As a Tolkien fan, I found myself exploring some of his writings outside of Middle-earth. One of the stories I really like is his version of the Sigurd story from the Volsung Saga, called The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. One mini-story within the greater one is the story of Sigurd and his fight with a dragon named Fáfnir, and that is what the link in this post is focused on. There’s a lot more going on in the story than just what you are presented with in this snippet, but it’s still a fun snippet to share that was written by someone that obviously enjoyed the story.
This article doesn’t even talk about how Fafnir became a dragon after Loki had killed his brother Otr and gave Fafnir a cursed pouch made of his brother’s hide. It doesn’t even give the real details of how Sigred hid in the dirt under leaves and stabbed out at Fafnir’s belly as he slithered by.
It’s a travesty, really, how much it leaves out! But at the same time, it’s also kind of an appetizer of sorts that might draw people in. The way Sigurd kills Fafnir is especially interesting, because it has echoes in the Silmarillion and an encounter between Turin and dragon named Glaurung.