Fafnir | Norse mythology | Britannica.com Norse mythology Re Fafnir, in Nordic mythology, name of the great dragon slain by Sigurd, the Norse version of the German hero Siegfried . As told in the Völsunga saga (“Saga of the Volsungs”), Fafnir slew his father, Hreithmar, to obtain the vast amount of gold which Hreithmar had demanded of Odin as a compensation for the loss of one of his sons. Odin gave the gold but put a curse on it. Full of greed, Fafnir changed into a dragon to guard his treasure and was later slain by the young hero Sigurd. Sigurd was spurred on by another brother of Fafnir, the blacksmith Regin. Once Sigurd, under the advice of Odin, had killed Fafnir, Regin asked him to cook the dragon’s heart for him. Sigurd touched the heart as it was cooking to test if it was done and burned his thumb. He put his thumb into his mouth and was then able to understand the language of birds.

(In this tale, knowledge is given to one who eats the heart of a dragon.) The birds told Sigurd that it was Regin’s intention to kill him, so instead Sigurd killed Regin and left with Fafnir’s treasure. Learn More in these related articles: Symbols in Wagner's "Ring" The compilation of symbols below relies predominantly on information contained within William O. Cord's several volume set of phenomenally researched and concisely written books entitled The Teutonic Mythology of Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung. Apple In Wagner's adaptation of Teutonic myths, the apple remains a symbol of youth, fertility and immortality.

An "integral element" in Das Rheingold, the apple becomes a dramatic tool to create suspense: the gods begin to age after the keeper of the golden apples, the Goddess of Youth and Love, Freia (in whom Wagner blends Idun and the Vanir goddess Freyja) is kidnapped by the giants Fafner and Fasolt "to whom she hadbeen promised by Wotan as a reward for the brothers' labor on the castle Valhalla." The price of Freia's return is the stolen Nibelung gold, including Alberich's ring (Cord, I, 64). Apple as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Blood Although there is little gore in Wagner's operas, his use of blood usually signifies faithfulness and noble action. Blood figures as an important symbol in the first act of Gotterdammerung when Siegfried and the Gibichung Gunther exchange a blood oath. To seal a bond of brotherhood, Siegfried and Gunther each take an oath of fidelity and drink blood from a horn. Despite the fact that this specific pact is not valid since Siegfried has been bewitched by Gunther, their blood oath is strongly representative of the Teutonic tradition.

In this way, Wagner seemed to portray blood as a symbol of human vitality and of the fundamental quality of life itself (Cord, III:1, 29-31). Blood as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Bridge Though never actually called "Bifrost," Wagner's "Rainbow Bridge" is the same pathway in Teutonic mythology that connects Midgard to Asgard. This bridge is an important dramatic element in the first opera of the Ring. However, in adapting his Rainbow Bridge from Bifrost , Wagner excluded any reference to the mythical beliefs that were concerned with its construction by gods and the materials used to construct it. Also, in place of the Teutonic god Heimdall, Froh, the Ring's "god of fields" becomes the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge. Also, the appearance of this bridge in the Ring is more theatrical than symbolic. To the amazement of the other gods, Wotan creates the Rainbow Bridge at the end of Das Rheingold to provide the gods a direct way to return to Valhalla from Midgard.

Since Wotan's magical by-way serves to distract the gods from the lament of the Rhinemaidens over the loss of their gold, this Rainbow Bridge becomes an excellent example of how Wagner uses objects and symbols for dramatic climax and intrigue (Cord, I, 28-29). Bridge as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Cave Caves in Wagner's operas are places of evil, treasure hoards and deceit. Fafner's Cave, the cavernous dwelling of the dragon of that name, is where Siegfried (in Siegfried) must go after he has reforged his father's sword, Notung, in order to learn the meaning of fear. According to one of the Valkyries, Fafner was formerly a giant who slew his brother, Fasolt, took the Nibelung gold and fled to a cave in the east.

For this reason, Wagner called Fafner's lair the "Cave of Envy." At the end of Act II of Siegfried, Siegfried eventually kills Fafner and retrieves the Nibelung gold from the dragon's cave (Blyth, 70-73; Cord, III:1, 128-9, 293-4). Cave as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Dragon "The matter of a wingless dragon," a Fafnir in Old Norse, "that lies guard over a great treasure of gold" and its involvement with the hero Siegfried is "one of the numerous fancies of imaginative thought that was prominent among the early Germanic peoples."(Cord, III:1, 85) But, "Wagner's rendition of this celebrated mythical episode is unique to his drama."(Ibid, 86) The significance of Fafner in the Ring pertains to "the underlying purpose that the dragon fulfills in the composer's version of the Siegfried legend.

If the mythicalness of the Teutonic gods existed in early culture, and if the substance of the Siegfried legend was vivid and vital in early German society, the two had no fundamental relationship...."(Ibid, 90) In Siegfried, Wagner brought together historical legend and cultural myth "into a unified argument that is completely awash with mythical ambience," for "it is by means of the dragon that the youthful mortal hero Siegfried is lead into the realm of the divine where he meets his grandfather, Wotan, and then the supernatural Valkyrie Brunnhilde, now transformed into a mortal maiden" (Ibid, 90). For the story of Siegfried and Fafner, see above description under Cave . Interested in hearing dragons? Dragon as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Eagle Wagner uses the symbol of the eagle to show power and a sense of animal fierceness. There is only one reference to an eagle in the Ring, and this occurs in the final scene of Act I of the fourth and final drama, Gotterdammerung.

When a frightened Brunnhilde sees who she thinks is Gunther but is really a disguised and drugged Siegfried, she screams that an eagle has flown to the mountain top to tear her to bits. Brunnhilde's protestation reflects Wagner's awareness of the import of the eagle in Teutonic beliefs as a symbol of strength and independence. The eagle inspired fear and was honored due to its great strength and the way it protected itself (Cord, vol. III:1, 101-3). Eagle as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Earth The Earth does not figure into Teutonic mythology as a distinct symbol, though the stories of its creation by the gods out of the body of the frost giant Ymir suggest that the ancient Teutons did worship it. However, in the Ring, Wagner makes full use of the symbolic significance of the Earth in the character Erda (whose name in modern German literally means "soil" or "earth") in order to convey a sense of Germanic antiquity throughout the drama. Erda is Wagner's all-wise being who is the prime mother of the universe. She is mother of the three Norns and of the Valkries.

Erda's power extends beyond that of the all-father Wotan himself, for he turns to her when he needs guidance. Erda appears twice in the Ring operas. In Das Rheingold, Wotan, brooding over the ring, consults Erda presumably for the first time; and this union results in the birth of the Valkries. The second time Wotan calls Erda is in the third opera, Siegfried. In this opera, Erda chides Wotan for having enchanted Brunnhilde because of her disobedience to him in defending a mortal, Siegmund, the father of Siegfried. To repair the situation and chastise Wotan, Erda fates Brunnhilde to be awakened by her future love, Siegfried (Cord, III:1, 110-113; Blyth, 27, 73). Eyes Reference to Odin's loss of an eye for knowledge occurs twice in the Ring. In the Prelude to Gotterdammerung, the Norns mention the sacrifice of Odin as they weave their cord or Rope of destiny.

