User:SirLeMonk/Fáfnir

The Elder Edda of Saemund:
This version, Fafnir has two sisters, and he kills his father in his sleep because he refuse to share the ransom with Regin and Fafnir. Once he had the gold, Fafnir refused Regin his share. Gram's creation is a gift for Sigurd. Sigurd dug a pit and waited were Fafnir drinks water, and stabbed him through the heart. Before his death, Fafnir and Sigurd exchanged words. Fafnir warned " Sigurd! I now counsel thee, do thou take my counsel; and hence ride home. The jingling gold, and the gleed-red treasure, those rings, shall be thy bane. Regin cuts out Fafnir's heart with a sword called Ridill, and drank blood from the wound. From here the story overlaps, as he roasts the heart, burns his finger, and can understand birds. The birds explain Regin will betray him, so Sigurd cuts his head off in his sleep and drinks both Regin, and Fafnir's blood.

[Intro]
In Norse mythology, Fáfnir (Old Norse: Old Norse pronunciation: [ˈfɑːvnez̠]) is a son of Hreidmar and brother of Regin, Ótr, Lyngheiðr, and Lofnheiðr. After being affected by the curse of Andvari's ring and gold, Fáfnir became a dragon and was slain by Sigurd.

Intro
In Norse and Germanic mythology, Fáfnir (Old Norse: Old Norse pronunciation: [ˈfɑːvnez̠]) is a mighty dwarf and son of Hreidmar, and brother of Regin and Ótr. Once cursed by Andvari's ring and gold, Fafnir slays his father out of greed and becomes a dragon. Fafnir's brother Regin assisted Sigurd in obtaining Gram, the sword he used to kill Fáfnir.

Narrative
There have been many renditions of Fáfnir's tale throughout history, but they all follow a standard structure. Loki kills the brother of Regin and Fáfnir, Ótr, while he is in the shape of an otter. As payment, Loki, Odin, and Hœnir had to fill the otter's skin with gold. Loki collects the gold from the pike Andvari and returns the ransom to Hreidmar, Otr's father. When Hreidmar refuses to share the gold, Fáfnir murders him out of greed. Fáfnir then takes his treasure into the wilderness and turns into a dragon to guard it. And by use of the sword, Gram, Sigurd defeats Fáfnir in his serpentine form. Regin, who joins Sigurd, cuts out Fáfnir's heart and convinces Sigurd to roast it. After only a tiny taste, Sigurd gains the ability to understand birds.

Beyond this, some versions of the story mention Fáfnir's sisters, Lyngheid and Lofnheid. While others have variations in Fáfnir's hoard, mentioning the swords Ridill and Hrotti, the helm of terror, and a golden coat of chainmail.

The Saga of the Volsungs
Regin recounts to Sigurd how Odin, Loki, and Hœnir were traveling when they came across Ótr, who had the likeness of an otter during the day. Loki killed the otter with a stone, and the three Æsir skinned their catch. The gods came to Hreidmar's dwelling that evening and were pleased to show off the otter's skin. Hreidmar and his remaining two sons seized the gods and held them captive. The gods sent Loki to gather the ransom: stuff the otter's skin with gold and cover its outside with red gold. Loki fulfilled the task by procuring the cursed gold of Andvari and the ring, Andvaranaut. As Loki left, Andvari warned the ring and gold would be the death of anyone to possess it. Fáfnir then killed Hreidmar to get all the gold for himself. He became ill-natured and greedy and ventured into the wilderness to keep his fortune. He turned into a serpent or dragon to guard his treasure. Fáfnir breathed poison into the land around him so no one would go near him and his treasure, wreaking terror in the people's hearts.

Plotting revenge to get the treasure, Regin sends his foster-son Sigurd to kill the dragon. Regin instructed Sigurd to dig a pit where he could lie in wait under the trail Fáfnir used to drink. And there plunge his sword, Gram, into Fáfnir's heart as he crawls over the pit to the water. Regin then ran away in fear, leaving Sigurd to the task. As Sigurd dug, Odin appeared as an old man with a long beard. He advised the warrior to dig more than one trench for the blood of Fáfnir to run into, and then disappeared. The earth quaked, and the ground nearby shook as Fáfnir made his way to the stream, blowing poison into his path. Sigurd, undaunted, stabbed Fáfnir in the left shoulder as he crawled over the ditch, mortally wounding the dragon. As the creature died, he spoke to Sigurd and asked for his name, his parentage, and who sent him on such a dangerous mission. Fáfnir figured out that his brother, Regin, plotted this and predicted that Regin would also cause Sigurd's death. Fáfnir warned, "You will ride there, where you will find so much gold that it will be plentiful for the rest of your days. And that same gold will be your death, as it will be the death of all who possess it." Sigurd stood up and said: "I would ride home, even though it would mean losing this great treasure, if I knew that I would never die. But every brave man wants to be wealthy until that one day. And you Fafnir, lie in your death throes until Hel has you."

Regin then returned to Sigurd after Fáfnir's death and cut Fáfnir's heart out with the sword Ridill. After drinking the dragon's blood, Regin requested to eat the heart, so Sigurd roasted it on a spit. He touched it to check its doneness, and it burnt his finger. He stuck his finger in his mouth, and once Fáfnir's blood touched his tongue, he could understand the speech of birds. He then overhears nearby birds warning him of Regin's treachery. The six birds advise him to eat the heart himself and kill Regin. He ate some of Fáfnir's heart and saved some. He then decapitated Regin with Gram.