Sigurd is the dragon-slayer of Old Norse Völsung tradition, closely related to Siegfried in Middle High German epic. The Norse and German narratives share core material but differ in names, relationships, and plot.
Sigurd in the surviving tradition
In the Völsunga saga and eddic poems, Sigurd is the son of Sigmund and Hjördís. The smith Regin raises him and urges him to kill the dragon Fáfnir, who guards cursed gold. Sigurd digs a pit, strikes from below, tastes the dragon’s blood, and understands birds that warn him Regin plans betrayal.
Texts, objects, and evidence
Sigurd kills Regin and takes the treasure, including the ring Andvaranaut. He awakens the valkyrie Brynhild and exchanges vows, but magic and deception lead him to marry Gudrun while helping Gunnar win Brynhild. When the truth emerges, Sigurd is murdered. The exact killer and location differ among poems and saga prose.
Key points
- Dragon blood: Some later summaries make Sigurd invulnerable after bathing in blood. That feature belongs more strongly to German Siegfried traditions.
- Brynhild: She is a valkyrie in Norse sources and a queen in the Nibelungenlied’s different narrative.
- Treasure: The hoard carries a curse that destroys successive owners.
- Evidence: Runestones and carved scenes show that parts of the story circulated before the surviving manuscripts.
How to read the material
Sigurd and Siegfried should be compared, not blended. Medieval authors reshaped inherited material for different audiences and political worlds.