The two northern wolves in the old tales of Norse mythology sent fear into the hearts of their enemies. Their stories, along with those of the Ragnarök, were a warning to people about the dangers that await when you cause chaos and destruction in your lives. These two northern wolves were a threat to the people and brought the Ragnarok as their father, Fenris, had tried to do the same in the past but failed.
Although Skoll and Hati were a part of how the days came back to normal, they had an important role in balancing out the cycle. If they didn’t exist, then days never would’ve come back to ordinary.