Wolf or outlaw, an ambiguous figure in Old Norse law and mythology.
Vargr means both 'wolf' and 'outlaw' in Old Norse, a connection reflecting how the outlaw stood outside society's protection like a predator. The outlaw could be killed with impunity and could not be sheltered by anyone.
In mythology Fenrir is the great wolf bound by the gods until Ragnarök. Óðinn's warriors the ulfheðnar also wore wolfskins and channelled wild forces. The wolf is thus a symbol of the liminal, that which stands outside order.
Attestations
- Grágás, om fredlöshet
- Legal definition of outlawry and its consequences.