Sköll in Norse tradition
The wolf Sköll pursues Sól as she drives her chariot across the sky. He is a Norse being associated with the sun’s pursuit and is prophesied to catch and swallow it at Ragnarök, while Hati chases the moon. After Sköll swallows Sól, darkness spreads before the gods meet their enemies, though Sól’s unnamed daughter later follows her mother’s path.
The quick answers
Who is Sköll?
Sköll is a Norse being associated with the pursuit of the sun, celestial wolves, Ragnarök.Source
Source
- Dictionary of northern mythology
- Teutonic Mythology: Gods and Goddesses of the Northland
- The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
- The Poetic Edda
- The Prose Edda
- Legends of Norse Mythology
What is Sköll associated with?
the pursuit of the sun, celestial wolves, RagnarökSource
Source
- Dictionary of northern mythology
- Teutonic Mythology: Gods and Goddesses of the Northland
- The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
What family links are recorded for Sköll?
Father: Fenrir, 1 sibling.
Sköll’s family, at a glance
Parents above, children below, and the figure’s consorts named in between, the same family data as the fact box, laid out as a chart instead of a field list.
The names Sköll answers to
Skoll
Anglicized spelling of Sköll
SourceThe Poetic Edda
The Wolf Who Follows the Sun
The wolf said to pursue the sun
SourceThe Prose Edda
The Sun-Swallowing Wolf
The wolf prophesied to catch and swallow the sun at Ragnarök
SourceLegends of Norse Mythology
The myths of Sköll
2 myths, each traced to its primary text and corpus sources.
Sköll Chases the Sun
Sól drove her chariot across the sky while Sköll pursued her. She escaped him only by keeping ahead of him, but he would catch her one day. Another wolf, Hati, Hróðvitnir's son, ran before the sun and sought to catch the moon. Both wolves pursued the lights of the sky as day and night followed their appointed courses.
Night rode first through the heavens on Hrimfaxi. Foam fell from his bit upon the earth as dew each morning. Day followed on Skinfaxi, whose mane lit the sky and the earth. The Allfather gave Night and Day horses and chariots, then placed them in heaven to travel around the earth in turn. Each took twelve hours. Sól's journey took place within this ordered movement.
A hag dwelled east of Midgard, in the forest called Járnviðr, or Ironwood. Witches called the Ironwood witches lived there. Sköll and Hati came from this place. Sköll followed Sól until her chariot descended towards the western halls and reached Varna vidr, the forest of the Varnians. The name meant defenders or protectors, who guarded the travelling lights at the western horizon.
At Ragnarök, Sköll and Hati swallowed the sun and the moon. Sól's flight continued under the threat of capture until that destruction.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1Treasury of Norse MythologyT1
- 2the ancient sourcesT1
Quote
“Sköll pursues the sun and will catch her, while Hati, Hróðvitnir’s son, seeks the moon.”
the ancient sources
- 3Teutonic Mythology: Gods and Goddesses of the NorthlandT1
Sköll Swallows the Sun at Ragnarök
The earth shook, the trees and mountains fell, and Yggdrasil shivered. The bonds that held the world together broke. Loki was released, and Fenrir ran free. Great wolves raced across the sky. In one telling, Sköll caught Sól and swallowed her, while his companion Hati attacked the moon. Darkness spread over the world as the sun disappeared.
The clear stars fell from heaven. The land sank into the sea, which the World Serpent churned as it writhed from the water. On the plain of Vígríðr, the gods and their enemies gathered. Gullinkambi, the cockerel called Golden Comb, woke the gods in Asgard. Heimdallr watched from the Bifröst bridge and blew his horn. The gods went to battle, and many were killed. Thor struck down the World Serpent but died from its venom. Fenrir swallowed Odin, and Víðarr avenged him by tearing the wolf apart. Surtr set fire to the realms.
The world was consumed by fire. Gods, giants, trolls, monsters, mortals, and other living things perished, whether on Vígríðr or elsewhere. In one telling, a daughter of Sól continued across the sky after her mother had been swallowed. Her path was not described further. In another telling, the daughter followed her mother’s path after Ragnarök.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1The Prose EddaT1
- 2the ancient sourcesT1
Quote
“Sköll swallows Sól at Ragnarök, Hati attacks the moon, and Sól’s daughter follows her mother’s course afterwards.”
the ancient sources
- 3Treasury of Norse MythologyT1
Also appears in
The myths across MythSource where Sköll features, each on that figure’s page.
- Fenrir Catches the Sun · on Fenrir
- The Birth and Appointment of Máni · on Máni
- Sól and Máni Are Set in the Sky · on Sól
- Sól’s Last Ride and Her Daughter’s Succession · on Sól
1 work catalogued
This is the candidate catalogue for Sköll: candidate reworks first, then references, then names used as atmosphere. Nothing here has been checked against a source yet. Only reviewed myth-to-work links are promoted in Overview.
Showing 1 of 1 works.
Film1
- SköllName only
These are catalogue candidates, not proof that every work retells this figure. Reviewed myth-to-work links appear in Overview.
What this page is built from
About this page
Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed not yet recorded. How a page gets built.
3 sources are cited on this page, primary texts and corpus scholarship, listed below.
Cite this page
MythSource. (n.d.). Sköll. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/skoll
"Sköll." MythSource, n.d., www.mythsource.com/figures/skoll.
"Sköll." MythSource. n.d. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/skoll.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the primary texts and scholarship above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only reviewed joins are presented as modern reworks in Overview.
The film
The Underdrawing video on Sköll embeds here once it publishes.