An Elven myth…
In the days when the gods walked the earth, there was a debate that wolves—those vicious creatures that preyed on the weak—should be erased from Creation.
The wolves had been the idea of Tyr, god of war and strength, and he favored them greatly. Thinking this debate would end in the killing of wolves, he took six young wolves—three males and three females—into his Holy House.
“You are not big enough to fight my brethren, the gods,” he said. “So I shall make you fiercer and mightier than any other wolves.”
To a pair of dark-furred wolves who were fighting, he said, “You shall be the most aggressive and feared of the Great Wolves; you will hate the gods’ other creations the most, and of all your kin you will be most inclined to war.”
They quadrupled in size, saw a deer bounding through the snow, and ran off into the west; thus, the Black Wolves were created.
To a pair of white-furred wolves who were playing in the snow, he said, “You shall be the most simple-minded of the Great Wolves, and, of all of them, love the snow and the cold the most. You will live in the high mountains, and you will think of nothing but play and frolic; but you will fight to the death if anyone intrudes into your land.”
They tripled in size, saw that the top of the mountains were colder, and so they ran off into the north; thus, the White Wolves were created.
To a pair of brown-furred wolves kneeling and staring obediently at Tyr, he said, “You shall be the wisest of the Great Wolves, and you will be the noblest of beasts. Yet you will be more aggressive than even your darker-furred cousins against those who fight against me; yet to those who treat you well, you will be a loyal companion and a noble servant.”
They doubled in size, and noticed that their vicious cousins had gone west, their simple-minded cousins had gone north, and so they went east.
The gods decided against erasing the common wolves from creation; but the Great Wolves remained.
