Reginsmál

The Lay of Regin

Regins kväde

26 stanzas

Summary

A

Reginsmál opens the mythic prehistory of the Sigurðr cycle. The poem tells how the gods Odin, Hœnir, and Loki slay Otr, son of Hreiðmarr, and are compelled to pay wergild in gold.

Loki catches the dwarf Andvari at Andvarafors and takes his entire hoard, including the ring Andvaranaut. Andvari lays a curse on the gold: it shall bring death to every one of its owners.

Hreiðmarr receives the gold yet falls victim to his own greed. His sons Fáfnir and Regin kill him for the treasure. Fáfnir carries the gold to Gnitaheiðr and transforms into a dragon. Regin goes into exile.

Regin becomes a smith at King Hjálprekr's court and fosters the young Sigurðr. He forges the sword Gramr for him and urges him to slay Fáfnir. Sigurðr first avenges his father Sigmundr by defeating the sons of Hundingr. The poem ends with the departure for Gnitaheiðr.

The story

Segðu mér, Andvari,ef þú allt viltlíf þitt vita,hvat er þat mannaí Miðgarði,er gullz á vant?
Tell me, Andvari,if you wish at allto keep your life,what men there arein Midgarðrwho lack for gold?

English translation: own translation.

Í Ránarhöllumréð ek lengiok lék ek á vatni;Fáfnir einnmik finna mun,þess lýk ek lífi mínu.
In the halls of RánI ruled for longand played within the water;Fáfnir alonewill find me out,with that I lose my life.

English translation: own translation.

Hverr er sá ásaeða Ásgarðs mannaer á skuld mér veldur?Örvigt mik hafiðút um sær boritá fjanda fang.
Who among the Æsiror the men of Ásgarðrhas brought this debt upon me?Hostile you haveborne me out over the seainto the grip of foes.

English translation: own translation.

Gull þat alter í Gnitaheiðiátti Andvari fyr,þat scal Grani beraá góðum staðok Gunnar þiggja.
All the goldthat on GnitaheiðrAndvari formerly owned,that shall Grani carryto a good placeand Gunnarr receive.

English translation: own translation.

Þat scal guller Gustr átti,tveim brœðrum at bana verðaok öðlingum áttaat ófriðr vera;mun míns gullzmangi njóta.
That gold which Gustr ownedshall be the baneof two brothersand bring strifeupon eight princes;of my goldshall no one reap joy.

English translation: own translation.

Sér ec gull þatok gapanda vápn,er mér liggja á skauti;þér þat munatþó ek þola láti,þat er mér at vígi verðr.
I see that goldand those gaping weaponsthat lie within my lap;the same shall be yours,though I let it pass,that brings about my slaying.

English translation: own translation.

Gull scal gefa þérok góðar þiggjagirnðar þínar allar;munu þér böl boritat bjúgviðum,ár er þú eignask munr.
Gold shall be given youand well receivedall your desires;evil shall be borne to youat the bent-wood forest,early shall you possess it.

English translation: own translation.

Gáðir þú þáer gaf ek þérþat er gull þitt reið?Fáfni hefirFalð of lagitok Hreiðmar leggr.
Did you heed itwhen I gave youthat which rode as your gold?Fáfnir haslaid Faldr lowand Hreiðmarr is laid low.

English translation: own translation.

Hefðir þú þáhugr til ráðs veritef þú máttir víst vita,þá er vér gáfumgull at bonumok þér fylgir fjörr.
You would have had thenthe mind for counselhad you been able to know for certain,when we gavegold as wergildand life attended you.

English translation: own translation.

Var ek þá líttlúinn af þeim,er mér at illu görðu;ek lét mérléttan hugok lét gull þiggja.
Little was Iwearied by thosewho dealt ill with me;I let myselfwith light heartreceive the gold.

English translation: own translation.

Ráð þú mér nú, Regin,allz þú ert vitr maðrok mér er frændr fróðir;hvat er þér mæltef mér munFáfni sinna ørendi?
Counsel me now, Regin,since you are a wise manand my kinsmen are learned;what has been told youif it shall fall to meto seek out Fáfnir on his errand?

English translation: own translation.

Fáfnir liggrá Gnitaheiðiok ferr hann í orms líki;gramr er hann sér,er gull of getr,ok ferr hann á eitr líki.
Fáfnir lieson Gnitaheiðrand travels in the shape of a serpent;wrathful is he against the onewho takes the gold from him,and he moves in the shape of venom.

English translation: own translation.

Ungr ertu, Sigurðr,ok öfundsamtþótt þú ert harðr at huga;Norna dómrof þik kvað núok konunga aldri.
Young are you, Sigurðr,and of envious temper,though you are hard of heart;the verdict of the Nornshas now spoken of youand of the lives of kings.

English translation: own translation.

Ungi maðr,þú ert ættstórr,en faðir þinn fell í gunni;þú munt nú megaþat ráð at takaer Hundings synir hafa.
Young man,you are of great lineage,yet your father fell in battle;you may now seizethe course of actionthat the sons of Hundingr hold.

English translation: own translation.

Hví skalt þúsaman beraþrjótr ok friðr?Hvat er þérþat eitt at viljaer þér lízt at vera?
Why should youhold togetherstrife and peace?What is itthat one thing you wish forthat seems good to you?

English translation: own translation.

Þess mun ek þérþakka þar tiler ek þínu lífi lifik;Fáfnir liggrá Gnitaheiði,sá er þú skyldir drepa.
For that I will thank youas long asI live by your life;Fáfnir lieson Gnitaheiðr,whom you ought to slay.

English translation: own translation.

