Regin- Norse FigureMortal"The Smith"

Son of Hreiðmarr

Regin was one of three sons of Hreiðmarr, a sorcerer. His brothers were Ótr, who could take otter form, and Fáfnir. When the gods accidentally killed Ótr and were forced to pay ransom in cursed gold, the treasure entered Hreiðmarr's household, and with it the dwarf Andvari's curse: all who possessed the gold would be destroyed by it.

Fáfnir murdered their father to claim the treasure and refused to share it with Regin. He transformed into a dragon and retreated to a wasteland to guard his hoard. Regin was left with nothing.

Foster-Father to Sigurd

Regin became the foster-father of Sigurd, son of the legendary hero Sigmund. He taught Sigurd runes, languages, board games, and the arts of war. Every lesson served his hidden purpose: to create a warrior capable of killing Fáfnir.

When Sigurd reached manhood, Regin reforged the shattered fragments of Sigmund's sword into Gram. His first two attempts shattered when Sigurd tested them against an anvil; only the third forging held. He then guided Sigurd to Fáfnir's lair and told him how to kill the dragon: dig a pit in the path Fáfnir used to reach water, hide within it, and stab upward as the dragon crawled overhead.

The Dragon's Warning

Before dying, Fáfnir warned Sigurd that Regin would betray him. Sigurd dismissed the warning.

Regin asked Sigurd to roast Fáfnir's heart while he slept. When Sigurd touched the cooking heart to test if it was done and burned his finger, he put the finger to his mouth and suddenly understood the speech of birds. The nuthatches in the branches above sang of Regin's treachery: the smith meant to kill Sigurd once he was no longer needed. They urged Sigurd to strike first.

Death

Sigurd found Regin sleeping and beheaded him with Gram. The curse on Andvari's gold had consumed the entire family: one son murdered his father for the treasure, became a dragon and was slain, and the last brother was killed by the weapon he himself had forged.