Völsungasagan

(The Volsunga saga)

It's an ancient norse tale about The Völsunga clan, who's ancestor was Oden.

The first part of this tale is about King Volsung who held a wedding for his daughter, but falls victim to his treacherous son-Siggeir. Völsungs son Sigmund avenged the deed with Sinfjötli. (Whom btw was Sigmunds son that he has with his own sister.) Not too popular with the gods. The former became a mighty king with the help of Oden's sword Gram, which later Oden dismantled. Sigmund was also the father of Sigurd Fafnesbane.

The tale's second part follows the plot of the Edda poem Niblungs cycle. Another chapter is taken from The Didrik tale, and a third piece is taken from Ragnar Lodbroks story. King Sigmund married Hjördis, but Sigmund died shortly thereafter. The son Sigurd is born after his death, and growing up with foster brother Regin. Regin made ​​a sword for Sigurd from the two parts of Gram. After Sigurd avenged his father, he killed the dragon Fafner and took the gold he guarded. He then also killed Regin, who was suspected of treason.

This is all so very confusing isn't it? But this is how old norse tales go. Many people, many weird names and many weird side stories.

So, let me tell you the story about Fafner.
The man Sigurd Fafnesbane is the son of Sigmund and Hjördis. A descendant of the Völsungas, and a famous Hero amongst the vikings and the Gods. He got his name Fafnesbane because he killed the vicious Dragon Fafner (Fafnir) who guarded a great treasure.

As with all old norse tales there are lots of side stories that needs to be told.
Let's take Fafner for instance. He used to be a Dwarf once, and son of Hreidmar and brother of Regin and Utter. And he turned himself into a dragon to protect the great treasure.

And that treasure was a way to amend for a wrongdoing Loke had made to Hreidmar before. Loke "accidentally" killed Hreimars son Utter. See Utter could, just like Fafner, turn himself into an animal. And as Loke didn't know it was Utter he killed him, and then shared his prey with Oden and Höder.

When Hreidmar found out about the deed he went berserk and kidnapped Oden and Höder and demanded a ransom from Loke.


Hreidmar took Oden and Höder hostage and demanded the fine that Loki would fill the otter skin (Utter) with gold and then cover the gold-filled skin with more gold.
Hreidmar suggested that Loki would steal Andvares fabulous treasure which would surely perform penance. Andvari was a sharp toothed pike which could not be caught with a rod nor regular line. Loki succeeded in using sea giantess Rans nets and entrap the pike and extort him the treasure including a magic ring. The Ring incubated under Andvari a curse that caused violent incidents for their owners.
Loki wanted to keep the ring for himself, but the ring was needed to cover the last whisker of Utter and then perform penance. The ring spread its evil and greed and while Regin was gone and worked with the dwarfs, Fafne decided to kill Hreidmar and claiming the entire treasure. Then Fafne took his dragon shape to better defend his treasure and keep looters away.



Sigurd managed to slay the mighty dragon Fafner and came across a great treasure. That treasure included the magic ring Andvaranaut that made their owners rich. Earlier, however, Loki wrung from dwarf Andvari ring, but he; in retaliation, provided the ring with a curse: the ring might destroy the one who took it. Ring destroyed so first Fafnir father Hreidmar, then Fafner and eventually Sigurd as well.

Thus his name was Sigurd Fafnesbane.


In the German Nibelungenlied Sigurd is called Siegfried.
The main events of the Sigurd Fafnesbanes life depicted on Sigurd Carving and Gökstenen.



See, and I made thing EASY for you.
In these old tales, the side stories are ridiculously many and odd. haha