In Norse mythology, eclipses were interpreted as the chase of celestial bodies by two giant wolves. Sköll was the wolf pursuing the Sun (Sól), and Hati Hróðvitnisson pursued the Moon (Máni).
A solar eclipse could be seen as the moment Sköll managed to capture or devour the Sun, while a lunar eclipse represented Hati attacking the Moon. This explanation fits into a broader context of cosmic conflict.
Historical sources, such as the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, describe this chase, but the direct association of an observed eclipse with the capture of the celestial body is a plausible mythological interpretation, not an explicit description in contemporary Viking texts. The pursuit of the stars by wolves was also part of the Ragnarök narrative, the end of the world, where the final capture of the stars would lead to the destruction and renewal of the world.