Gull er á Gnitaheiði,geymisk þar dreki;sá á Andvara lögðallan fé.Hann er skæðr,sá er þú skyldir drepa.
Gold lies on Gnitaheiðr,a serpent guards it there;he owns Andvari's hiddenentire hoard.He is deadly,whom you ought to slay.

English translation: own translation.

Sverð þat er ek áer heitir Riðill;þat gaf mér faðir minn forðum;þú skalt nú smíðaSigmundar sonsverð til Fáfnis bana.
The sword I ownis named Riðill;my father gave it to me long ago;you shall now forgefor the son of Sigmundra sword for Fáfnir's slaying.

English translation: own translation.

Hann smiðaði sverðer Gramr heitir;þat var svá hvattat hann lagði í Rinok sneiddi ullarlagðan dúker fauk í móti straumi.
He forged a swordwhich is named Gramr;it was so keenthat he placed it in the Rhineand it sliced a tuft of woolthat floated against the current.

English translation: own translation.

Sigurðr kippti uppsverði ok hjó á steðja;klauf hann steðjann í sundr.Þá mælti Regin:nú muntu megaFáfni högg at hafa.
Sigurðr seized the swordand struck the anvil;he split the anvil asunder.Then Regin said:now you will be ableto deal Fáfnir a blow.

English translation: own translation.

Regin bað Sigurðhefna föður síns;en hann kvaðst fyrst munduhefna Sigmundar konungsok annarra frænda sinna,þeira er í þeiri orrustu fellu.
Regin bade Sigurðravenge his father;but he said he would firstavenge King Sigmundrand his other kinsmen,those who fell in that battle.

English translation: own translation.

Sigmundar sonrsóttu Hundings synir;fell þar Lyngviok brœðr hans.Þá kveðst Sigurðrmundu til Regins fara.
The son of Sigmundrsought out the sons of Hundingr;there fell Lyngiand his brothers.Then Sigurðr declaredhe would go to Regin.

English translation: own translation.

Þá mælti Sigurðrer hann kom til Regins:farit hefk víðaok feigum standaLyngvi ok brœðr hans.Lát nú ráð koma.
Then Sigurðr spokewhen he came to Regin:I have fared farand fated to death standLyngi and his brothers.Now set forth your counsel.

English translation: own translation.

Riðum nú til Gnitaheiðarok leitum þar Fáfnis;þar liggr guller áðr sagðak þér,ok mik þykkirþat ráð at taka.
Let us now ride to Gnitaheiðrand seek Fáfnir there;there lies goldas I told you before,and it seems to methat this is the course to take.

English translation: own translation.

Gramr er búinntil Gnitaheiðar;ríðr Sigurðrmeð Regin saman.Fáfnir finnr þáfara á heiðina.
Gramr is readyfor Gnitaheiðr;Sigurðr ridestogether with Regin.Fáfnir then perceives themmoving onto the heath.

English translation: own translation.

Hví líðr þú svá,Fáfnir, til várar?Viltu þú vinnavið oss ganga?Hvat er þat mannaer þú ræðr við?
Why do you glide so,Fáfnir, toward us?Do you wish to fightto go against us?Who are those menwith whom you speak?

English translation: own translation.

Key concepts

  • Andvaranaut , the cursed ring that drives the entire Sigurðr cycle's tragedy
  • Fáfnir , Hreiðmarr's son who transforms into a dragon from greed for the gold
  • Gramr , the sword Regin forges for Sigurðr, powerful enough to split an anvil
  • Sigurðr , the young hero fostered by Regin who undertakes the dragon-slaying
  • Völsungar , the dynasty Sigurðr belongs to; Gramr is forged from his father's sword-shards

Interpretive traditions

A What we know

Reginsmál is preserved in Codex Regius and opens the Sigurðr cycle in the manuscript. The poem mixes verse and prose, with prose interludes providing narrative context between stanzas.

Andvari's curse on the gold (stanza 5) constitutes the causal core of the entire Sigurðr cycle: every owner of the treasure dies.

Regin's role as smith and foster-father to Sigurðr is firmly anchored in the Norse tradition and appears in Völsunga saga, Snorri's Edda, and the Norwegian wood carvings at Hylestad.

B What we think we know

Whether Reginsmál was originally an independent poem or part of a larger continuous Sigurðr poem is debated. The extent of the prose interludes suggests editorial work.

Stanza 4, which names Grani and Gunnarr, has been regarded by several scholars as an interpolation presupposing knowledge of later events in the cycle.

The relationship between the poem's version of the Andvari story and Snorri's version in Skáldskaparmál shows both correspondences and divergences suggesting parallel traditions.

C What we do not know

The exact boundary between Reginsmál and Fáfnismál in the manuscript is unclear; where one poem ends and the other begins depends partly on editorial assumptions.

Whether the Otr myth reflects an older Proto-Indo-European otter story or is a specifically Norse creation cannot be determined with current evidence.

Sources and further reading

Primary sources

  • Neckel, Gustav, och Hans Kuhn. 1983. Edda: Die Lieder des Codex Regius nebst verwandten Denkmälern. 5. uppl. Heidelberg: Winter.

Translations

  • Bellows, Henry Adams (trans.). 1923. The Poetic Edda. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation. (PD)
  • Larrington, Carolyne (trans.). 2014. The Poetic Edda. Rev. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Scholarly works

  • Lindow, John. 2001. Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Simek, Rudolf. 1993. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Angela Hall. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer.
  • de Vries, Jan. 1956–1957. Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte. 2 vols. Berlin: de Gruyter.
  • Turville-Petre, E. O. G. 1964. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.