The present article analyses the Old Icelandic expression vargr í véum (“wolf in the sanctuaries”). By means of a comparison between various tales of such wolves, in particular the myth of the binding of Fenrir, the article shows that rather than an old pre-Christian category denoting a sacrilege, the expression should be understood as a discursive means of othering its object. Indeed, it would prove invaluable to medieval – and thus Christian – authors as they were tackling such issues as social hierarchy or the rise of the centralized state.