Hreidmar

Hreidmar, also rendered as Hreiðmarr, is a legendary figure in Norse mythology, known from sources such as the Völsunga saga and references in the Poetic and Prose Eddas. He is a king in the mythic past and is most often tied to the story of Andvari’s treasure. In various traditions he is described as the father of Ótr (also called Otr or Otter) and of his brothers Fáfnir and Regin, though genealogies differ among manuscripts.

The most influential episode involving Hreidmar concerns a dispute over a dwarven hoard. Ótr is killed, an event linked to Loki, and the dwarf Andvari demands compensation for the loss. Hreidmar receives Andvari’s treasure as payment and entrusts it to his sons. The treasure includes Andvaranaut, a ring thought to carry a curse. Greed and contention over the hoard drive the family into tragedy; in most versions, Fáfnir murders his own father to keep the treasure and becomes a dragon guarding it.

Regin, the surviving son, becomes a smith and later plays a central role in the Völsung saga by guiding Sigurd (Siegfried) in the quest to obtain the treasure. Regin forges the sword Gram and instructs Sigurd in the dragon-slaying, while Sigurd eventually kills Fáfnir to claim the hoard. The curse associated with Andvari’s treasure is a recurring theme, bringing doom to many characters in the saga.

Hreidmar’s place in the myth highlights themes of kinship, treachery, and the corrupting influence of wealth. His figure anchors a narrative core of the Völsung cycle, with later events shaping the fortunes of Sigurd and his descendants. The tale appears in the Völsunga saga and is referenced in the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda.