Symbol reference · Galdrastafir
Sköll & Hati
/skɔtl̥ ɔk ˈhati/Old Norse Skǫll and Hati Hróðvitnisson, masculine: the two sky-wolves
The short answer
The two wolves that pursue the sun and the moon across the sky. Named in Grímnismál and in Snorri's Edda, they run without rest until Ragnarök, when the chase ends and the light is caught.
Norse myth explains the movement of the sun and moon as flight. Sól and Máni do not simply travel; they are driven, because two wolves are always behind them.
Grímnismál names them: Skǫll is the wolf that follows the shining god to the shelter of the woods, and Hati Hróðvitnisson runs ahead. Snorri tidies this into the version most people know, one wolf for the sun, one for the moon, but the older poem is less symmetrical than the retelling, and it is worth saying so.
The chase has an end. Völuspá describes the sun seized and swallowed at Ragnarök, and Snorri says plainly that the wolves will finally catch what they pursue. That is the point of the image: not decoration for day and night, but a countdown running under the ordinary sky.
Their parentage is inferred rather than stated. Hati's patronymic, Hróðvitnisson, points to Hróðvitnir, a byname of Fenrir, and Snorri describes a giantess in the Ironwood who bears a brood of wolves. Reading Skǫll and Hati as Fenrir's offspring is reasonable, and it is still a reading.
Note on our figure: the sun in the original drawing carried an interlaced square knot on a solar disc. It is a genuine Nordic knot form, but on a rayed disc it can be misread by people who do not know the difference, so we redrew the sun as a plain outline. The wolves are untouched.
Grímnismál names them: Skǫll is the wolf that follows the shining god to the shelter of the woods, and Hati Hróðvitnisson runs ahead. Snorri tidies this into the version most people know, one wolf for the sun, one for the moon, but the older poem is less symmetrical than the retelling, and it is worth saying so.
The chase has an end. Völuspá describes the sun seized and swallowed at Ragnarök, and Snorri says plainly that the wolves will finally catch what they pursue. That is the point of the image: not decoration for day and night, but a countdown running under the ordinary sky.
Their parentage is inferred rather than stated. Hati's patronymic, Hróðvitnisson, points to Hróðvitnir, a byname of Fenrir, and Snorri describes a giantess in the Ironwood who bears a brood of wolves. Reading Skǫll and Hati as Fenrir's offspring is reasonable, and it is still a reading.
Note on our figure: the sun in the original drawing carried an interlaced square knot on a solar disc. It is a genuine Nordic knot form, but on a rayed disc it can be misread by people who do not know the difference, so we redrew the sun as a plain outline. The wolves are untouched.
Primary source Verbatim
Skǫll heitir ulfr, er fylgir inu skínanda goði til varna viðar.
Skǫll is the wolf that follows the shining god to the shelter of the woods.
GRÍMNISMÁL, st. 39 · translation editorial
Etymology
Skǫll
Old Norse
usually read as 'mockery' or 'treachery'; a noisy, jeering sense
Hati
Old Norse
'the hater', from hata, to hate
Two hostile names for two pursuers: mockery and hatred, running behind the light.
Common misconceptions
Common claim
What the record says
“Sköll chases the sun and Hati chases the moon.”
That neat division is Snorri's. The older poem Grímnismál is less tidy: it says Sköll follows the shining god, and that Hati Hróðvitnisson runs ahead of her. Which wolf takes which light is not consistent across the sources, and the tidy version people repeat comes from the Prose Edda.
“Sköll and Hati are Fenrir's sons.”
It is an inference, and a fair one. Hati's patronymic is Hróðvitnisson, and Hróðvitnir is a byname of Fenrir; Snorri says a giantess in the Ironwood bears a brood of wolves. No source states the parentage plainly.
“The wolves are just a poetic image for night and day.”
The sources treat the chase as a real countdown. Völuspá describes a wolf seizing the sun at Ragnarök, and Snorri says the wolves will finally catch what they pursue. It is a myth about time running out, not a decorative metaphor.
Frequently asked questions
Who are Skoll and Hati?
The two wolves that pursue the sun and the moon across the sky. Grimnismal names them and Snorri's Edda retells the chase; they run without rest until Ragnarok, when the light is finally caught.
Which wolf chases the sun and which the moon?
The tidy answer - Skoll after the sun, Hati after the moon - is Snorri's. Grimnismal is less symmetrical: Skoll follows the shining god, and Hati Hrodvitnisson runs ahead of her. The sources do not fully agree, and the neat split comes from the Prose Edda.
Are Skoll and Hati the sons of Fenrir?
Probably, but no source says so outright. Hati's patronymic Hrodvitnisson points to Hrodvitnir, a byname of Fenrir, and Snorri describes a giantess in the Ironwood bearing a brood of wolves. Fenrir's own story is in our Fenrir guide.
Do the wolves ever catch the sun?
Yes. Voluspa describes the sun seized and swallowed at Ragnarok, and Snorri states that the wolves will finally catch what they pursue. The chase is a countdown, not a permanent stalemate.
Why is the sun in your drawing a plain circle?
The original artwork placed an interlaced square knot on the solar disc. It is a real Nordic knot form, not an extremist symbol, but on a rayed disc it can be misread at a glance, so we redrew the sun as a plain outline. The wolves are exactly as drawn.
Bibliography
- 1. The Poetic Edda: Grímnismál st. 39 and Völuspá st. 40–41, Codex Regius (GKS 2365 4to), c. 1270. Trans. Carolyne Larrington, Oxford World's Classics, rev. ed. 2014.
- 2. Snorri Sturluson, Edda (Gylfaginning 12, the wolves that pursue sun and moon; the Ironwood brood), c. 1220. Trans. Anthony Faulkes, Everyman, 1987.
- 3. John Lindow, Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs, Oxford University Press, 2001 — s.v. Skoll, Hati, Managarm.
Cite this entry
Bjarke Gunnar. “Sköll & Hati.” VikingsBrand Library, reviewed 29 July 2026, vikingsbrand.co/pages/library/skoll-and-hati.