The Making of a Hero
Sigurd was the greatest hero of the Völsung line, a youth of noble blood raised at the court of a king. His foster-father was the cunning smith Regin, brother of Fáfnir, who had watched the cursed gold of Andvari slip away when Fáfnir killed their father and became a dragon to guard the hoard alone.
Regin nursed a hunger for that treasure and saw in Sigurd the weapon he needed. He goaded the young man to slay the dragon, but the swords he forged shattered in Sigurd's hands. At last Sigurd brought him the broken shards of Gram, the sword of his father Sigmund, and from them Regin forged a blade so keen it could split an anvil and cut a strand of wool drifting on the water.
Armed with Gram and advised by Odin himself, Sigurd rode out to face the serpent Fáfnir on the barren heath where it dwelt.
Key Events of the Tale
The Reforging of Gram
Only the shards of his father's sword will serve. Regin reforges Gram, a blade so sharp and strong that it cleaves the anvil in two when Sigurd tests it.
The Trench in the Path
On Odin's advice, Sigurd digs a pit in the trail the dragon takes to drink. When Fáfnir crawls over him, Sigurd drives Gram up into its soft underbelly, dealing the fatal wound.
The Dragon's Warning
As Fáfnir dies, it speaks to Sigurd, warning that the gold is cursed and will be the death of whoever holds it. Sigurd takes the hoard regardless.
The Taste of Dragon Blood
Roasting Fáfnir's heart for Regin, Sigurd burns his thumb and sucks it, tasting the blood. At once he understands the speech of birds, who chatter above him in the branches.
The Birds' Counsel
The birds warn that Regin means to betray and kill him for the gold. Forewarned, Sigurd strikes first and beheads the treacherous smith, taking the hoard for himself.
The Hero's Road Ahead
Following the birds' advice, Sigurd rode on and found the valkyrie Brynhild sleeping within a ring of fire, waking her to a love that would shape the rest of his tragic story. Yet the curse of the gold clung to him. Through broken vows, deception, and jealousy, it would bring about Sigurd's own death and the ruin of the Völsungs and the Nibelungs alike, one of the great tragedies of Norse and Germanic legend.
Sources and Related Tales
Sigurd's deeds are told in the Völsunga saga and in the Poetic Edda poems Fáfnismál and Reginsmál. The same hero appears as Siegfried in the German Nibelungenlied.
The Otter's Ransom
The origin of the cursed gold that Fáfnir hoards and Sigurd claims.
Andvari
The dwarf whose curse follows the treasure into Sigurd's hands.
Odin
The wanderer whose counsel helps Sigurd trap and slay the dragon.
The Vikings
Sigurd was a favorite hero of the Norse, carved on stones and church doors across the north.
Quick Facts
Key Participants
Sigurd
The Völsung hero and greatest of the Norse dragon-slayers.
Fáfnir
The giant turned dragon, coiled greedily around the cursed gold.
Regin
The scheming smith who forges the sword and plots betrayal.
Treasures Won
Andvari's hoard, including the ring Andvaranaut and its curse.
The gift of understanding the speech of birds.
Themes & Symbolism
Courage and Cunning: Sigurd wins not by strength alone but by wit, patience, and good counsel.
The Curse Endures: Even a great hero cannot escape the doom carried by the gold.
Knowledge Through Blood: A taste of the dragon's heart opens Sigurd's ears to hidden truths.