Andvaranaut: Magical Ring That Made Gold And Was Stolen By Norse God Loki

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - In Norse mythology, Andvaranaut, also called Andvari's loom, is a powerful, magical ring capable of producing gold. It was forged by the shape-shifting dwarf Andvari, who could turn himself into a fish.

Credit: Keith Parkinson

In Norse mythology, the ring was one of the masterpieces of dwarf jewelry. The dwarf was wealthy due partly to his ring, Andvaranant, which allowed him to find additional sources of gold.

When the Norse god Loki learned about the ring's magical powers, he stole it from the dwarf. In revenge, Andvari cursed the ring to bring misfortune and destruction to whoever possessed it. Andvari said, "the gold ring would be the death of whoever owned it, and the same applied to all the gold." It is also precisely what happened.

The cursed ring did not bring Loki or anyone who owned it much luck or joy.

On arriving at Hreidmar's house, the king of the Dwarves, Loki, gave a ring to the dwarf because the ring had accidentally killed Hreidmar's son, Ótr.

Left: Credit: Adobe Stock - veraverunchik - Right: Dwarf published in Gjellerup, Karl (1895). Credit: Public Domain

Ótr's brother, Fafnir, then murdered Hreidmar and took the ring, turning it into a dragon to guard it. Sigurd (Siegfried) later killed Fafnir.

In some versions of the story, hero Sigurd later encounters the Valkyrie Brynhild, whom Norse God Odin punished. Sigurd marries her, using the Andvaranaut as a promise ring.

The story of Andvaranaut has been used in musical performances, books, and movies.

For example, Richard Wagner did not use the name "Andvaranaut.", but he told the story of the ring in his famous operatic cycle "Der Ring des Nibelungen" (The Ring of the Nibelung). The ring Andvaranaut is also credited as one of the inspirations for the One Ring in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings.

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

Updated on January 12, 2024

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