Fafnir was a European Dragon in Norse Mythology. Fafnir was originally a dwarf, the son of Hriedmar and brother of Otir and Regin, but got transformed into a dragon by the cursed ring Andvarenaut. Fafnir had stole a fortune given to the dwarves by the gods as a ransom for Otir's death, and the ring Andvarenaut was in the fortune. The ring then transformed him into a dragon, the living symbol of greed, that guarded his treasure to his death. He later died at the hands of the warrior Sigurd Fåvnesbane. Sigurd, urged on by Regin, cooked Fafnir's heart and consumed it, giving him useful wisdom (such as the fact that Regin wished to murder him).
Etymology[]
In the original texts, Fafinir is primally referred to as Old Norse ormr ("a snake, serpent") rather then Old Norse dreki ("dragon"), the latter of which is only used once to describe him. This is reflected by Fafnir's overall serpentine description in the original texts.
Description[]
As mentioned, in the original texts Fafnir is distinctly serpentine, although it is alluded to that he is limbed. Unlike in modern conceptions of the dragon, Fafnir in the original texts is not winged and breathes poison instead of fire. Fafnir is also described as massive, with his movement causing the earth to shake. The Old Norse skreið ("crawls", or "slithers" as translated by Andy Orchard) is used to describe his movements, indicating a serpentine movement. The use of skreið and it's related terms in other languages however is not solely used to refer to snake-like creatures, with its Old English counterpart scriðan being used to refer to Grendel's approaching movement to Heorot in Beowulf. This implies a more monstrous connotation to Fafnir then just that of a massive serpent.
Fafnir is notably able to speak, a rarity in mythology. Unlike other villains in mythology who engage in a conversation with the hero before the final conflict, Fafnir speaks after Sigurd has defeated him and impaled a sword through his heart. Even when he is dying, Fafnir shows proficiency in his speech, and with it he taunts Sigurd of his background as a fatherless exile.
Connections[]
There are some later versions of the myth in which Siegfried, the hero of the German epic poem Nibelungenlied, is the slayer of Fafnir instead of Sigurd. These versions of the myth usually have Siegfried bathing in Fafnir's blood and becoming immune to harm afterward, aside from a single leaf-shaped spot on his back.
The Fafnir myth and Volsungsaga gave rise to the epic Ring Cycle of Wagnerian operas. This in turn inspired J.R.R. Tolkien, whose character of Smaug is not dissimilar to Fafnir.
Sources[]
- Ormr Cleasby & Vigfussen Old Norse Dictionary
- Dreki Cleasby & Vigfussen Old Norse Dictionary
- Valentina Martini (2014) The figure of the dragon in Elder Germanic Literature (Phd Dissertation) Universitia Ca Foscari Venezia
- Rachel Sherlock (2014) The Greed of Dragons: An Investigation into the Assocation of Avarice and Dragons in Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse Narrative Literature (Phd Dissertation) University of Nottingham