Skoll and Hati: Eaters of the Sun and Moon in Norse Mythology

In Norse mythology, the legendary wolves Skoll and Hati chase the sun and moon across the sky every day. These cosmic predators play a pivotal role in Ragnarök – the Norse apocalypse – where they finally catch and devour their celestial prey, plunging the world into darkness.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this article:

• Who these mythical wolves really are
• Their family origins (hint: they’re from a notorious lineage)
• Why do they chase the sun and the moon
• How do they trigger the end of the world
• Where you’ll find them in modern culture

Quick Reference Guide

Wolf	Pursues	Name Means	Fate
Skoll	The Sun (Sol)	“Treachery” or “Mockery”	Devours Sun at Ragnarök
Hati	The Moon (Mani)	“Hatred”	Devours Moon at Ragnarök

Who Are Skoll and Hati?

Skoll and Hati rank among the most fearsome creatures in Norse mythology. These giant wolves create day and night through their relentless pursuit – Skoll chases Sol (the sun), while Hati hunts Mani (the moon).

Ever wonder why they have such grim names? Skoll means “treachery” in Old Norse, while Hati means “hatred” – perfectly fitting for beasts threatening the lights of heaven! Scandinavians sometimes called them simply “sun-wolf” and “moon-wolf,” connecting them to halos and optical effects seen in northern skies.

Though Norse texts mention them only briefly, these wolves represent the delicate balance between order and chaos. Their pursuit creates our predictable day-night cycle, yet they also foreshadow the ultimate darkness of Ragnarök.

Origins and Family Tree

Children of Fenrir

Skoll and Hati come from a notorious monster family. Their father is Fenrir, the monstrous wolf destined to kill Odin during Ragnarök. Their grandfather? None other than Loki, the infamous trickster god.

Their family connections include:

• Father: Fenrir, the giant wolf
• Grandfather: Loki, the trickster god
• Grandmother: Angrboda, the giantess
• Aunt: Hel, ruler of the underworld
• Uncle: Jormungandr, the world serpent

According to some tales, the wolves tried to free their father after the gods bound him with magical chains. Odin caught them in the act and, rather than destroying them, put their relentless nature to work in the cosmos.

Born in the Iron Forest

The Prose Edda tells us Skoll and Hati were born in Jarnvidr (Ironwood), a dark forest east of Midgard. This wild place existed beyond civilization’s boundaries – perfect for creatures that would one day threaten cosmic order.

In this gloomy forest lived a giantess who gave birth to many wolves, including “the ones that hunt the sun and moon.” Their exact maternal lineage remains unclear, but their forest origins connect them to primordial chaos – the untamed forces the gods constantly struggle to control.

The Cosmic Chase

Running Across the Sky

Picture this: Sol and Mani drive their horse-drawn chariots across the heavens while two massive wolves snap at their heels. This daily chase creates our experience of day and night, marking the passage of time.

Before Odin set the wolves on their trail, Sol and Mani were notoriously unreliable. They would “dawdle, change course, and enjoy watching the world below,” making daylight and darkness completely unpredictable!

This myth brilliantly explains celestial movement through a cosmic game of tag. The Norse saw their universe as a balance between purpose (the sun and moon’s journey) and threat (the pursuing wolves) – a precarious arrangement that couldn’t last forever.

Different Versions in the Eddas

Norse mythology wasn’t standardized like a modern religion. The two main sources – the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda – sometimes contradict each other about which wolf chases which celestial body.

From Grímnismál in the Poetic Edda:

“Skoll is the wolf that pursues the shining god

to the protecting woods,

And Hati, he is Hrodvitnir’s son,

who chases the bright bride of heaven.”

Meanwhile, Hati sometimes appears as Mánagarmr (“Moon-Hound”) in certain texts. These variations remind us how oral traditions evolved over centuries, with details shifting between generations and regions.

Their Role in Norse Mythology

Odin’s Clever Solution

Odin transformed potential destroyers into cosmic timekeepers – a perfect example of Norse pragmatism. By setting the wolves to chase Sol and Mani, he solved two problems at once: keeping the dangerous wolves occupied and making day and night predictable.

Before this arrangement, the sun and moon wandered aimlessly, lingering where they pleased. The chase forced them to maintain proper speed and course, creating the reliable cycles humans needed for farming and navigation.

This arrangement shows how Norse mythology viewed chaos – not as something to eliminate, but as a force to harness and direct. Even the most dangerous elements could serve a purpose in the cosmic order.

The Inevitable Capture

Despite running for centuries, Sol and Mani can’t escape forever. The wolves grow stronger with each passing year, gradually gaining ground on their prey. Their eventual success isn’t just possible – it’s destined.

