Hreidmar

Role: father · First appears: Elder Edda · The Second Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide

In the Second Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide, Hreidmar and his family seized the Æsir after Loki killed Otter, whom Hreidmar identified as his son, and demanded gold as ransom. Odin paid, including the ring Andvaranaut to cover the last exposed hair. Hreidmar’s children included Regin, Fafnir, Lyngheid and Lofnheid.

After the ransom, Fafnir stabbed his sleeping father with a sword, and Hreidmar died. In the Poetical Diction, Fafner and Regin agree to kill their father for the gold; Fafner then refuses to share it with his brother.

Relationship record

Life events

• In Regin's account to Sigurd, Hreidmar and his family seized the Æsir and demanded gold as ransom for their lives.(Elder Edda · The Second Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide)
  • With: Loki
  • “That same evening they sought entertainment with Hreidmar, and showed their prize. Thereupon we laid hands on them, and imposed on them, as the redemption of their lives, that they should fill the otter's skin with gold, and cover it over with red gold.”
• In Regin's account to Sigurd, Fafnir stabbed his sleeping father Hreidmar with a sword.(Elder Edda · The Second Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide)
  • With: Fafnir
  • “Fafnir stabbed his father with a sword while sleeping.”
• In Regin's account to Sigurd, Hreidmar died.(Elder Edda · The Second Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide)
  • “Hreidmar then died”
• Loke killed Otter, and Hreidmar identified him as his son and demanded ransom from the asas.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 1)
  • With: Loki Otter
  • “Loke picked up a stone, threw it at the otter and hit him in the head.”
• Hreidmar and his sons seized and bound the asas, then agreed to accept the ransom demanded for their lives.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 1)
  • With: Loki
  • “The asas offered, as a ransom for their lives, as much money as Hreidmar himself might demand, and this was agreed to, and confirmed with an oath.”
• Odin paid Hreidmar the otter-ransom, including the ring to cover the last exposed hair.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 1)
  • With: Odin
  • “Then Odin brought forth the ring and covered with it the mouth-hair, saying that now they had paid the otter-ransom.”
• Fafner and Regin agreed to kill their father for the gold.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 1)
  • With: Fafnir Regin
  • “Then the brothers made an agreement to kill their father for the sake of the gold.”
• Fafner killed Hreidmar and refused to share the gold with Regin.(Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 1)
  • With: Fafnir
  • “Fafner answered that there was but little hope that he would share the gold with his brother, since he had himself slain his father to obtain it;”

Elder Edda · The Second Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide

• child: Regin “Regin, Hreidmar's son, was then come to Hialprek;”
• child: Lyngheid “Hreidmar called out to his daughters: 10. Lyngheid and Lofnheid!”
• child: Lofnheid “Hreidmar called out to his daughters: 10. Lyngheid and Lofnheid!”
• enemies with Fafnir “Hreidmar, stepping forward, observed a whisker, and required it to be covered; whereupon Odin drew forth the ring ‘Andvaranaut,’ and covered the hair. Loki said: 6. There is gold for thee, and thou hast a great redemption for my life. For thy son no blessing is decreed; of both it shall prove the bane. Hreidmar. 7. Gifts thou hast given, friendly gifts thou hast given not; with a kind heart thou hast not given. Of your lives ye should have been deprived, had I foreknown that peril. 8. But that is worse, what I seem to know,--a strife of kinsmen for a woman. Princes yet unborn I think them to be, for whose hate that gold is destined. 9. The red gold, I trust, I shall possess while I am living: of thy threats I entertain no fear; so take yourselves hence home. Fafnir and Regin demanded of Hreidmar their share of the blood-fine for their slain brother Otr, which he refused, and Fafnir stabbed his father with a sword while sleeping.”
• child: Fafnir “Fafnir stabbed his father with a sword while sleeping.”

Younger Edda · Poetical Diction · The Niflungs and Gjukungs · Part 1

• child: Otter “Then the father and the sons attacked the asas, seized them and bound them, and then said, in reference to the otter, that he was Hreidmar’s son.”
• child: Fafnir “But when Hreidmar saw the otter he called his sons, Fafner and Regin, and said that Otter, their brother, was slain, and also told who had done it.”
• child: Regin “But when Hreidmar saw the otter he called his sons, Fafner and Regin, and said that Otter, their brother, was slain, and also told who had done it.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Eddas. Made with Rho MD.