Sköll

In Norse mythology, Sköll (Old Norse "Treachery"[1] or "Mockery"[2]) is a wolf that chases the Sun (personified as a goddess, Sól). Hati Hróðvitnisson chases the Moon (personified, see Máni).

"Skoll" redirects here. For other uses, see Skoll (disambiguation).
"The Wolves Pursuing Sól and Máni" by J. C. Dollman, 1909
"Far away and long ago" by Willy Pogany, 1920

According to Rudolf Simek, it is possible that Sköll is another name for Fenrir, and, if so, "there could be a nature-mythological interpretation in the case of Sköll and Hati (who pursues the moon). Such an interpretation suggests the wolves may be intended to describe the phenomenon of parhelions or sundogs, as these are called 'sun-wolf' in Scandinavian languages (Norwegian solulv, Swedish solvarg)."[2]

Modern influence
See also: Norse mythology in popular culture
  • A Heartless based on and named after Sköll serves as a boss in Kingdom Hearts III, appearing as the embodiment of darkness within Hans, the main antagonist of the 2013 Disney film Frozen.
  • The Swedish metal band Amon Amarth features the song "Sköll and Hati" on their 2019 album “Berserker”.
  • A rare NPC wolf named Skoll can be found in World of Warcraft, frequently sought after by the hunter class as a tameable pet for its unique model.
  • Sköll and Hati also make appearances in RuneScape where they can be fought for vanity item rewards during a recurring event.

Notes
  1. Orchard (1997:150).
  2. Simek (2007:292)

References
  • Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2
  • Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer. ISBN 0-85991-513-1


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