WORLD, what it means to us? ... page 9

So, THOR (the eldest son of Wotan), who was an excellent blacksmith, went to his anvil (an iron block
on which a smith hammers metal into shape) and USING his MIGHTY HAMMER, FORGED the strongest CHAIN he had ever made. Each link was as large as the trunk of an oak tree.
THOR took the CHAIN down to the WOLF (Fenrir) and BOUND the WOLF up. The wolf smiled and took a deep breath, then another and another and EACH TIME that the WOLF BREATHED IN
then the WOLF SWELLED UP until at last, with a cracking and rending sound the CHAIN SNAPPED.
The gods were appalled, for the STRENGTH OF the WOLF (Fenrir) was GREATER THAN THEY
(the gods) HAD EVER DREAMED.

"We will TRY ONCE MORE," announced THOR, and the WOLF, who was feeling very smug about his success, AGREED. This time THOR did NOT MAKE the CHAIN, but WENT SECRETLY to the THREE MAIDENS WHO HELD THE KEY to the FUTURE : "Urd," "Verdandi," and "Skuld."
THOR ASKED to make a CHAIN THAT would KEEP the EARTH and ASGARD (palace of the gods at the centre of the Universe) SAFE FROM the terrible WOLF.
The THREE MAIDENS  worked fast and when the chain COMPLETED they DIPPED the CHAIN
INTO THE RIVER "Mimir"(three rivers flowed under the sacred ash tree and close to the second river the maidens lived. They held the key to the future. They tended the tree of the world and watered it, for they knew that the safety of the world depended upon it.), WHICH HELD ALL THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD. Then the maidens took the CHAIN to THOR.

THOR looked at it in amazement. "TRY to BREAK IT, mighty THOR," said the THREE sisters.
"IT IS NOT ONLY A CHAIN OF IRON THAT CAN HOLD STRENGTH enough TO BIND the
WOLF (Fenrir). THOR took the chain and tugged at it as hard as he could. The veins stood out on his
forehead and his shoulders creaked with the strain and yet, FOR ALL HIS STRENGTH HE COULD
NOT BREAK IT.
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