Also, in Das Rheingold, Wotan tries to convince his wife Fricka of how highly he values women by reminding her that one of the prices he paid to win her was one of his eyes. For Wagner, in addition to the sacred symbolism of the eyes in connection to Wotan, eyes are important for dramatic purposes--to reveal the inner states of his characters, whether they be good or evil. For example in one of the opening scenes of the Ring, in Das Rheingold, there is a comment upon the power of wickedness in the eyes of the dwarf Alberich as he makes lustful glances at the Rhinemaidens. But, "good could also come from a sympathetic glance, even of a stranger," such as that exchanged between Siegmund and Sieglinde in the first scene of Die Walkure. Later in this opera Sieglinde speaks directly of the eyes as being potential "harborers of tenderness." Similarly, Siegfried and Brunnhilde see love in each other's eyes in the final scene of Siegfried (Cord, III:1, 117-122).

Eyes as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Fire Fire is one of the Greek concepts of the elements of creation which Wagner borrowed. Several scenes in the Ring show fire as a component of life. At the end of Die Walkure, Wotan calls a great fire to surround the mountain-top on which he condemned Brunnhilde to sleep. To music of the "magic fire" leit-motif, Loge, the god of fire, appears as a small flame and slowly assumes shape and height to block Brunnhilde from view. In this scene, Wagner reveals the supernatural qualities of fire; but, more importantly, he signals the role of fire as one of the most "integral and destructive elements in Teutonic mythology." Probably the best example of the "profoundness" of fire as a symbol is the very last scene of the entire opera cycle: in Gotterdammerung, Brunnhilde tosses a torch on Siegfried's funeral pyre--an act which foreshadows the ultimate demise of the gods in the all-consuming flames of Ragnarok (Cord, III:1, 106; Blyth, 114-5). Ever wonder what fire could sound like in music?

Click below to hear its Wagnerian leitmotif . Fire as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Forest Most of the Ring's thirty-six scenes are set in or near a forest. This setting is a critical dramatic element in the operas, establishing a necessary aura of primevil nature. Since Wagner was aware of the significance of forests in Teutonic culture and the myths, he chose the forest as the primary background for his operas (Cord, III:1, 138-9). Forest as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Fog Fog is important dramatically and thematically to Wagner's operas. Most likely taking the name for the opera cycle from that of the Nibelunglied, Wagner nonetheless must have been aware of the significance of the title. Wagner adapted the mythological race of dwarfs into his Nibelungs, "children of the fog," who lived in Nibelheim, a place of fog and caves. These black dwarves had an evil nature that is linked to the night, to evil, and to the fog.

Also, wherever Wagner wanted the audience to be aware of the presence of evil, especially scenes involving Alberich, Mime, and the rest of the Nibelungs, the set often would be bathed in smoke to give the appearance of fog (Cord, I, 23, III:2, 97). Fog as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Giant The giants in Wagner's operas are much like the Teutonic giants, and some reference to them occurs in all three operas. However, in creating Fafner and Fasolt, the two main giants in the Ring, Wagner included neither the story of their origin nor did he cause his giants to be associated with the violence of nature. It is only under the influence of the ring's curse that Fafner becomes evil and kills his brother. According to one source, in Wagnerian terms, when Fafner dies, the race of giants and that of the Teutons symbolically die (Cord, III:1, 149-153). Giant as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Gold The gold in the Ring is physically seen in the opening scene of the first of the four music dramas.

Illustrated succinctly by its own leitmotif , gold, especially in the form of the ring , becomes the protagonist of the drama, driving the characters forward and establishing much of the intrigue--for it is the hoard of gold and the powers the TREASURE holds that account for each major action within the operas (Cord, I, 183). Click below to hear Wagner's leitmotif for the Rhinemaidens' gold. Gold as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Hammer Wagner included the hammer Mjollnir in his operas for two purposes: one as a simple weapon of war belonging to the god Donner, and the second as the object Donner uses to burst open the heavens to cause thunder to clamor and lightning to spark across the sky. These two uses appear in Das Rheingold. In the first instance, Donner raises his hammer threateningly to try to stop the giants Fafner and Fasolt from arguing so maybe Wotan can convince them to accept something other than Freia as their prize for the construction of Valhalla (Cord, I, 31-39).

Hammer as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Hat A magical cap, called the "Tarnhelm," made from the gold of the Rhinemaidens, appears in the Ring as an object which gives its wearer the ability of physical transformation(Cord, I, 41-2). "The cap is the symbol of deception.... Mime, unknowingly, has made this powerful weapon for his master Alberich, and it becomes a factor for evil. however, Alberich is hoist with his own petard when the cunning Loge traps him with the aid of the Tarnhelm. Fafner (the giant)...uses it to turn himself into a dragon; Siegfried learns of its power only from Hagen and through it deceives Brunnhilde" (Blyth, 16). Hell As an example to demonstrate Wagner's "thoroughness in the use of myth," Cord cites the composer's frequent "references to Hella, first as the name of the land to which the dead are consigned, and then as the name of the guardian of that land" (I, 4).

Hell as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Horse Although horses have no direct bearing on the story of the Ring, they are integral to Wagner's drama. Wagner utilizes horses much in the same way as they appear in the Teutonic myths. However, apart from the Valkyries who each have their own horse, Wotan is the only god who owns a steed, whose name Wagner kept as Sleipnir. This situation grants Wotan more power and autonomy and makes the rest of the gods extremely dependent upon him to move through the worlds (Cord, III: 1, 244-5). Horse as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Kiss In Die Walkure, Wotan kisses Brunnhilde who has disobeyed him and puts her into a deep sleep, taking away her supernatural qualities she had as a Valkyrie. Parallel to this enchantment, in Siegfried, Brunnhilde is awakened from her sleep by Siegfried's kiss--one which, unlike the mark of Wotan, had no special magic (Cord, III:1, 260-2).

Kiss as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Lightning Within Wagner's four operas, lightning retains its supernatural qualities but is used more for dramatic emphasis rather than its symbolic value. For instance, at the end of Das Rheingold, after payment to the gods is settled by the giants, the gods prepare to enter Valhalla, only the citadel is covered by a mist. To bring the scene out of darkness, Donner uses his hammer to open the sky with thunder and lightning, making the brilliant palace of Valhalla visible to all. When Wagner composed his opera cycle, the usage of light effects to illustrate the mood of a scene or to highlight a particular part of a set were of long-standing tradition, though electricity had not quite come into the picture at the time of the Ring's creation (Blyth, 28; Cord, I, 35-39). Lightning as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Oak According to Teutonic mythology, in the center of Valhalla grew an oak tree, called Branstock, on which mistletoe grew (the same mistletoe that caused Balder's death and led to Ragnarok).

Adapting freely from mythological sources for the Ring, Wagner completely altered the oak Branstock. Wagner transferred the oak from Valhalla to make it into Hunding's dwelling, which appears prominently throughout the beginning of Die Walkure. Additionally, Wagner chose not to give Branstock a name, changed the tree's orientation from an oak to an ash, and removed this former oak's common association with Thor (Donner in Wagner) to establish a relationship between the tree and Wotan. Due to all of these changes, Branstock loses its significance as an oak and becomes instead a variation of the symbolic World Ash Tree, Yggdrasill (Blyth, 31-2; Cord, I, 14-5). Occurs in the Ring in the form of the Rainbow Bridge. See BRIDGE . Ring In the Ring of the Nibelung, the ring is the "symbol of omnipotence, endowing its possessor with supernatural strength, with superhuman power over his fellows. Alberich has had it created from the GOLD , which he has gained through his renunciation of love, and through its power he hopes to destroy all that is good in the world.

