Engraved mug, Sigurd Saga

Beer mug, approx. 500 ml.

A genuine pagan beer tankard with a copy of the Sigurd saga rune stone engraved on it. A stylish mug that is of course made to be used, but which also looks incredibly good on the bookshelf. Toast properly in Viking fashion, in the company of good friends. The practical handle also makes the tankard easy to hang from your belt.

Sigurd grew up with King Hjalprek in Denmark. His father had been murdered, and his mother then remarried Hjalprek's son Alf. Sigurd was raised to manhood by the king's smith, a dwarf named Regin. As the years went by, Sigurd grew into a splendid young man whom few could match, and his strength and bravery were widely known. One day Regin summoned Sigurd and told him the story of his life.

Regin's father was named Reidmar, and he was one of the richest dwarves. Regin's brothers were named Fafner and Utter. Utter could take animal form and used to hunt and fish transformed into an otter. One afternoon Utter lay on the shore in his animal guise eating salmon. Then the Aesir Odin, Höner and Loki passed by, not knowing who the otter really was. They wanted to spend the night with the wealthy Reidmar, but they could not arrive there without gifts, so Loki hurled a stone at Utter, who died. The animal was then skinned and afterwards handed over to Reidmar. He of course saw whom they had killed and was beside himself with grief and rage. He therefore demanded a great man-price - the skin was first to be filled with gold, and then it was to be completely covered on the outside.

Nearby lived the immensely rich dwarf Andvare, who could also transform himself into an animal. Loki set off and managed to catch Andvare when he was a pike. He took the dwarf's gold as payment for setting him free. But Andvare tried to hide away a magic gold ring. Loki saw this and demanded that one too. Then Andvare pronounced a curse over the entire treasure, and especially the ring. Whoever owned Andvare's gold would always be struck by death and misfortune.

With the treasure, Loki could pay the man-price, but he kept the ring. When Reidmar examined the otter skin, he saw that it was not completely covered with gold - a whisker was sticking out. Then Loki placed Andvare's precious ring there, and they were free.

The treasure was, however, cursed, and Reidmar was murdered by his son Fafner, who wanted all the gold for himself. Fafner then transformed himself into a dragon, took the treasure out onto the dreadful Gnitaheden and lay down to guard the gold.

All this Regin told Sigurd. Regin wanted revenge, but he could not do it himself. He therefore now asked for Sigurd's help. As a reward, Sigurd would receive the horse Grane and the magic sword Gram. With these gifts Sigurd could then ride off and avenge his father's murderers. Once that was done, Sigurd was to help Regin and slay Fafner.

Said and done. When Sigurd was finished with his task, he set off for Gnitaheden to find the dragon. Fafner used to drag himself down to a small lake every day to drink, and where the dragon's body was hauled along, a path had formed. Sigurd dug a pit in the path and lay down in it to wait for the dragon with his sword at the ready. Then a bearded man in grey clothing came along, with a walking staff and a pointed hat - Odin. He wanted to help Sigurd and advised him to dig more pits where the blood could run out, otherwise Sigurd might drown in all the dragon's blood.

Soon the dragon came, and Sigurd drove the sword Gram in right up to the hilt when the heart was directly above him. In the dragon's death throes, Fafner reminded him of the curse that rested over the treasure. When the dragon was dead, Regin suddenly leapt out from a hiding place. He praised Sigurd and asked him to roast the dragon's heart. Sigurd did as he was asked while Regin went to rest for a while. To feel whether the heart was done, Sigurd put his finger against it, but burnt himself. Instinctively he put his finger in his mouth and thus tasted dragon's blood. This made him suddenly understand what the birds were singing.

The little birds in the trees whispered that Regin had treachery in his mind, so Sigurd simply went and cut off the dwarf's head. Once again Andvare's ring had brought it about that those who had been friends and kinsmen slew one another. The treasure thus became Sigurd's, but he too was struck by the curse. But that is another story...