Regin

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Volsung Cycle
Volsunga saga
Poetic Edda
Norna-Gests þáttr
Artifacts
Andvarinaut
Gram
Dwarves
Andvari
Hreidmar
Otr
Regin
Dragon
Fafnir
People
Volsung
Sigmund
Signy
Sinfjötli
Helgi Hundingsbane
Sigurd
Brynhild
Gudrun
Attila
Gunnar
Locations
Gautland
Hunaland
Related
Nibelungenlied
Hagbard and Signy

In Norse mythology, Regin was the son of Hreidmar and foster father of Sigurd. Regin had all wisdom and deftness of hand. Regin built a house of glittering gold and flashing gems for his father. Regin and his brother, Fafnir, killed Hreidmar for the cursed gold he had received from the gods after they killed his other son, Otr. Fafnir, however, turned into a dragon because he wanted to keep all of the gold (dragons frequently symbolize greed in European folklore). Fafnir drove Regin away from the gold. Regin lived among men. He taught men how to sow, reap, work metals, sail seas, tame horses, yoke beasts of burden, build houses, spin, weave, & sew. Regin sent Sigurd to retrieve the gold.

Regin forged a marvelous sword for Sigurd, but it quickly broke. Sigurd found his father's (Sigmund) sword, Gram, and had it fixed and reforged by Mimir and used it to kill Fafnir. He gained wisdom from licking the dragon's blood because Fafnir could talk to birds. Sigurd, who had discovered from the birds, that Regin was planning on killing him to get the gold, killed his stepfather and took the gold.

The Thidrekssaga relates a slightly different tale, with Regin as the dragon and Mimir as his brother and foster father to Sigurd.

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