When it is wrenched from him by Wotan, he curses it, so that it becomes the cause of eternal misery in the world. Indeed, its very existence causes the end of existence. It forms the object of plots and intrigues on earth. All wish to possess it, but those who do fall victim to Alberich's curse, which passes from it only when Brunnhilde, after the trial and anxieties it has brought upon her, restores it to its native element" (Blyth, 15-16). Futhermore, "Wagner's ring...was developed from the generic totality of the rings that he had found in the myths, and as such it was a reflection of mythical beliefs, a ring like others that were part of Eddic literature. Like those rings of old, Wagner's ring was TREASURE, forged as it was from the gold that rested in the Rhine" (Cord, I, 108-112). Click below to hear Wagner's leitmotiv of the Ring River Rivers are important in the Ring, especially the Rhine.

At times, the Rhine is only part of scenery descriptions; yet, often it is almost a bystander to the action. This river serves several purposes in Wagner: sometimes it is the peaceful home of the Rhine-maidens and the powerful protector of their gold; other times a wide expanse of WATER, a flowing river that takes the hero and his horse in their boat to the kingdom of the Gibicungs. The Rhine is a rushing, turbulent natural force which cleanses the world of the evil curses of men and gods. This river is also the force that will quench the fire of the worlds and become the source of life for a new, innocent world after Ragnarok. This role is exemplified by the river's presence in the final moments of the last opera, Gotterdammerung, one of the most climactic scenes in Wagner (Cord, III:2, 362-5). Click below to hear Wagner's leitmotiv of the river. River as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Rope In the Norn scene in the "Prelude" of Gotterdammerung, the three Norns weave the Cord of Destiny which held the strands of life and death of all living things.

They tell of what was, is and will be. The third Norn predicts the downfall of the gods, which is woven into the Cord. She finally wishes to cast the Cord North, but it is too short and will not stretch. The rope (Cord) breaks and ends the eternal wisdom of the Teutonic fates and infers the gods' doom. These three Norns were spinners who used a gold thread for each life; and as each thread interwove with all the others, a pattern of society emerged. The ends of the Cord were thrown into space, into the east, the west and the north after which a specific fate was forever in the sky. Wagner's cord of fate in the "Prelude" to Gotterdammerung captures the symbolism of the myths. Rope allowed Wagner a way to dramatize his version of the gods' doom as a sense of final judgment and inescapable destruction (Cord, III:1, 62-7). Serpent In the third scene of Das Rheingold, the dwarf Alberich demonstrates the magic of the Tarnhelm for Wotan and Loge by turning himself into a serpent.

To describe the creature Alberich becomes, Wagner uses the German word "Schlange" as opposed to "Wurm." By doing this, Wagner makes a definite distinction between the serpent of Alberich in the Nibelheim scene and the beast--the "Wurm" or dragon--Fafner transforms into in order to guard the gold (Cord, III:2, 393-5). Serpent as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Spear "This is the symbol of Wotan's authority while that lasts. Through it he has subjected others to his will, and by it he prevents strife between gods and giants. It is his ego, and its power is eventually broken by the superior power of the Sword, representing youthful strength and love"(Blyth, 16). Sword A sword is one of several objects in the Ring that are highlighted by Wagner for its symbolic significance in Teutonic mythology and for its theatrical utility. It is "the symbol of strength and the burning force of life" (Blyth, 16).

In the tradition of the naming of swords throughout various Teutonic myths and heroic epics, Wagner calls the sword of his Ring Notung, which means "child 'born' of need." Wagner's "Siegmund comes to possess it through the love of Sieglinde, but Wotan, who has presented Siegmund with this life force, nullifies its power when he is forced to shatter it by Fricka's insistence on the upholding of marital law. Its fragments are inherited by Siegmund's son, Siegfried, through Mime, who is powerless to recreate this life force. Only Siegfried is able to refashion the sword, and uses it as a weapon" to kill the dragon Fafner. "It is now seemingly invested with superhuman power as it strikes down evil, breaks the spear, and cuts through Brunnhilde's armour, losing its power only when Siegfried betrays Brunnhilde" (Blyth, 16; also from Cord, 96-98). Click below to hear Wagner's leitmotiv for the sword. Sword as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Thunder Like lightning, thunder was used for dramatic purposes in the Ring.

The musical effect of thunder could be achieved through the hitting of a bass drum or similar instrument. The only instance in which Wagner includes thunder in his operas occurs at the end of Das Rheingold when Thor uses Mjollnir to clear the skies so the gods clearly can see the way to Valhalla. Thunder as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Tree Much of the Ring drama takes place within nature. The stage settings of four of the ten acts of the Ring have a forest as part of the scene. One set of stage instructions even specifies that the forest is a fir tree forest. Wagner refused to put the Oak tree into the plot of his dramas, though this tree was an especially sacred tree in early Teutonic mythology. Instead, Wagner specifically used three types of trees in the Ring: the fir, the linden and the ash. The fir tree, Tannenwald, is used throughout the operas as a background setting, since it evoked the atmosphere of the Germanic forests. But, Wagner does not highlight the symbolic nature of the fir as he does the linden and the ash.

The linden is the tree for lovers who wish to fall in love, and it may also cause a hero to fall into a deep enchanted sleep. In the second act of Siegfried, the hero lies under a linden tree, dreams of his father and mother, and wishes he could understand the song of the Forest Bird. Unlike the linden's association with love and fertility, the ash tree was seen as the tree of war. The ash gave warriors silent warnings about war; warriors wished to die in battle under an ash for they might get selected by Odin to go to Valhalla; and the favored spears of the culture were fashioned from the ash tree. Yggdrasill was the eternally groaning World Ash Tree of Teutonic mythology. Though Wagner never refers to any of the ashes throughout his dramas as Yggdrasill, he nonetheless included three ash trees in the Ring. In the final scene of the first act of Siegfried, Siegfried begins to reforge the two pieces of Notung, his father's word. While Siegfried is working, he tells of the ash he felled from which he made the fuel for the fire.

This detail is important because the fire allows Siegfried to remake the sword that will kill the dragon Fafner and will allow the hero to reclaim the gold and to shatter the supreme power of Wotan. The other two ash trees Wagner features in the Ring are the ash seen in the beginning of Die Walkure that is Hunding's dwelling, a tree that was formerly an oak, and the tree under which the Norns weave their Rope of destiny in the "Prelude" to Gotterdammerung (Blyth; Cord). Tree as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Wanderer In Siegfried, the young hero meets up with a mysterious Wanderer, who is really his grandfather, the god Wotan, in disguise. Throughout Teutonic mythology, the all-father Wotan (Wagner's version of Odin) transforms himself so he can travel freely amongst the nine worlds. Similarly, Wagner's Wotan is also famed for his various disguises; but, Wotan must rely on his own powers and cleverness, not objects like the Tarnhelm, the magic hat (cap), in order to change his appearance (Cord, I, 121-2).