The Norse called this concept ørlög (fate) – the idea that certain events must happen regardless of what gods or mortals do. Even Odin’s cleverness only delays the inevitable.

This fatalistic view pervades Norse mythology. The gods know their ultimate fate but continue fighting anyway – a worldview that values courage in the face of inevitable defeat.

Timeline to Ragnarök

1. The Fimbulwinter begins – Three successive winters without summer
2. Moral collapse – Brothers fight brothers, society breaks down
3. Skoll catches the sun – Darkness falls across the world
4. Hati devours the moon – Stars fall from the sky
5. The world tree Yggdrasil shakes – Mountains crumble
6. Fenrir breaks free – The wolves’ father escapes his chains
7. Final battle – Gods face the forces of chaos
8. World’s rebirth – A new world rises with a new sun

Role in Bringing Ragnarök

When Skoll and Hati finally catch their prey, they trigger the apocalypse. The moment they devour the sun and moon, darkness engulfs the world, signaling Ragnarök’s beginning.

This darkness causes Fimbulvetr – a devastating winter lasting three years with no summer in between. Without the sun’s warmth, the world freezes, crops die, and humanity turns on itself. These harsh conditions set the stage for the final battle between gods and giants.

By consuming the celestial bodies, the wolves don’t just change the sky – they fundamentally alter life on Earth. Their success marks the tipping point between our world and its end.

What They Symbolize

Time, Death, and Cosmic Order

Skoll and Hati embody both creation and destruction. Their chase creates time itself through the day-night cycle, yet they also represent time’s ultimate triumph over everything – even the sun and moon.

As children of Fenrir, they inherit the role of chaos-bringers. They represent forces beyond human or divine control – the wild, untamed aspects of nature that civilization can never fully subdue.

This duality reflects the Norse understanding that order and chaos exist in balance. The wolves both maintain cosmic rhythm and eventually destroy it – showing how creation contains the seeds of its own end.

Real-World Inspiration

What natural phenomena might have inspired these myths? Several possibilities exist:

• Solar and lunar halos – Atmospheric effects creating bright spots near the sun or moon
• Eclipses – When the sun or moon temporarily disappears
• Extreme seasonal changes – Northern regions experience dramatic shifts between summer light and winter darkness
• Sundogs – Bright spots appearing beside the sun, called solvarg (“sun-wolf”) in Scandinavian languages

Living in northern latitudes, Norse peoples experienced extreme seasonal light changes. The wolves’ pursuit might express anxiety that someday the light might not return – a very real fear in a harsh northern climate.

What Happens During Ragnarök

When They Finally Feast

After centuries of pursuit, Skoll finally catches and devours Sol, while Hati captures Mani. The Völuspá, a poem in the Poetic Edda, describes the moment vividly:

“The sun turns black, earth sinks in the sea,

The hot stars down from heaven are whirled;

Fierce grows the steam and the life-feeding flame,

Till fire leaps high about heaven itself.”

This violent imagery emphasizes the world’s end as cataclysmic rather than peaceful. The wolves’ hunger is finally satisfied – but their satisfaction brings universal ruin.

After The End: Renewal

While the wolves help trigger the end, Norse mythology doesn’t conclude with destruction. After Ragnarök, the Völuspá describes a new world rising from the sea, with a fresh sun born to replace the old one.

This cycle of destruction and renewal shows that even the wolves’ victory isn’t permanent. Though they succeed in their hunt, cosmic rebirth follows. This reflects the Norse belief that endings contain new beginnings – a hopeful note in an otherwise apocalyptic tale.

The wolves’ fate after their cosmic meal isn’t clearly stated. Some scholars think they perish during Ragnarök like most beings, while others suggest they might continue existing in the new world, perhaps chasing new celestial bodies.

Skoll and Hati Today

In Modern Culture

Though less famous than Thor or Odin, Skoll and Hati appear in various modern works:

• Video games: Featured prominently in God of War (2018), Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Age of Mythology
• Literature: Appear in Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology and referenced in Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase series
• Music: Inspired songs by metal bands like Amon Amarth and Wardruna
• Art: Popular subjects for fantasy artists and Norse-inspired tattoos

The dramatic image of wolves pursuing celestial bodies continues to captivate artists and storytellers. Their tale offers powerful metaphors for pursuit, time, and cosmic balance that resonate even in our scientific age.

While not household names like their “grandfather” Loki or “father” Fenrir, Skoll and Hati maintain cultural relevance through their crystal-clear symbolism and central role in Norse cosmic drama. These celestial wolves prove that even “minor” mythological figures can leave a major impression across the centuries.

Next time you see the sun or moon in the sky, perhaps you’ll imagine these cosmic wolves in pursuit – still running after all these years, still hungry, still waiting for their moment to finally feast.