Sigmund’s Family Tree

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Family

• Hljóð(parent),Volsung(parent),Signy(sibling)— Marriage

  Völsung and Hljód fathered Sigmund and Signý among their ten children. Sigmund drew Odin's sword from the oak Barnstokk in Völsung's hall, and Signý later conspired to produce the hero Sinfjötli to avenge their father's death.

• Borghild(spouse),Helgi Hundingsbane(child)— Marriage

  Borghild was Sigmund's first wife and mother of Helgi Hundingsbane. She poisoned Sinfjötli, Sigmund's son by Signý, after Sinfjötli killed her brother in a dispute, and Sigmund banished her for the deed.

• Hjordis(spouse),Sigurd(child)— Marriage

  Sigurd is the posthumous son of Sigmund and Hjördís. Sigmund died when Odin shattered his sword in battle, and Hjördís preserved the broken shards, which were reforged into Gram for Sigurd.

• Signy(spouse),Sinfjotli(child)— Consort

  Sigmund and his twin sister Signý produced Sinfjötli through an incestuous union. Signý used shape-shifting magic to conceive a pure Völsung avenger strong enough to help Sigmund destroy King Siggeir.

Enemy of

• Siggeir

  Siggeir treacherously killed Völsung and bound his sons to die in the forest. Sigmund alone survived and spent years in hiding planning vengeance, ultimately burning Siggeir alive in his hall.

Slain by

• Odin

  Odin killed Sigmund by shattering his divine sword with Gungnir on the battlefield. The god who had chosen Sigmund reclaimed him, ensuring his death in battle so he could join the Einherjar in Valhalla.

Slew

• Siggeir

  Sigmund and Sinfjötli burned King Siggeir alive in his hall to avenge the slaughter of the Völsung dynasty, as told in the Völsunga saga.

Equivalent to

• Sigmund(Germanic)

  Norse Sigmund Völsungsson and Germanic Sigmund descend from the same legendary hero — the father of the dragon-slayer, wielder of a divine sword, whose line carried the fate of a cursed hoard across both the Völsunga saga and the Nibelungenlied traditions.

Associated with

• Gram

  Sigmund drew Gram's predecessor from Barnstokkr and wielded it until Odin shattered it in his final battle. The broken shards were preserved and reforged into Gram for his son Sigurd.

• Odin

  Odin thrust a sword into Barnstokkr for Sigmund, choosing him as his mortal champion. Years later, Odin shattered that same sword on Gungnir in battle, reclaiming Sigmund when his purpose was fulfilled.

• Signy

  Signý warned Sigmund of Siggeir's treachery and saved him from the she-wolf by smearing honey on his face. She later bore Sinfjötli to give Sigmund a worthy avenger, then walked into the flames of Siggeir's hall after revealing the truth.

• Sinfjotli

  Sigmund and Sinfjötli donned enchanted wolf-skins and roamed as werewolves in the wilderness. Sigmund bit Sinfjötli in wolf-rage but healed him with a leaf brought by Odin's raven, and they later burned the skins to break the curse.