Click below to hear Wotan's leitmotif for the Wanderer. Wotan as the Wanderer Water "The third element of the Grecian concept of the fundamental consituents of creation is water. This basic element...is generously provided in Wagner's Ring, and not merely once. The first offering is evident at the rise of the first curtain, in the initial scene of Das Rheingold whose setting is the bottom of the Rhine River. It this Rhine that steadily makes its own way through the lengthy drma and is regularly sensed as being almost ever-present by means of the numerous references to it by the players.... Of course, the Rhine and its waters become a primary factor in the last moments of the Ring, primary in the sense that it is the Rhine that overflows its banks and floods the world, extinguishing the conflagration that has brought defeat and destruction to the gods. There can be no suggestion that the element of water is lacking in the Ring" (Cord, 107).

At the end of Gotterdammerung, Wagner took advantage of the symbolic nature of water for dramatic effect in causing Hagen, Alberich's evil son, to die by drowning in the Rhine river. "Wagner seemed to feel that Hagen's death should become an action that was related to the drama, an action that would enhance the details of his argument. Thus it was that death by drowning was to be the cause of Hagen's death, but it was not a drowning at any place, in just any water. Rather, he would cause Hagen's death to be in the Rhine, the waters that are so significant throughout his drama and the waters that had served as the original home of the gold and to which it would be returned by Brunnhilde in her final moments" (Cord, III:1, 229). Water as a symbol in Teutonic mythology Wolf "Wagner understood the matter of the wolf in the lives of the gods, and especially that animal's association with Wotan (Odin). He sensed that it would be thematically correct and dramatically appropriate to bring that association into his Ring drama.

And thus it is that the theme of the wolf takes a silent but nevertheless rightful role in Wagner's Nibelung tale. "The topic of the wolf in Wagner's drama makes its first appearance in Die Walkure, as Siegmund relates the story of his sad life.... (He) tells how he and his father (Wotan) traveled about in the forests, much like the wolf, and that they were really the 'wolf pair.' Siegmund later says that he even called his father 'Wolfe' because he was really a wolf to cowardly foxes.... Wagner continues the theme of the wolf" in Siegfried when Siegfried, Siegmund's son, "desirous to know who his parents were...tells Mime that the wolf is one of the animals that has a mate and offspring and that they all live as family. The lonely youth later laments that the only thing his horn calls attract are the wolf and the bear.

The final reference to the wolf comes in the last scene of the second act of Siegfried, when Mime makes reference to Siegfried as Wolfssohn, that is, 'Wolf's son'" (Cord, III:2, 527-30).

Sigurd "Fafnisbana" Sigmundsson, of Denmark (c.725 - 816) - Genealogy Sigurd "Fafnisbana" Sigmundsson, of Denmark Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love Build your family tree online Share photos and videos Sigurd "Fafnisbana" Sigmundsson, of Denmark Norse, Old: Sigurðr Sigmundsson, of Denmark Also Known As: "Fafnisbana", "Favnesbane", "Wolsung", "Fafnesbane", "Fafnir's Bane", "Fofnersbane", "Sigurd Wolsung FAVNESBANE //", "/Fafnisbana/", "Sigurd "Fafnisbana" /Sigmundsson/", "/Sigebert/ I", "Fovnesbane", "Sigurd "Fafnisbaba" Signundsson", "Siegfried", "Sivard Snarensven(d)" Birthdate: Half brother of Innsten of Sweden ; Fjotle Or Fitela and Sinfjøtle Sigmundsson Occupation: Sagokung i Danmark

, Roi des Huns de l'Est, Roi, de Danemark, Sagakonge i Danmark, Sagakonge, King Denmark, Norway, koning der Hunnen, Fafnisbana (Dragon Slayer) Managed by: stepson About Sigurd "Fafnisbana" Sigmundsson, of Denmark Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) was a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga.

The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden[1] and most notably the Ramsund carving (c. 1000) and the Gök Runestone (11th century). As Siegfried, he is the hero in the German Nibelungenlied, and Richard Wagner's operas Siegfried and Götterdämmerung. As Sivard Snarensven(d) he was the hero of several medieval Scandinavian ballads. The name Sigurðr is a Norwegian adaptation of the German Siegfried, a more etymologically consistent Old Norse form would have been Sigruþr, a form which appears in the Ramsund carving that depicts the legend[2]. Sivard is a form of the name Sigurðr. In the Völsunga saga, Sigurd is the posthumous son of Sigmund and his second wife, Hiordis. Sigmund dies in battle when he attacks Odin (who is in disguise), and Odin shatters Sigmund's sword. Dying, Sigmund tells Hiordis of her pregnancy and bequeaths the fragments of his sword to his unborn son.

Hiordis marries King Alf, and then Alf decided to send Sigurd to Regin as a foster. Regin tempts Sigurd to greed and violence by first asking Sigurd if he has control over Sigmund's gold. When Sigurd says that Alf and his family control the gold and will give him anything he desires, Regin asks Sigurd why he consents to a lowly position at court. Sigurd replies that he is treated as an equal by the kings and can get anything he desires. Then Regin asks Sigurd why he acts as stableboy to the kings and has no horse of his own. Sigurd then goes to get a horse. An old man (Odin in disguise) advises Sigurd on choice of horse, and in this way Sigurd gets Grani, a horse derived from Odin's own Sleipnir. Finally, Regin tries to tempt Sigurd by telling him the story of the Otter's Gold. Regin's father was Hreidmar, and his two brothers were Ótr and Fafnir . Regin was a natural at smithing, and Otr was natural at swimming.

Otr used to swim at Andvari's waterfall, where the dwarf Andvari lived. Andvari often assumed the form of a pike and swam in the pool. One day, the Æsir saw Otr with a fish on the banks, thought him an otter, and Loki killed him. They took the carcass to the nearby home of Hreidmar to display their catch. Hreidmar, Fafnir, and Regin seized the Æsir and demanded compensation for the death of Otr. The compensation was to stuff the body with gold and cover the skin with fine treasures. Loki got the net from the sea giantess Rán, caught Andvari (as a pike), and demanded all of the dwarf's gold. Andvari gave the gold, except for a ring. Loki took this ring, too, although it carried a curse of death on its bearer. The Æsir used this gold and stuffed Otr's body with gold and covered its skin in gold and covered the last exposed place (a whisker) with the ring of Andvari. Afterward, Fafnir killed Hreidmar and took the gold.

Sigurd agrees to kill Fafnir, who has turned himself into a dragon in order to be better able to guard the gold. Sigurd has Regin make him a sword, which he tests by striking the anvil. The sword shatters, so he has Regin make another. This also shatters. Finally, Sigurd has Regin make a sword out of the fragments that had been left to him by Sigmund. The resulting sword, Gram, cuts through the anvil. To kill Fafnir the dragon, Regin advises him to dig a pit, wait for Fafnir to walk over it, and then stab the dragon. Odin, posing as an old man, advises Sigurd to dig trenches also to drain the blood, and to bathe in it after killing the dragon; bathing in Fafnir's blood confers invulnerability. Sigurd does so and kills Fafnir; Sigurd then bathes in the dragon's blood, which touches all of his body except for one of his shoulders where a leaf was stuck. Regin then asked Sigurd to give him Fafnir's heart for himself.

