Sigurðr

Sigurðr, also known as Sigurd, is a legendary Norse hero whose exploits appear in the Völsunga saga and related Norse poetry. The name is Old Norse and is commonly interpreted as “victory guardian” or “guardian of victory.” He is a central figure in the Volsung tradition, with variants of his tale appearing across medieval Icelandic and continental Germanic literature.

In the Völsunga saga, Sigurðr is the son of Sigmund and becomes a dragon-slayer. With the help of Regin, a smith, he kills the dragon Fáfnir and acquires the hoard of the dwarf Andvari (the cursed treasure that includes the ring Andvarinaut). From the dragon’s blood he gains the ability to understand birds, a detail that guides his later actions.

Sigurðr’s life is also marked by romance and political peril. In many versions he becomes embroiled with Brynhildr, a valkyrie who has been placed under magical conditions, and his fate is tied to a web of deceit, oath-breaking, and scheming among princes. The tale culminates in a tragic death for Sigurðr (and often for Brynhildr as well), with the cursed treasure bringing doom to the Volsung lineage.

Legacy: Sigurðr’s legend influenced a wide range of medieval and modern works, including the Poetic Edda, the Völsunga saga, the German Nibelungenlied, and Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle. The name Sigurðr survives in modern Scandinavian forms as a historical and literary reference.