Tradition: Norse mythology
Alternative Names: Fáfnir, Fafnir, Fáfnisbani
Category: Dragon
The Myth
Fáfnir was originally a dwarf who transformed himself into a great worm-dragon to guard a vast treasure. In his dragon form he was a huge, serpentine creature, described in the oldest accounts as flightless and snake-like. Later traditions give him shoulders, leaving open the possibility of legs or wings.
Fáfnir was the son of Hreiðmarr and the brother of Regin and Ótr. The trouble began when Odin, Loki, and Hœnir accidentally killed Ótr, who had taken the form of an otter. The gods were forced to pay Hreiðmarr a great ransom of gold. Loki obtained the treasure from the dwarf Andvari, including the cursed ring Andvaranaut and the Helm of Terror. Andvari warned that the treasure would bring death to whoever possessed it.
Hreiðmarr refused to share the treasure with his sons. Fáfnir became consumed by greed and killed his own father, taking the entire hoard for himself. He fled into the wilderness and settled at Gnitaheath, where his greed and corruption transformed him into a dragon. There he coiled himself around the treasure and guarded it, becoming increasingly vicious and ill-natured.
Fáfnir’s brother Regin eventually sought revenge and sent his foster son Sigurð to kill the dragon. He gave Sigurð the sword Gram and instructed him to hide in a pit beneath the path Fáfnir used when he went to drink. Sigurð followed the plan. As Fáfnir crawled over the pit, breathing poison before him, Sigurð thrust his sword upward into the dragon’s body, mortally wounding him.
As Fáfnir lay dying, he spoke to Sigurð and questioned him about his name and the reason for his attack. He warned the young warrior that the treasure would eventually bring about his death, just as it had brought destruction to its previous owners. Fáfnir then died from his wound.
Regin returned and asked Sigurð to prepare Fáfnir’s heart for him to eat. While roasting it, Sigurð touched the heart to see whether it was cooked and burned his finger. He instinctively put the finger into his mouth, and Fáfnir’s blood touched his tongue. Suddenly he could understand the speech of birds.
The birds warned Sigurð that Regin intended to betray and kill him so that he could take the treasure for himself. Sigurð listened to their warning, killed Regin, and took the treasure for himself. He loaded the hoard onto his horse Grani, carrying away the cursed wealth that had already destroyed Fáfnir and his family.
Sources
“Fáfnir.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 20, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A1fnir