Sigurd drinks some of Fafnir's blood and gains the ability to understand the language of birds. Birds advise him to kill Regin, since Regin is plotting Sigurd's death. Sigurd beheads Regin, roasts Fafnir's heart and consumes part of it. This gives him the gift of "wisdom" (prophecy). Sigurd met Brynhildr, a "shieldmaiden," after killing Fafnir. She pledges herself to him but also prophesies his doom and marriage to another. (In Völsunga saga, it is not clear that Brynhild is a Valkyrie or in any way supernatural.) Sigurd went to the court of Heimar, who was married to Bekkhild, sister of Brynhild, and then to the court of Gjúki, where he came to live. Gjuki had three sons and one daughter by his wife, Grimhild. The sons were Gunnar, Hogni and Guttorm, and the daughter was Gudrun. Grimhild made an "Ale of Forgetfulness" to force Sigurd to forget Brynhild, so he could marry Gudrun.

Later, Gunnar wanted to court Brynhild. Brynhild's bower was surrounded by flames, and she promised herself only to the man daring enough to go through them. Only Grani, Sigurd's horse, would do it, and only with Sigurd on it. Sigurd exchanged shapes with Gunnar, rode through the flames, and won Brynhild for Gunnar. Some time later, Brynhild taunted Gudrun for having a better husband, and Gudrun explained all that had passed to Brynhild and explained the deception. For having been deceived and cheated of the husband she had desired, Brynhild plots revenge. First, she refuses to speak to anyone and withdraws. Eventually, Sigurd was sent by Gunnar to see what was wrong, and Brynhild accuses Sigurd of taking liberties with her. Gunnar and Hogni plot Sigurd's death and enchant their brother, Guttorm, to a frenzy to accomplish the deed. Guttorm kills Sigurd in bed, and Brynhild kills Sigurd's three year old son Sigmund (named for Sigurd's father).

Brynhild then wills herself to die, and builds a funeral pyre for Sigurd, Sigurd's son, Guttorm (killed by Sigurd) and herself. Sigurd and Brynhild had the daughter Aslaug who married Ragnar Lodbrok. Sigurd and Gudrun are parents to the twins Sigmund (named after Sigurd's father) and Svanhild. Teutonic Myth and Legend, by Donald A. Mackenzie, [1912], at p. 309 CHAPTER XXVIII Sigurd the Dragon Slayer ...When her son was born, the name he received was p. 314 Sigurd. A Volsung was he indeed. Bright were his eyes, and his face was kingly, and Hjaalprek took pride in him. He grew up to be strong and fearless; a warman's skill had he ever and Volsung pride, and he had great wisdom, and was eloquent of speech. His foster father was Regin, the wonder, Smith, brother of the dragon Fafner, and he gave the lad instruction in many arts, and in the mystery of runes, and taught him many languages.

One day Regin asked the lad if he knew that his father had left great treasure, and that Hjaalprek guarded it; and Sigurd said it was guarded for him and he had faith in the king. Then Regin urged him to ask a horse from Hjaalprek, and when the lad did that the king bade him select the one he desired. An old, grey-bearded man, with one eye, came to Sigurd, who knew not that he was Odin, and he chose for the lad a steed which was of Sleipner's race. Sigurd called it Grane because it was grey, nor was its equal to be found in the world. Now Alv took Hjordis for wife, and they lived happily together. Then a day came when Regin, perceiving that the lad grew to manhood's strength and wisdom while he was yet young, bethought to tell him of the treasure over which the dragon Fafner kept constant guard. He urged Sigurd to slay the monster.

"I am scarce more than a child yet," Sigurd said; "why dost thou urge me to do this mighty deed?" Then Regin told the story of the treasure, and how Loke had taken it from the dwarf Andvari; how it was given to his own sire, whom his brother Fafner slew so that he might have all the gold for himself. Sigurd heard him in silence, and when Regin said: p. 315 "If thou shalt go forth to slay Fafner I shall forge a mighty sword for thee." So the lad said: "Forge then a sword for me which shall be without an equal, for fain would I do mighty deeds." Then Regin went to his smithy and made a sword; but the lad smote it on the anvil and it flew in pieces. A second sword he splintered also. 1 Thereafter Sigurd went to his mother and asked for the broken pieces of his sire's great sword Gram. Then he bade Regin forge it anew, and the Smith did that, although unwillingly. When it was made, the lad put the blade to test and clove the anvil in twain.

Next he cut wool with it in the river, so keen was its edge. He was well pleased with Gram. Regin then bade him promise to slay Fafner, and Sigurd said: "As I promised thee, so shall I do, but first I must set forth to avenge the death of my sire." Stronger grew the lad, and he was of great stature 2 and skilled in feats of arms. Ere he set forth to do deeds of valour he paid visit to Griper, his mother's brother, who had power to foretell what would come to pass. Sigurd desired to know what the norns had decreed regarding him, and although Griper was at first unwilling to tell him, he at last unfolded to the lad his whole future life. p. 316 Thereafter Sigurd went to the king and besought that he should get ships and war-men to go forth against the tribe of Hunding, and avenge upon King Lynge the death of Sigmund. Hjaalprek gave him according to his desire.

A great storm broke forth as he crossed the seas, and as the ships came nigh a headland a man beckoned to Sigurd and desired to be taken aboard. The young hero commanded that this should be done. His name was Fjorner 1, and he carried out the behests of Urd. He sang strange runes regarding the battle that was to be. As he did so the storm passed away, and they drew nigh to the kingdom of King Lynge. Then Fjorner vanished. Sigurd laid waste the country, and tidings were borne to King Lynge that fierce foemen had invaded the kingdom. A great army was collected to oppose them, but Sigurd was given victory, and he slew Lynge, and thus avenged his sire's death. With the sword Gram he clove the king in twain, and all the sons of Hunding who were there he slew also. So did Sigurd achieve great renown, and with the treasure he had captured he returned unto Hjaalprek. Ere long Regin spake to him in secret, calling to mind his promise to slay the dragon Fafner.

"As I have promised," Sigurd said, "so shall I do." Regin went forth towards the Glittering Heath with the young hero, whom he counselled to make a pit so that he might slay the dragon from beneath when it came out to drink. "If the dragon's blood fills up the pit, how will it fare with me?" Sigurd exclaimed. "Thou seem'st to be afraid," Regin said. "'Unlike thy kin art thou." p. 317 Sigurd went towards the dragon's dwelling, but Regin waited at a distance. Then to the young hero came an old and grey-bearded man with one eye, and he gave counsel that he should dig many pits, so that the blood of the dragon might not drown him. 1 Sigurd knew not that the man was Odin, but he did as he was advised: he dug many pits, and in one of them he concealed himself and waited for the dragon to come forth. In time Fafner crawled from his lair, roaring and spouting venom. The earth shook, and Regin trembled in his hiding place. But Sigurd was not afraid.

He waited until the monster was over the pit in which he stood, then he plunged his sword Gram through the dragon right up to the hilt. He drew it forth again, and the blood reddened his arms, and ran into the pits. Fafner tossed in fury, and destroyed all things that were nigh him, but soon he knew well that he was wounded unto death. As he lay helpless and weak he beheld Sigurd coming forth. Fafner spake and asked him: "Who art thou that feared me not? What is thy name, and what is thy sire's name?" Sigurd answered: "My folk are strangers among men. My name is Lordly Beast. I have nor sire nor mother, and hither came I alone." 2 Fafner said: "Wilt thou lie to me in my hour of death) by saying that thou hast nor sire nor mother or other name than Lordly Beast?" p. 318 Sigurd thereupon said: "My name is Sigurd, and I am Sigmund's son." "Brave was thy sire," said the dragon, "but didst thou never hear that I was feared among men?

