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In [[:Category:Origin: Norse Mythology|Norse Mythology]], '''Fáfnir''' 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 wore the [[Aegis]] helmet and guarded his father's house of glittering gold and flashing gems. He was the strongest and most aggressive of the three brothers. | |||
[[Image:Ring41.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Fáfnir guards the gold hoard in this illustration by Arthur Rackham to Richard Wagner's ''Siegfried''.]] | |||
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==Story== | ==Story== | ||
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[[Category:Origin: Norse mythology]] | -------------- 2 | ||
[[File:Ring41.jpg|thumb|right|Fáfnir guards the gold hoard in this illustration by Arthur Rackham to Richard Wagner's ''Siegfried''.]] | |||
In [[:Category:Origin: Norse Mythology|Norse Mythology]], '''Fáfnir''' (Old Norse and Icelandic) or '''Frænir''' was a son of the dwarf king [[Hreidmar]] and brother of [[Regin]] and [[Ótr]]. | |||
==Narrative== | |||
In the Icelandic ''[[Volsunga Saga]]'' (late 13th century), 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.<ref>[http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/2sigurd.pdf ''Sigurd—ein Held des Mittelalters'' (Edgar Haimerl)]</ref> | |||
[[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 then seized the gods and held them captive while [[Loki]] was made to gather the ransom, which was to stuff the otter’s skin with gold and cover its outside with red gold. Loki fulfilled the task by gathering the cursed gold of [[Andvari]]'s as well as the ring, [[Andvaranaut]], both of which were told to Loki as items that would bring about the death of whoever possessed them. Fáfnir then killed Hreidmar to get all the gold for himself. He became very [[ill-natured]] and greedy, so he went out into the wilderness to keep his fortune, eventually turning into a [[serpent (symbolism)|serpent]] or [[European dragon|dragon]] (symbol of greed) to guard his treasure.<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|pp=57–59}}</ref> Fáfnir also breathed poison into the land around him so no one would go near him and his treasure, wreaking terror in the hearts of the people.<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|p=64}}</ref> | |||
[[Regin]] plotted revenge so that he could get the treasure and sent his foster-son, [[Sigurd|Sigurd Fåvnesbane]], to kill the dragon. Regin instructed Sigurd to dig a pit in which he could lie in wait under the trail Fáfnir used to get to a stream and there plunge his sword, [[Gram (mythology)|Gram]], into Fafnir'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 in the form of an old man with a long beard, advising the warrior to dig more trenches for the blood of Fáfnir to run into, presumably so that Sigurd does not drown in the blood. The earth quaked and the ground nearby shook as Fáfnir crawled to the water. Fáfnir also blew poison into his path as it made his way to the stream.<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|p=63}}</ref> Sigurd, undaunted, stabbed Fáfnir in the left shoulder as he crawled over the ditch he was lying in and succeeded in mortally wounding the dragon. As the great serpent lies there dying, he speaks to Sigurd and asks him what his name is, what his father's and mother's names are, and who sent him to kill such a terrifying dragon. Fafnir figures out that his own brother, Regin, plotted the dragon's death, and tells Sigurd that he is happy that Regin will also cause Sigurd's death. Sigurd tells Fáfnir that he will go back to the dragon's lair and take all his treasure. Fáfnir warns Sigurd that all who possess the gold will be fated to die, but Sigurd replies that all men must one day die, and it is the dream of many men to be wealthy until that dying day, so he will take the gold without fear.<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|p=65}}</ref> | |||
[[Regin]] then returned to [[Sigurd]] after Fáfnir was slain. Corrupted by greed, Regin planned to kill Sigurd after Sigurd had cooked Fáfnir’s heart for him to eat and take all the treasure for himself. However, Sigurd, having tasted Fáfnir's blood while cooking the heart, gained knowledge of the speech of birds<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|pp=65–66}}</ref> and learned of Regin's impending attack from the Oðinnic (of [[Odin]]) birds' discussion and killed Regin by cutting off his head with [[Gram (mythology)|Gram]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|p=66}}</ref> Sigurd then ate some of Fáfnir’s heart and kept the remainder, which would later be given to [[Gudrun]] after their marriage.<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|p=79}}</ref> | |||
