Fafnir
Hreidmar’s son, who kills his father for gold and keeps it in dragon form before Sigurd kills him.
Overview
Fafnir first appears as Hreidmar’s son, then kills for gold and guards it. His dragon form makes heroic dragon-slaying and family curse the same matter.
Relationships
- Hreidmarfather of
Hreidmar is Fafnir’s father.
- Hreidmarkills for gold
Fafnir kills Hreidmar to take the gold.
- Cursed Goldguards gold
Fafnir keeps the gold in dragon form.
- Reginsends toward Fafnir
Regin uses family grievance and the treasure story to push Sigurd toward Fafnir.
- Sigurdslays
Sigurd kills Fafnir.
- Slaying of Fafnircentres on Fafnir
The Slaying of Fafnir centres on Fafnir’s death.
- Cursed Goldleaves the hoard for water
leaves the hoard for water
- Sigurdstrikes from the trench to the heart
strikes from the trench to the heart
- Sigurdquestions the dragon-slayer's identity
questions the dragon-slayer's identity
- Sigurdwarns that the hoard will bring ruin
warns that the hoard will bring ruin
- Reginnames Regin as betrayer
names Regin as betrayer
- Hreidmarkills his father for the gold
kills his father for the gold
- Reginasks for his inheritance
asks for his inheritance
- Gripirforetells Fafnir’s and Regin’s deaths
foretells Fafnir’s and Regin’s deaths
Story appearances
- Sigurd and the VolsungsTreasure-guarding dragon
Fafnir kills his father for gold, guards the treasure and is finally killed by Sigurd.
- Brynhild’s Hell-Ride: A Defense on the Hel-RoadFigure or event in the Hell-Ride’s Hel-road exchange, memory, or defense
Hreidmar’s son, who kills his father for gold and keeps it in dragon form before Sigurd kills him.
- Fafnismol: Dragon Blood and Bird-SpeechFigure or object in Fafnismol
Hreidmar’s son, who kills his father for gold and keeps it in dragon form before Sigurd kills him.
- Reginsmol: Gold, Sword, and Broken OmensFigure or artifact in Reginsmol
Hreidmar’s son, who kills his father for gold and keeps it in dragon form before Sigurd kills him.
- Gripir’s Prophecy: Asking Fate to Its EndFigure or hoard in Gripisspo
Hreidmar’s son, who kills his father for gold and keeps it in dragon form before Sigurd kills him.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.
- Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapter XIV, Regin tells of Hreidmar, Otr, Fafnir, Andvari and Andvari's hoard
- Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapter XVIII, Sigurd kills Fafnir
- Anonymous, Poetic Edda, Fafnismol, Bellows, Sigurd, Fafnir and Regin passages
- Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Reginsmol, Introduction, prose, and stanzas 1–12: Andvari, the ransom gold, Hreithmar’s death, and Regin’s inheritance claim.
- Anonymous; translated by Henry Adams Bellows, The Poetic Edda: Gripisspo, Stanzas 7–19: Gripir foretells vengeance on Hunding’s sons, Fafnir and Regin, the hoard, a sleeping woman, and Heimir.