Name thou him who urged thee to slay me." Sigurd told not of Regin, and the dragon warned him that the gold would be a curse to him. But the young hero said: "We can but keep our gold till life's end, and a man dieth once only." Fafner then said: "By Regin was I betrayed. Thee too would he betray; he desires my death and thine." Soon afterwards the dragon died, whereupon Regin came forth from his hiding place. He came humbly towards the young hero and spake words of flattery to him. Then he said: "But, alas! thou hast slain my brother, nor am I myself without blame." Sigurd said angrily: "When I performed this great deed thou didst crouch like a coward in a bush." "It was I who forged the sword with which thou didst slay Fafner," said Regin. Then Sigurd answered: "Better in battle is a brave heart than a strong sword." Again Regin said: "Alas! thou hast slain my brother, nor am I myself without blame." Sigurd cut out the dragon's heart, and Regin drank the blood.

Then the wonder smith bade the young hero to roast the heart for him while he lay down to sleep. The lad thrust a rod through it and roasted it over a fire. When the heart frizzled he laid his finger on the spot, lest the blood should come forth, and then he thrust his finger in his mouth. When he did that he at once understood the language of birds. 1 ... Fafnir From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In Norse mythology, Fáfnir (Old Norse and Icelandic) or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother of Regin and Ótr. In the Volsunga saga, Fáfnir was a dwarf gifted with a powerful arm and fearless soul. He guarded his father's house of glittering gold and flashing gems. He was the strongest and most aggressive of the three brothers. After Ótr was killed by Loki, Hreidmar received the cursed gold of Andvari's as repayment for the loss of his son. Fáfnir and Regin then killed their father to get the gold, but Fáfnir decided he wanted it all, turning into a dragon (symbol of greed).

Regin then sent his foster-son, Sigurd, to kill the dragon. Sigurd succeeded by digging a pit under the trail Fáfnir used to walk to a stream and plunging his sword Gram into his heart as he walked past. Regin, however, corrupted by the curse on Andvari's gold, planned to kill Sigurd to take the treasure for himself, but Sigurd, having eaten part of Fáfnir's cooked heart, was warned by birds of Regin's attack and ended up killing him. As Fafner, he is featured in Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, although he began life as a giant rather than a dwarf, before once again turning into a dragon to better guard the gold. Some versions are more specific about Fafnir's treasure hoard, mentioning the swords Ridill and Hrotti as part of it. Sigrud "Fafnisbana" Sigmundsson - was born about 0735, lived in Norway. He is the son of Sigmund Volsungsson and Hjordis Eylimasdatter. Sigrud married Brunhild Budlasdatter.

Brunhild was born about 0738, lived in Norway. She is the daughter of Budli Leinfnisson. Children: i. Aslaug Sigurdsatter was born about 0765, lived in Denmark. Aslaug married Ragnar Sigurdsson about 0763 while living in Denmark. Ragnar was born about 0765 in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden. He was the son of King Sigrud Randversson and Alfhild Gandolfsdatter. He died in 0845 in England Biografi Sagokung i Danmark. Född 735 i Norge. Död 775 i Tyskland. Fadern heter enligt sagorna Sigurd 'Fafnesbane' Wolsung och modern var sköldmön Brynhilda. Namnet Kraka är alias liten Aslög. Föräldrarna miste livet nere i Tyskland, men Aslög räddades av sin fosterfar Heimer.

På vandring i Norge dödades han av ett äldre par som hette Åke och Grima. De tog hand om flickebarnet, och hon växte upp i hårt arbete och stor fattigdom på Spangarhed i Norge. (Källa: En nordisk kronologi, Alf Henriksson) Sigurd Fåvnesbane var en germansk helt. Ifølge legenden var han sønn av Sigmund og Hjørdis. Sigurd klarte å drepe dragen Fåvne med sverdet Gram og sikret seg dermed en stor skatt. Hans liv er beskrevet i heltediktene i Den eldre Edda og i det tyske Nibelungenlied (diktet om Nivlungene) og i Volsungesaga. En kan gå ut fra at sagnet er spunnet sammen av forskjellige historiske hendelser fra forskjellig tid.

Dersom sagnet om Sigurd ses symbolsk er det ifølge nyere litteraturforskning mye som taler for at Sigurd Fåvnesbane er identisk med kjeruskerkongen Arminius (16 f.Kr. – 21 e.Kr.). I år 9 lokket han tre av keiser Augustus' legioner (lindorm, ca. 6 km lange tog av soldater) i et bakhold ved Teutoburger Wald (Gnitaheide, rundt 1150 stadfestet av den islandske abbeden Nikulás) og tilintetgjorde disse. Etter dette nederlaget ga romerne opp å utvide romerriket nordover. Arminius var det romerske navnet, det germanske navnet er ikke kjent, men en vet at de fleste menn in ætten på denne tiden hadde navn som begynte med Segi.

Et interessant indis er at Sigurd i diktene ofte blir symbolisert av en hjort, noe som egentlig ikke passer riktig til en hærfører - men hjorten var kjeruskenes totemdyr. Også kjent som Sigurd Fåvnesbane Marriage: Unknown Sigurd married. Sources -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Brian C. Tompsett, Directory of Royal Genealogical (Data Brian Tompsett Department of Computer Science University of Hull Hull, UK, HU6 7RX B.C.Tompsett@dcs.hull.ac.uk ). Blev ca 40 år. Född: omkring 735 Norge Död: omkring 775 Ingelheim, Tyskland Noteringar SIGURD & THE DRAGON FAFNIR Origin: Norse Myth Sigurd (also known as Siegfried) Volsung was told by the dwarf Regin to gain fame and power to slay a terrible dragon named Fafnir that guarded a huge mound of treasure.

Sigurd took up interest in this dragon, and recently was awarded with his father's broken sword (named Gram) which Regin forged back into one whole massive sword. Sigurd and the dwarf rode to find the fearless beast. What Sigurd did not know is that Regin's brother murdered their father to gain the wealth of the kingdom. This brother's name was Fafnir. Fafnir, because of his greed for gold and jewels changed his corrupt self into a massive dragon to protect his hoard better. From what Sigurd knew of dragons, their tough,scaly hide on the top of the body was impregnable to any weapon. Regin suggested building a pit in which Sigurd could hide. So they both dug a pit outside of the dragon's lair. With Sigurd hiding, Regin covered the pit with branches. He waited hours for the dragon to come back from its daily visit to the watering hole nearby. Finally, a shadow covered the top of the pit, and Sigurd took the huge sword Gram in both hands and shoved as hard as he could up towards the exposed, soft belly of the dragon. With the dragon dead, Sigurd climbed out of his hiding place.