Some versions are more specific about Fáfnir's treasure hoard, mentioning the swords [[Ridill]] and [[Hrotti]], the helm of terror and a golden coat of chainmail.<ref>{{Harvnb|Byock|1990|p=66}}</ref> | |||
==In Art and Music== | |||
Fafnir appears — as "Fafner" — in Richard Wagner's epic opera cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (1848-1874), although he began life as a [[Jötunn|giant]] rather than a [[Norse dwarves|dwarf]]. In the first opera, ''[[Das Rheingold]]'' (1869), Fafner and his brother Fasolt win a massive hoard of treasure from [[Odin|Wotan]], the king of the gods, in exchange for building the castle [[Valhalla]]. The treasure includes the magic helmet [[Tarnhelm]] and a magic [[Andvarinaut|Ring]]. As they divide the treasure, Fafner kills Fasolt and takes the Ring for himself. Escaping to earth, he uses the Tarnhelm to transform himself into a [[western dragon|dragon]] and guards the treasure in a cave for many years before being ultimately killed by Wotan's mortal grandson [[Sigurd|Siegfried]], as depicted in the [[Siegfried_(opera)|opera of the same name]]. | |||
==Popular culture references== | |||
*In a comparison with the later literature, ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (1954-1955) by [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], the character [[Gollum]], as well as [[Smaug]], could be seen to have been inspired by Fáfnir, who was also corrupted by greed and transformed into a vile creature. Furthermore, the motif of a cursed ring (namely [[Andvarinaut]] and [[One Ring]]) is also shared between the ''[[Volsunga Saga]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. The cursed rings are the objects of avarice in both texts. In fact Tolkien's ''[[The Hobbit]]'' (1937) features an incredible number of similarities beyond those mere aspects above, for instance, the two swords Orcrist and Glamdring correspond to the story, as well, Bilbo's Mithril shirt also stands in for the chain mail shirt of gold. Correspondingly, the lay of [[Turin Turambar]] in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' (1977) and also ''[[The Children of Hurin]]'' (2007) include the killing of the dragon [[Glaurung]] by similar means as Fafnir. | |||
*[[C.S. Lewis]]'s ''[[Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'' character [[Eustace Scrubb]] is tempted by [[greed]] and finds himself transformed into a treasure-guarding dragon. Following the transformation, however, Eustace experiences an unexpected spiritual [[Epiphany (feeling)|epiphany]] that makes him worthy to join his fellow lead characters in the [[quest]] at the heart of the novel. | |||
* In the [[Frasier]] episode "Docu. Drama" [[Niles Crane|Niles]] elects to name his kite Fafnir, 'after Siegfried's fiery nemesis'. | |||
* The video game [[Final Fantasy XII]] features a monster called Fafnir, whom the hero must slay in a style similar to legend. | |||
* Fafnir appears several times in the Marvel Comics series [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]], first appearing in #134 | |||
* The computer-game [[Magicka]] is based on Norse mythology, players fight the dragon 'Fafnir' later in-game. | |||
* The universe of [[BattleTech]] and [[MechWarrior]] have an Assault class battlemech named Fafnir, recognizable for its two shoulder mounted Heavy Gauss Rifles.<ref>http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Fafnir</ref> | |||
* In the online game "getamped 2" there is a accessory called Arm of Fafnir. | |||
* In the ''[[Brigandine (video game)|Brigandine]]'' video game, Fafnir is one of the final classes a dragon can achieve. | |||
* In the [[Daniel Pinkwater]] book "[[Borgel]]," the dog is named Fafner. | |||
* The [[Beowulf (2007 film)|2007 adaptation]] of ''[[Beowulf]]'' features Fafnir as the [[The Dragon (Beowulf)|dragon]]. In this adaptation Fafnir is depicted as being the son of [[Beowulf (hero)|Beowulf]] and the Water Demon ([[Grendel's mother]]), not unlike how [[Grendel]] was the son of [[Hrothgar]] and the same demon. | |||
==Notes== | |||
<references /> | |||
==References== | |||
*{{citation|last=Byock |first=Jesse L. |title=Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer|place=Berkeley, Los Angeles, London |publisher= University of California Press |year=1990|isbn= 0-520-23285-2}}. | |||
[[Category:Origin: Norse Mythology]] | |||
[[Category:Dragons]] | [[Category:Dragons]] | ||
[[Category:Race: Shapeshifters]] | [[Category:Race: Shapeshifters]] | ||
[[Category:Dragon Names]] | [[Category:Dragon Names]] | ||
[[Category:Race: Snake]] | [[Category:Race: Snake]] | ||
[[Category:Continent: | [[Category:Continent: Europe]] | ||
[[Category:Needs_Revision]] | |||
