Hero of heroes, the only man able to draw Óðinn's sword from the Barnstokkr tree, and Sigurðr's father whose broken sword was reforged into Gramr.
Sigmundr was the son of Völsungr and the greatest among ten brothers. In the hall of the Völsungar stood the great tree Barnstokkr, and into it an old man had thrust a sword up to the hilt. None could draw it out but Sigmundr, and it proved that the old man was Óðinn himself. With the sword Sigmundr performed great deeds.
Sigmundr fell against King Lyngi, and in that battle Óðinn shattered his own sword against Sigmundr's. The broken fragments were preserved by Hjördís and given to Sigurðr, who had the master smith Reginn reforge them into the sword Gramr. Sigmundr is Sigurðr's heritage-giver and the male line of the Völsung dynasty through whom heroic qualities are transmitted.
Sources in the Eddas
- Völsunga saga
- The primary source for Sigmundr's life and the sword from the Barnstokkr. Own translation.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Sigmundr's drawing of the sword from the Barnstokkr is one of the most familiar motifs in the Völsunga saga and has clear parallels with other Indo-European kingship inauguration narratives.