Regin

Overview

Regin is at once fosterer, smith and revenge-driver. He gives Sigurd equipment and a story reason, but his aim is Fafnir’s gold.

Key facts

Further spoiler details are available in the interactive atlas.

Relationships

• Sigurdfosters and trains

  Regin fosters Sigurd and gradually turns him toward Fafnir.

• Hreidmarfather of

  Hreidmar is Regin’s father.

• Fafnirsends toward Fafnir

  Regin uses family grievance and the treasure story to push Sigurd toward Fafnir.

• Sigurdkills

  Sigurd kills Regin after Fafnir dies.

• Sigurdleads to Gnitaheith

  leads to Gnitaheith

• Fafnirnames Regin as betrayer

  names Regin as betrayer

• Sigurdplots against Sigurth while he rests

  plots against Sigurth while he rests

• Sigurdtells of kin and hoard

  tells of kin and hoard

• Fafnirasks for his inheritance

  asks for his inheritance

• Gramforges Gram

  forges Gram

• Sigurdputs his father’s vengeance first

  puts his father’s vengeance first

• Sigurdurges him again toward Fafnir

  urges him again toward Fafnir

Story appearances

• Sigurd and the VolsungsFosterer and manipulator

  Regin fosters Sigurd, tells the old treasure grievance and pushes him toward Fafnir.

• Fafnismol: Dragon Blood and Bird-SpeechFigure or object in Fafnismol

  Hreidmar’s son; he fosters Sigurd and turns the Fafnir treasure grievance into a heroic quest.

• Reginsmol: Gold, Sword, and Broken OmensFigure or artifact in Reginsmol

  Hreidmar’s son; he fosters Sigurd and turns the Fafnir treasure grievance into a heroic quest.

• Gripir’s Prophecy: Asking Fate to Its EndFigure or hoard in Gripisspo

  Hreidmar’s son; he fosters Sigurd and turns the Fafnir treasure grievance into a heroic quest.

Ancient sources

MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.

• Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapter XIII, Sigurd's birth and growth, Regin's fostering and Grani
• Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapter XIV, Regin tells of Hreidmar, Otr, Fafnir, Andvari and Andvari's hoard
• Anonymous, Volsunga Saga, Chapter XIX, Sigurd kills Regin and takes Fafnir's treasure
• 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.
• Anonymous, Poetic Edda, Fafnismol, Bellows, Sigurd, Fafnir and Regin passages