Dwarf who owned the cursed ring Andvaranaut.
Andvari (Old Norse Andvari) is a dwarf who lives in a waterfall in the shape of a pike and guards a hoard of gold. In Reginsmál and Skáldskaparmál, Loki catches him with a net borrowed from Ran. Loki takes all his gold, including the ring Andvaranaut, which Andvari desperately tries to keep.
When the ring was torn from him, Andvari laid a curse on the gold: it would prove fatal to every owner. The curse is fulfilled through the chain of events in Völsunga saga, from Hreidmar's death to the downfall of Sigurd and Brynhild. Andvaranaut is thus the most famous cursed object in the Norse tradition.
Sources in the Eddas
- Reginsmál 1-5
- Andvari is caught by Loki and curses the gold and the ring Andvaranaut.
- Skáldskaparmál 39-40
- Snorri recounts Andvari's curse and the gold hoard in connection with Otter's ransom.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Andvari owned the ring Andvaranaut and cursed it when Loki took it (Reginsmál, Skáldskaparmál).
The curse drives the action in Völsunga saga.
B What we think we know
The connection between Andvaranaut and the ring of the Nibelungen in the German tradition is discussed among scholars.
C What we do not know
Andvari's prehistory and origin as a mythological figure lack attestation outside the surviving sources.