Regin then caved out the beast's heart to roast. When handing it to Sigurd to share, he burnt his hand and sucked on his fingers. Moments later he heard chattering, and surprised, looked up to see birds talking. They were saying how the dwarf was planning Sigurd's murder. He saw the truth in the dwarf's eyes and took out the sword and sliced off Regin's head. He went into the cave to claim the treasure as his own. Noteringar SIGURD & THE DRAGON FAFNIR Origin: Norse Myth Sigurd (also known as Siegfried) Volsung was told by the dwarf Regin to gain fame and power to slay a terrible dragon named Fafnir that guarded a huge mound of treasure. Sigurd took up interest in this dragon, and recently was awarded with his father's broken sword (named Gram) which Regin forged back into one whole massive sword. Sigurd and the dwarf rode to find the fearless beast. What Sigurd did not know is that Regin's brother murdered their father to gain the wealth of the kingdom. This brother's name was Fafnir.

Fafnir, because of his greed for gold and jewels changed his corrupt self into a massive dragon to protect his hoard better. From what Sigurd knew of dragons, their tough,scaly hide on the top of the body was impregnable to any weapon. Regin suggested building a pit in which Sigurd could hide. So they both dug a pit outside of the dragon's lair. With Sigurd hiding, Regin covered the pit with branches. He waited hours for the dragon to come back from its daily visit to the watering hole nearby. Finally, a shadow covered the top of the pit, and Sigurd took the huge sword Gram in both hands and shoved as hard as he could up towards the exposed, soft belly of the dragon. With the dragon dead, Sigurd climbed out of his hiding place. Regin then caved out the beast's heart to roast. When handing it to Sigurd to share, he burnt his hand and sucked on his fingers. Moments later he heard chattering, and surprised, looked up to see birds talking. They were saying how the dwarf was planning Sigurd's murder. He saw the truth in the dwarf's eyes and took out the sword and sliced off Regin's head.

He went into the cave to claim the treasure as his own. Sigurd Fafnersbane Fra Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædi Gå til: navigation, søg Valkyrierne Brynhild og Gudrun. Sigurd Fafnersbane er gift med Gudrun.Sigurd Fafnersbane er en figur i nordisk mytologi, søn af Sigmund og Hjørdis. Med sværdet Gram dræber han Fafner, som er i slange/drageskikkelse, og får derefter tilnavnet "Fafnersbane". Sigurd er gift med Gudrun. Sigurd bliver efter sin død én af Einherjerne sammen med sin far. Sigurd-figuren har en del ligheder med den germanske Nibelung-sagnheld Siegfred, der bla. indtager en fremtrædende rolle i Wagners cykliske opera-epos om Nibelungens Ring. [redigér] Eksterne links In the Völsunga saga, Sigurd is the posthumous son of Sigmund and his second wife, Hiordis.

Sigmund dies in battle when he attacks Odin (who is in disguise), and Odin shatters Sigmund's sword. Dying, Sigmund tells Hiordis of her pregnancy and bequeaths the fragments of his sword to his unborn son. Hiordis marries King Alf, and then Alf decided to send Sigurd to Regin as a foster. Regin tempts Sigurd to greed and violence by first asking Sigurd if he has control over Sigmund's gold. When Sigurd says that Alf and his family control the gold and will give him anything he desires, Regin asks Sigurd why he consents to a lowly position at court. Sigurd replies that he is treated as an equal by the kings and can get anything he desires. Then Regin asks Sigurd why he acts as stableboy to the kings and has no horse of his own. Sigurd then goes to get a horse. An old man (Odin in disguise) advises Sigurd on choice of horse, and in this way Sigurd gets Grani, a horse derived from Odin's own Sleipnir. Finally, Regin tries to tempt Sigurd by telling him the story of the Otter's Gold.

Regin's father was Hreidmar, and his two brothers were Ótr and Fafnir. Regin was a natural at smithing, and Otr was natural at swimming. Otr used to swim at Andvari's waterfall, where the dwarf Andvari lived. Andvari often assumed the form of a pike and swam in the pool. One day, the Æsir saw Otr with a fish on the banks, thought him an otter, and Loki killed him. They took the carcass to the nearby home of Hreidmar to display their catch. Hreidmar, Fafnir, and Regin seized the Æsir and demanded compensation for the death of Otr. The compensation was to stuff the body with gold and cover the skin with fine treasures. Loki got the net from the sea giantess Rán, caught Andvari (as a pike), and demanded all of the dwarf's gold. Andvari gave the gold, except for a ring. Loki took this ring, too, although it carried a curse of death on its bearer.

The Æsir used this gold and stuffed Otr's body with gold and covered its skin in gold and covered the last exposed place (a whisker) with the ring of Andvari. Afterward, Fafnir killed Hreidmar and took the gold. "Sigurd proofs the sword Gram" (1901) by Johannes Gehrts.Sigurd agrees to kill Fafnir, who has turned himself into a dragon in order to be better able to guard the gold. Sigurd has Regin make him a sword, which he tests by striking the anvil. The sword shatters, so he has Regin make another. This also shatters. Finally, Sigurd has Regin make a sword out of the fragments that had been left to him by Sigmund. The resulting sword, Gram, cuts through the anvil. To kill Fafnir the dragon, Regin advises him to dig a pit, wait for Fafnir to walk over it, and then stab the dragon.

Odin, posing as an old man, advises Sigurd to dig trenches also to drain the blood, and to bathe in it after killing the dragon; bathing in Fafnir's blood confers invulnerability. Sigurd does so and kills Fafnir; Sigurd then bathes in the dragon's blood, which touches all of his body except for one of his shoulders where a leaf was stuck. Regin then asked Sigurd to give him Fafnir's heart for himself. Sigurd drinks some of Fafnir's blood and gains the ability to understand the language of birds. Birds advise him to kill Regin, since Regin is plotting Sigurd's death. Sigurd beheads Regin, roasts Fafnir's heart and consumes part of it. This gives him the gift of "wisdom" (prophecy). Sigurd met Brynhildr, a "shieldmaiden," after killing Fafnir. She pledges herself to him but also prophesies his doom and marriage to another.

(In Völsunga saga, it is not clear that Brynhild is a Valkyrie or in any way supernatural.) Sigurd went to the court of Heimar, who was married to Bekkhild, sister of Brynhild, and then to the court of Gjúki, where he came to live. Gjuki had three sons and one daughter by his wife, Grimhild. The sons were Gunnar, Hogni and Guttorm, and the daughter was Gudrun. Grimhild made an "Ale of Forgetfulness" to force Sigurd to forget Brynhild, so he could marry Gudrun. Later, Gunnar wanted to court Brynhild. Brynhild's bower was surrounded by flames, and she promised herself only to the man daring enough to go through them. Only Grani, Sigurd's horse, would do it, and only with Sigurd on it. Sigurd exchanged shapes with Gunnar, rode through the flames, and won Brynhild for Gunnar. Some time later, Brynhild taunted Gudrun for having a better husband, and Gudrun explained all that had passed to Brynhild and explained the deception.

