Sigmund

Who they are

A hero of the Völsung line, father of Sigurd. Odin once drove a sword deep into the tree-trunk of the family hall, and only Sigmund could draw it out, so that the sword became the token of the family’s fate. He spent his life in war, vengeance, and exile, and at last on the battlefield met Odin face to face, spear in hand — the god snapped in two the very sword he had given, a sign that his time had come. The broken sword was later reforged as Gram and passed to his son Sigurd.

Key stories

The Sword Drawn and the Sword Broken

Odin, as a one-eyed old man, drove a sword into the great tree of the Völsung hall, declaring only the worthy could draw it out. Guest after guest failed; only Sigmund drew it at a single pull. Years later, the same Odin raised his spear against him on the field, and the sword struck the god’s spear and snapped — the one who gave the sword and the one who took it back were the same god. The broken sword, reforged, made the next generation’s dragon-slaying legend.

Relationships

Echoes today

Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.

Appears in