The gods raised Fenrir among themselves. Only Tyr dared feed him. The dwarves crafted the magical fetter Gleipnir from impossible things. When Fenrir tested the bond, he bit off Tyr's hand.
Fenrisúlfr óx svá skjótt at Æsir urðu hræddir við hann. Þorði engi at gefa honum mat nema Týr einn. Þá sendi Óðinn til Svartálfaheims til dverga ok létu gera haft þat er heitir Gleipnir. Þat var gert af sex hlutum: af dyn kattarins, af skeggi konunnar, af rótum bjargsins, af sinum bjarnarins, af andardrætti fisksins ok af hráka fugls.
Fenrir grew so swiftly that the gods became afraid of him. None dared feed him except Tyr alone. Odin then sent to Svartalfheim, to the dwarves, and had them make the fetter called Gleipnir. It was fashioned from six things: the sound of a cat's footstep, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird.
Fenrir tók haftið ok prófaði um fœtr sér. En er hann spretti við þá slitnaði eigi. Þá bað hann einn ása leggja hönd í munn sér til trausts. Týr lagði hœgri hönd í munn úlfsins. En er úlfrinn þreifst við þá var hann bundinn ok er hann reið at komast laus þá þrengdist haftið. Beit hann af Tý höndina þar sem nú heitir úlfrinn bein.
Fenrir took the fetter and tested it around his legs. When he strained against it, it did not break. He then demanded that one of the gods place a hand in his mouth as a pledge of good faith. Tyr placed his right hand in the wolf's mouth. When the wolf strained, he was bound, and the more he struggled to free himself, the tighter the fetter grew. He bit off Tyr's hand at the joint now called the wolf's joint.
Eddic quotations
Týr! þú mátt heimta af mér þá gjöld: hvárki fær þú hœgri hönd né vinstri.
Tyr! From me you may claim recompense: neither your right hand nor your left shall you recover.