In Norse mythology, Garm (Old Norse: Garmr) is a hound that is linked to the underworld. The poem Grímnismál calls him the best of all hounds, but most people know him for the howl that warns of Ragnarok. The sources do not even agree on what Garm is. He is called a hound, but he may also be the wolf Fenrir under another name.
The Best of All Hounds
In the poem Grímnismál, Odin was held captive in the hall of King Geirröd. There, he named the best of each kind: Yggdrasil is the best of trees, Odin the best of the gods, and Garm the best of hounds. The list also names Sleipnir as the best horse, Bifröst as the best bridge, and Bragi as the best poet.
The scholar John Lindow points out that in such good company, you would expect Garm to be a friendly figure. But in the other poems, Garm is far from friendly.
Garm’s Howl Before Ragnarok
In the poem Völuspá, the seeress repeats the same lines three times as Ragnarok comes closer. Each time, she says that “Garm howls loudly before Gnipahellir”, and that the bond will burst and the wolf will run free. Think of Garm’s howl as an alarm bell, warning that the end of the world is about to begin.
Gnipahellir: The Cave Where Garm Is Bound
Gnipahellir, the Gnipa Cave, is where Garm howls. Snorri Sturluson says that Garm is bound in front of this cave until Ragnarok. The name is sometimes translated as “the overhanging cave”.
The cave is often thought to be an entrance to Helheim. However, the myths don’t spell out exactly what this cave is or where it is. The translator Lee M. Hollander even calls Garm the “Kerberos of Hel”, after the Greek dog that guards the underworld.
Is Garm the Hound That Met Odin on the Way to Hel?
In the poem Baldrs draumar (Baldur’s Dreams), Odin rode down to Hel on Sleipnir to find out why Baldur had bad dreams. On the way, he met a hound coming from Hel. Its chest was covered in blood, and it barked at Odin for a long time.
The poem never names the hound. Hollander thinks it is Garm, while Jesse Byock writes that it might not be Garm at all.
Garm and Tyr at Ragnarok
The story gets even more tangled when it comes to the big battle between the gods and the jötnar during Ragnarok. Tyr, one of the gods who had earlier lost his hand to Fenrir, fights Garm. Snorri calls Garm “the greatest monster”, and says that Garm and Tyr kill each other.
Here, the stories of Garm, Fenrir and Tyr all cross paths. Are Garm and Fenrir actually different, or are they just two sides of the same coin in these myths?
Is Garm the Same as Fenrir?
In Völuspá, right after Garm’s howl, a wolf breaks free. Byock writes that this wolf is probably Fenrir. Others read the wolf as Garm himself, which would make Garm both a hound and a wolf. This mix-up between hound and wolf is pretty fascinating, because Garm and Fenrir are so similar. In the stories about Ragnarok, both Garm and Fenrir are said to break free from their chains.
Lindow thinks that Garm in Völuspá seems to be Fenrir, and Byock writes that Garm could be another name for Fenrir. Snorri, however, treats them as two different beasts. In his story of Ragnarok, Fenrir fights Odin, and Garm fights Tyr.
What Does the Name Garm Mean?
The skalds, the poets of the Viking Age, used the word garm for things that destroy. They called fire the “Garm of wood”, because fire destroys trees. The same word is found in Mánagarm, “Moon-dog”, the wolf that swallows the moon at Ragnarok.
Garm: Quick Answers
Who is Garm in Norse mythology? Garm is a hound, called the best of all hounds in the poem Grímnismál. He is bound in front of the cave Gnipahellir, and his howl warns that Ragnarok is coming.
Is Garm a dog or a wolf? The poems call Garm a hound, but some scholars think he may be the wolf Fenrir under another name. Anthony Faulkes describes him as “a dog (or a wolf?)”.
Is Garm the same as Fenrir in Norse mythology? Possibly. In Völuspá they seem to be the same beast, but Snorri keeps them apart. In his story of Ragnarok, Fenrir fights Odin, and Garm fights Tyr.
Who kills Garm at Ragnarok? Tyr. Snorri says that Garm and Tyr kill each other in the last battle.
Is Garm the hound of Hel? Possibly. In Baldr’s draumar, Odin meets a bloody hound coming from Hel. The poem does not name it, but Hollander thinks it is Garm.
Sources:
Lee M. Hollander (1962) The Poetic Edda. 15th. edition. Texas, USA: University Research Institute of the University of Texas. ISBN 978-0-292-76499-6 — includes Grímnismál, Völuspá and Baldrs draumar.