Fafnir

Fafnir

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.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fafnir — Fáfnir Siegfried tuant Fafner, par Arthur Rackham (1911) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Fafnir — Fafnir,   Fafner, altnordische Mythologie: der Sohn Hreidmars und Bruder des Regin. Er war mit seinem Vater und Bruder im Besitz des großen Goldhortes, den Odin, Hönir und Loki für die Ermordung von Fafnirs Bruder Otr gezahlt hatten. Fafnir… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Fafnir — [fäv′nir΄] n. [ON Fāfnir] Norse Myth. a giant who, in the form of a dragon, guards the Nibelung treasure: he is killed by Sigurd …   English World dictionary

  • Fafnir — (nord. Myth.), Hreidmars Sohn, gerieth mit seinem Vater nach Oturs Tod durch Odin über dessen Sühngeld in Streit u. erschlug ihn, wurde aber von Sigurd getödtet …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Fáfnir — Fáfnir, nach der nordischen Heldensage Bruder des Otr (s.d.) und des Regin und Sohn des Zauberers Hreidmar; er geriet mit diesem nach Otrs Tode durch Odin über dessen Sühngeld in Streit und erschlug ihn; seinen Mitschuldigen Regin aber, der einen …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Fafnir — Fafnir, in der nord. Mythologie Sohn des Hreidmar, erschlägt seinen Vater, um sich in den Besitz des von den drei Göttern Odin, Hönir und Loki für die Ermordung seines Bruders Ottr gezahlten Goldhortes zu setzen, hütet denselben in Drachengestalt …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Fáfnir — Siegfried tuant Fafner, par Arthur Rackham (1911) Fáfnir est, dans le cycle de Sigurd de la mythologie scandinave, le fils de Hreidmar, originairement un nain relativement puissant, qui, après s être emparé du trésor maudit de son père, prit la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Fafnir — …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Fafnir — Фафнир (нем. Fafnir)  немецкая (город Ахен) фирма по производству двигателей для легких автомобилей и мотоциклов. Основана в 1894 году. С 1908 года занялась производством автомобилей одноимённой марки. История В 1908 году …   Википедия

  • Fafnir — noun Etymology: Old Norse Fāfnir Date: 1850 a dragon in Norse mythology that guards the Nibelungs gold hoard until slain by Sigurd …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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