A good story reflects and builds a profile of different factors of culture. Myth is one of them. Specifically, in Norse mythology, we can learn a myriad background of nowadays Europe through the divertingly stories. Among these stories, there is an absolute similarity that develops with the plot over time, which is the hero journey. In Sigurd the Volsung, Sigurd, who is the protagonist— the hero in the story— presents a role which goes through the hero journey. Thus the hero went several stages over his adventure.
The first stage is when Sigurd calls to the adventure. Sigurd, the son of Sigmund, is a person “Whoever met him marveled at his size, his strength, his courage, his skill, his intelligence, and a good heart. No one in the northlands could match Sigurd’s gifts”. His father died during a battle with Denmark. Undoubtedly, Sigurd takes over the responsibility to continue the family lineages. He is raised in the royal house of Denmark with a tutor accompany him who acts as a key figure in the process of “calling to the adventure.” This man is Regin, who is famous for being a metalsmith. Regin constantly challenges Sigurd as he is doing a mission for him. After a series of test trials on Sigurd, Regin finally asks the request that has long been bury in his mind, which is to make Sigurd kill his brother Fafnir.
In the beginning, Sigurd refuses such violent request since he doesn’t believe that he is able to survive. And with the intense conversation goes between Sigurd and Regin, the story enters its second stage that the hero’s refusal to the call. When Regin is stating, “ out in the world, you will find treasure for the taking, and you would earn fame and honor by winning it… do you have the courage needed for adventure?” Sigurd answers confidently, “of course I do! What treasure do you have in mind? What is it? And why is it availably for the taking?” The request obviously sparked off a whole chain of curiosity out of the young man who forms an interesting contrast when Regin tells him that he needs to kill a furious dragon. Sigurd soon turns to a sense of betrayal from his former kind tutor and says, “are you trying to help me or kill me? How do you expect me to succeed where all others have failed?” After Regin tells Sigurd of his own story and reveals that the dragon is actually his evil brother who kills their father for the treasure from the dwarf— Andvari— Sigurd decides to take this request for the poor man. In this scenario, Fafnir represents as the corrupt system that human being is tempted driven by monetary greed.
The third stage comes when a wise old man appears in the forest who is going to give the hero supernatural aid, a sufficient item that will make the hero stronger. “the man wearing a blue cloak and a broad-brimmed hat that overshadowed his forehead, and he had only one eye.” This man is Odin. He meets the need of the hero by proving him a great horse. Another supernatural aid is Sigurd’s uncle who understands “the lore of the dread Norns and could reveal the detainees of mortal folk.” He predicts that Sigurd will be fame by killing the dragon and he will also die young. Regin also helps Sigurd rebuild his sword that passes on from his father which is given by Odin. The sword breaks into pieces and Regin refines them eventually for Sigurd.
Sigurd listens to Regin again for his strategy on killing the dragon when they are at the waterfall where the dragon dwells, and he stabs right to the heart of the gigantic creature. The dragon learns that Sigurd comes for Regin and then died.
The fourth stage for Sigurd is the meeting with the goddess where the hero gains items given to him that will help him in the future. He gains a protective layer which is blood from the dragon during the brutal process killing the dragon, and thus the blood end up on his body. Out of expectation, he can understand what the birds were saying after he has been drowning in blood. However, there is one spot at his back that did not cover with the blood which set a metaphor of his tragedy at the end of the story.
After Sigurd has killed the dragon, he overhears the talks among the birds who were saying that Regin is ready to kill him and run away with the treasure. This is an allegory of the cave moment when a sudden realization within Sigurd sparkled his desire to kill Regin beforehand and took the treasure. This is the stage of Apotheosis. It is the point of realization in which a greater understanding is achieved, and the hero is resolved and ready for the more difficult part of the adventure. He embarks on to his next step with “treasure beyond dreaming” and then “he puts the remaining treasure into two great chests and loaded them upon.”
The last stage of the cycle is the ultimate boon for Sigurd before his death. The ultimate boon refers to the achievement of the adventure. In this case, one of the achievement is the treasure that guards by the dragon. And on the other hand is fame. As the story states, “as Sigurd rode in search of Brunhild, his fame spread across the northern lands with the speed of the winter wind… this was the man who had slain the fearsome dragon Fafnir”. Sigurd goes on to his next adventure after the first successful phase of his life.
Overall, the story reveals the early culture of Scandinavia. There are three fundamental values: Fame, Retribution, and loyalty. Fame refers to the honor that is obtained on the battlefield; retribution relates to the responsibilities that each person should take, and reliability refers to a genuine faith to his/her king or the country. Sigurd is faithful to his kingdom and courageous which present as an ideal hero figure. The story conveys a message of not being greedy which a lot of modern films had used for reference, for example, the Pirates of the Caribbean. It also tells a story of chasing for treasure and the only curse can be broken by returning the treasure to a designated point. It is as similar to the situation in the deep water where the dragon Fafnir keeps his treasure. The most significantly common story is from J.R.R. Tolkien who is the author of “Lord of the Ring” and “The Hobbit.” There are several scenes that are completely diverted from Sigurd the Volsung. For example, Fafnir the dragon is Smaug in “The Hobbit” even the conversation in Sigurd is somehow similar to the movie scene.
I would totally recommand this video as it is now one of my favorite. It is enchanting and you always want to know what will be happen next, not only I will finish the whole series of lord of th ering but also I will go read the books.
Thus a great story can lead off a series of great work hundreds of year after. And Sigurd let us see a try hero of that time.