Sigurd is the central character in the Völsung saga. The story about Sigurd is a classic myth of dragons, warriors and fate, and Sigurd himself embodies the typical Norse hero.
Sigurd is the son of Sigmund, who is the great-grandson of Odin and the king of Hunland. Sigmund was forced to fight an invading army and lost the war. Right before his death he told his wife, Hjordis, that she's going to have a son and that she needs to "preserve the pieces of <...> his broken sword", which had a specific power, for their son, Sigurd.
After Sigmund's death Hjordis remarries and Sigurd is brough up by her new husband Alf. He is treated as if he is his own son and gets everything he desires. Sigurd has a tutor, Regin, who recreates Sigmund's sword, which was renamed Gram. He also tries to persuade Sigurd to kill Fafnir, Regin's brother, who is a dragon. Sigurd, after his revenge for father, departs on his adventure. Sigurd kills the dragon and afterwards Regin asks him to roast its heart in order to eat it. The dragon's blood burns Sigurd's finger and he puts it into his mouth. To his suprisement, he hears and understands the language of birds and realizes that Regin tricks him, so he kills Regin, eats the heart himself, collects the treasure of Fafnir, with the cursed ring with it. Then he leaves.
Sigurd rides off to Hindfell to awake the Valkyrie Brynhild, who was put in a dream by Odin. When he wakes her, he sees her beauty and swears she'll be his only wife, but it never happens. Later he marries a daughter of King Giuki, Gudrun, being under the influence of a love poition made by Gudrun's mother, Queen Grimhild. Gunnar, Gudrun's brother, wants to marry Brynhild and asks for Sigurd's help. In the shape of Gunnar, Sigurd marries Brynhild and brings her to her new home.
One day Brynhild is told the truth about her marriage and she decides to revenge. She plans to kill Sigurd and she does that. Afterwards she dies herself.
Now let's analyze Sigurd's biography as a way of a typical epic hero. He has a special origin which goes back to the god, Odin. He, as the typical hero, has a tutor; being just a child he already has a great physical power, knowledge and talents. As an epic hero, he has special attributes, his sword Gram and his horse Grani, which also form his image. Moreover, he's quite handsome. Here’s the description of his appearance and arming, given in the Völsung saga:
Now Sigurd rides away; many-folded is his shield, and blazing with red gold, and the image of a dragon is drawn thereon; and this same was dark brown above, and bright red below ; and with even such-like image was adorned helm, and saddle, and coat-armour; and he was clad in the golden byrny, and all his weapons were gold- wrought.
<…>
Now the hair of this Sigurd was golden-red of hue, fair of fashion, and falling down in great locks; thick and short was his beard, and of no other colour; high-nosed he was, broad and high-boned of face; so keen were his eyes, that few durst gaze up under the brows of him; his shoulders were as broad to look on as the shoulders of two; most duly was his body fashioned betwixt height and breadth, and in such wise as was seemliest; and this is the sign told of his height, that when he was girt with his sword Gram, which same was seven spans long, as he went through the full-grown rye-fields, the dew-shoe of the said sword smote the ears of the standing corn; and, for all that, greater was his strength than his growth; well could he wield sword, and cast forth spear, shoot shaft, and hold shield, bend bow, back horse, and do all the goodly deeds that he learned in his youth's days.
He's absolutely fearless. To make a transition from childhood to maturity, the hero must pass a test, and Sigurd's one is the revenge for his father, and to extract a confession he must perform feat, Sigurd's feats - killing Fafnir, then his matchmaking. Here’s how he’s described after Fafnir’s death:
Now for this cause was the drake drawn on all his weapons, that when he was seen of men, all folk might know who went there; yea, all those who had heard of his slaying of that great dragon, that the Veerings call Fafnir; and for that cause are his weapons gold-wrought, and brown of hue, and that he was by far above other men in courtesy and goodly manners, and well-nigh in all things else; and whenas folk tell of all the mightiest champions, and the noblest chiefs, then ever is he named the foremost, and his name goes wide about on all tongues north of the sea of the Greek-lands, and even so shall it be while the world endures.
What character does Sigurd have? As an epic hero, he’s wise, brave and smart.
Wise he was to know things yet undone; and the voice
of all fowls he knew, wherefore few things fell on him
unawares.
Of many words he was, and so fair of speech withal,
that whensoever he made it his business to speak, he never
left speaking before that to all men it seemed full sure,
that no otherwise must the matter be than as he said.
His sport and pleasure was to give aid to his own folk,
and to prove himself in mighty matters, to take wealth
from his unfriends, and give the same to his friends.
Never did he lose heart, and of naught was he afraid".
Having a tragic death is also a point, typical for an epic hero, and Sigurd has it as well. Due to the fact that he didn't die in combat but was treacherously killed, he is not able to ascend into Valhalla, and he goes to Hel. Sigurd is in the power of fate and is unable to change it.
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