Fáfnir

CHAPTER XIV "'Thus the tale begins,' said Regan.

Hrithmar was my father's name, a mighty man and a wealthy, and his first son was named Fafnir, his second Otter, and I was the third and the least of them all, both for prowess and good conditions, but I was cunning to work in iron and silver and gold, whereof I could make matters that availed somewhat.

Other skill my brother Otter followed, and had another nature withal.

for he was a great fisher, and above other men herein, in that he had the likeness of an otter by day, and dwelt ever in the river, and bare fish to bank in his mouth.

But Sigurd answered, Much hast thou lost, and exceeding evil have thy kinsmen been.

But now make a sword by thy craft, such a sword as that none can be made like unto it, so that I may do great deeds therewith if my heart avail thereto, and thou wouldst have me slay this mighty dragon.

Regan says, Trust me well herein, and with that same sword shalt thou slay Fafnir.

CHAPTER XV So Regan makes a sword and gives it into Sigurd's hands.

You've got to eat.

So if you are presented with Fafnir the dragon, that's what you do.

And it is actually, it's a way of gaining knowledge.

And there's a character in those stories who learns to speak with the birds by virtue of...

"'Here is gold of the otter's well gleaming, in Geradin for this one and that one.

Here is treasure of Fafnir the fire-drake, in fee for the kiss of my lady.' Never wearer of ring, never wielder of weapon has made such atonement.

Never dearer were deeply drawn kisses, for the dream of my bliss is betrayed.

And then, when he started to go aboard his ship, he made another song.

Upon which Cormac sang the same song that he had made before.

Here is gold of the otter's well gleaming in Geradin for this one and that one.

Here is treasure of Fafnir the fire drake in fee for the kiss of my lady.

Never wearer of ring, never wielder of weapons has made such atonement.

It's got everything that I love in this.

There was a dwarf named Fafnir.

This is a 13th century Icelandic epic that tells of the story of a dwarf who murdered his father for a cursed hoard of gold, and this cursed hoard of gold was cursed because, I believe, uh, Fafnir's father had had a couple animals stolen from him, and in the repayment he requires a bunch of gold.

Royalty goes and picks up the gold from another person, and they end up robbing this ring, and as this ring is being carried back to Fafnir's father, the man that it was stolen from put a curse of, of bad luck and insanity on this ring.

So it was, like, a job to try to, like, curse an object but still make it look like it was being returned?

Well, it was, this guy was angry that they were stealing his gold to pay their debt.

So as they stole the ring, he cursed it to try to have them follow it.

Gotcha.

The Aesir asked him for a night's lodging, saying that they had sufficient food with them, and showed him their catch.

But when Hreidmar saw the otter, straightway he called to him his sons, Fafnir and Regin, and told them that the otter their brother was slain, and who had done that deed.

Now father and sons went up to the Aesir, seized them, bound them, and told them about the otter, how he was Hreidmar's son.

The Aesir offered a ransom for their lives, as much wealth as Hreidmar himself desired to appoint, and a covenant was made between them on those terms, and confirmed with oaths.

But when Odin had taken his spear and Loki his shoes, and they had no longer any need to be afraid, then Loki declared that the curse which Andvari had uttered should be fulfilled, that this ring and this gold should be the destruction of him who received it, and that was fulfilled afterward.

Now it has been told wherefore gold is called Otter's were-guild, or forced payment of the Aesir, or metal of strife.

Section 40 What more is to be said of the gold? Hreidmar took the gold for his son's were-guild, but Fafnir and Regin claimed some part of their brother's blood-money for themselves.

Hreidmar would not grant them one penny of the gold.

The Aesir asked him for a night's lodging, saying that they had sufficient food with them, and showed him their catch.

But when Hreidmar saw the otter, straightway he called to him his sons, Fafnir and Regin, and told them that the otter their brother was slain, and who had done that deed.

Now father and sons went up to the Aesir, seized them, bound them, and told them about the otter, how he was Hreidmar's son.

The Aesir offered a ransom for their lives, as much wealth as Hreidmar himself desired to appoint, and a covenant was made between them on those terms, and confirmed with oaths.

But when Odin had taken his spear, and Loki his shoes, and they had no longer any need to be afraid, then Loki declared that the curse which Andvari had uttered should be fulfilled, that this ring and this gold should be the destruction of him who received it, and that was fulfilled afterward.

Now it has been told wherefore gold is called otter's weregild, or forced payment of the Aesir, or metal of strife.

Section 40 What more is to be said of the gold? Hreidmar took the gold for his son's weregild, but Fafnir and Regin claimed some part of their brother's blood money for themselves.

Hreidmar would not grant them one penny of the gold.