For having been deceived and cheated of the husband she had desired, Brynhild plots revenge. First, she refuses to speak to anyone and withdraws. Eventually, Sigurd was sent by Gunnar to see what was wrong, and Brynhild accuses Sigurd of taking liberties with her. Gunnar and Hogni plot Sigurd's death and enchant their brother, Guttorm, to a frenzy to accomplish the deed. Guttorm kills Sigurd in bed, and Brynhild kills Sigurd's three year old son Sigmund (named for Sigurd's father). Brynhild then wills herself to die, and builds a funeral pyre for Sigurd, Sigurd's son, Guttorm (killed by Sigurd) and herself. Sigurd and Brynhild had the daughter Aslaug who married Ragnar Lodbrok. Sigurd and Gudrun are parents to the twins Sigmund (named after Sigurd's father) and Svanhild. Legendary killer of the serpent Fafnir. Sigurd Fåvnesbane var en germansk helt. Ifølge legenden var han sønn av Sigmund og Hjørdis.

Sigurd klarte å drepe dragen Fåvne med sverdet Gram og sikret seg dermed en stor skatt. Hans liv er beskrevet i heltediktene i Den eldre Edda og i det tyske Nibelungenlied (diktet om Nivlungene) og i Volsungesaga. En kan gå ut fra at sagnet er spunnet sammen av forskjellige historiske hendelser fra forskjellig tid. Dersom sagnet om Sigurd ses symbolsk er det ifølge nyere litteraturforskning mye som taler for at Sigurd Fåvnesbane er identisk med kjeruskerkongen Arminius (16 f.Kr. – 21 e.Kr.). I år 9 lokket han tre av keiser Augustus' legioner (lindorm, ca. 6 km lange tog av soldater) i et bakhold ved Teutoburger Wald (Gnitaheide, rundt 1150 stadfestet av den islandske abbeden Nikulás) og tilintetgjorde disse.

Etter dette nederlaget ga romerne opp å utvide romerriket nordover. Arminius var det romerske navnet, det germanske navnet er ikke kjent, men en vet at de fleste menn in ætten på denne tiden hadde navn som begynte med Segi. Et interessant indis er at Sigurd i diktene ofte blir symbolisert av en hjort, noe som egentlig ikke passer riktig til en hærfører - men hjorten var kjeruskenes totemdyr. Også kjent som Sigurd Fåvnesbane Notes for Sigurd Fafnirstöter Norse Dragons English | French | Greek/Roman | > Nordic | Swiss Death of Beowulf - illustration by George T. Tobin [colourised by B. Slade] - The Firedrake is the dragon that Beowulf fought his final battle with as the aging hero died of his wounds. The dragon is described as being winged and having fire-breathing abilities. Beowulf, written in Old English sometime before the tenth century A.D., describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century.

It is one of the oldest surviving epics. A slave stumbles into the dragon's hoard and steals a cup, and this infuriates the dragon so much that it sets fire to the local district. Beowulf, having enjoyed 50 years of his reign as king, sets out with his young warriors in pursuit and challenges the dragon to a combat that proves to be fatal for both of them. - Nidhogg or Nidhoggr [also known as the "Dread Biter"] was one of the most feared of the early Nordic dragons. He lived at the foot of the world ash tree, Yggdrasil. The tree had three great roots, one of which reached over the freezing mist and darkness of Niflheim where Hel reigned as Queen of the Norse Underworld. Nidhogg could also be found at Hvergelmir [the bubbling cauldron], the spring in Niflheim which is the source of all the rivers of the world. Nidhogg was a dragon that devoured the corpses of evil-doers, and he would gnaw at the roots of Yggdrasil when he got tired of the taste of dead flesh.

Since the world tree supported all life and Nidhogg attempted to destroy it, Nidhoggr was personified as evil itself. Both Yggdrasil and Nidhogg were destined to survive the final catastrophe of Ragnarok, the doom of the gods and ultimately, the end of the world. Fires and floods would not deter the dragon from its incessant feasting on the boundless supply of the dead. Thor wresting with Jormungand at Ragnarok, by James Alexander, 1995 - Jormungand or Jormungandr [the Migard/World Serpent] is the world serpent that lies in the seas with its tail in its mouth, encircling the land and creating the oceans. In Norse mythology it was the serpent son of Loki, god of fire, and brother of Fenrir and Hel. [full size] Midgard serpent devouring itself Odin arranged for these monstrous children to be kidnapped and brought to Asgard. He threw Jormungand into the icy ocean, where he grew to such a monstrous size that he encircled Midgard [the world of men], eventually bitings its own tale and hence becoming known as the Midgard Serpent.

This links Jormungand to Ouroboros, the Egyptian cyclic serpent. At Ragnarok he would meet and be slain by his arch-rival, Thor. Thor would also die - by Jormungand's venom. - Fafnir was the son of the magician Hreidman, who had been corrupted by a cursed ring called Andvarinaut. He lusted after his father's rings, and with the help of his brother, Regin, they killed him. Fafnir's greed grew to be so great, that it not only made him monstrous in nature, but also monstrous in form. He was turned into a terrible dragon. Over a period of time, he managed to collect a massive number of treasures and vigilantly guarded this hoard. This drew many a valiant hero to his lair in search of both wealth and fame. Most of them however, met their untimely deaths by the dragon's fiery breath. There was one hero though, who did manage to outwit the dragon. That hero was Sigurd*, who was guided by Regin and armed only with his father's sword.

However despite his heroic deed which won him fame and fortune, his life from then on was said to be ruined by the curse that came with the ill-fated treasures. * Sigurd, better known as Siegfried [German], was one of the great heroes depicted in the early European Teutonic and Old Norse literature. Whether he was a historical figure or merely a legendary one is unknown. Some scholars believe that behind the legends there was a real person who lived sometime during the Merovingian Dynasty (481-750), which is now France. In most stories he appears as the leading character, a triumphant, dragon-slaying hero of courage and strength. References: 1. Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm 2. Dragons: A Natural History by Dr. Karl Shuker Websites - Siegfried | Germanic literary hero | Britannica.com Germanic literary hero Apollo Siegfried, Old Norse Sigurd, figure from the heroic literature of the ancient Germanic people. He appears in both German and Old Norse literature, although the versions of his stories told by these two branches of the Germanic tradition do not always agree.

He plays a part in the story of Brunhild , in which he meets his death, but in other stories he is the leading character and triumphs. A feature common to all versions is his outstanding strength and courage. Siegfried, illustration from a printing of Nibelungenlied. Stapleton Historical Collection/Heritage-Images One story tells of Siegfried’s fight with a dragon , and another of how he acquired a treasure from two brothers who quarreled over their inheritance. These two stories are combined into one in the Norse Poetic Edda and told in detail, whereas in German literature, where they are kept entirely separate, the information is scant and largely contained in allusions . Siegfried plays a major part in the Nibelungenlied , where this old material is used but is much overlaid with more recent additions. Das Lied vom hürnen Seyfrid, not attested before about 1500, also retains the old material in identifiable form, although the poem’s central theme is the release of a maiden from a dragon; and an Edda poem tells how Sigurd awakened a Valkyrie maiden from a charmed sleep.

Here, too, many critics have tried to establish a connection between German and Norse; but besides important differences, there is doubt about the antiquity of both poems. In the original stories Siegfried was presented as a boy of noble lineage who grew up without parental care; this background shows through clearly, although in the full accounts in both Norse and German it is overlaid with elaborate accounts of his courtly upbringing. It is still disputed, as with Brunhild, whether the figure of Siegfried is of mythical or historical (Merovingian) origin. Learn More in these related articles:

Question: Who was the Teutonic legendary hero who slew Fafnir the dragon?
Answer: Siegfried