The supreme god, Óðinn, was exploring the Nine Realms with his traveling companions Hœnir, and the infamous mischievous gourd.
After a long journey, the trio arrive at Niðavellir, an underground waterfall of dwarves, and stop for water.
Óðinn and Hœnir were eager to meet Hreiðmarr
king of the dwarves, but Loki was bored and hungry. Spotting an otter nearby, Loki threw a stone at its head, killing the animal. He put down his wand and ducked behind the others.
As they saluted Harriedmar, the king paled, for the belt belonged to none other than his shapeshifting son. Hreiðmarr summoned his two surviving sons, Fáfnir and Regin, and bound the gods.
He decided that he would let them go in exchange for gold, as was the custom, but only if they could fill the otter's shell with the finest gold until not a hair was visible.
Because of how stretchy an otter's skin is, this meant an almost impossible sum to get—but Loki had an idea. Dwarves were skilled craftsmen. One of them,
Indori, is said to produce wonderful creations. Andori often took the form of a fish and one day, he sank deeper than ever before—so deep that he reached the land of the water nymphs, who guarded the gold dunes.
At first, Indori simply wanted to see their treasures for himself.
But when the nymphs laughed at his strange appearance, Andori became enraged and took away their gold. With that, he made himself a special ring.
As long as he wears it, Andori's wealth will increase. Loki considered the wealth of Indore as the best solution to their problem.
He returned to the waterfall, made a huge net, and pulled out a giant fish. As Andori laughed, Loki sneered that he would kill him unless he handed over his treasure to them. Andori directs Loki to his lair.
Satisfied with the piles of gold, Loki frees Andruri—but a sudden flash of one of the dwarf's fingers warns Loki that he will lose the most powerful treasure of all. Despite Andori's pleas, Loki tears off the ring.
The seething, Andori, cursed the ring,
declaring that it would be the doom of all subsequent owners. Back at the palace, Indore's gold appeared to completely cover the otter's skin. But as Hreiðmarr examined the pelt, he saw a single, bare whisper peeking out.
So, the gods left the ring. As Hreiðmarr slipped it onto his finger, Regan shuddered at the lust in his father's eyes, while his brother, Fafnir, looked on jealously. Later, when Fafnir demands a share of the wealth from the king, Harrimar refuses.
So, Fafnir kills his father, snatches the coveted ring from his finger, and flees the castle with the treasure. He came to rest in a cave where he wandered around his new possessions.
The ring surrounded him inside and out, and in time,
Fafnir was transformed into a fearsome dragon. Meanwhile, Fafnir's treachery and safe treasure dawn on Regan.
He eventually enlisted the help of his loyal foster son, a warrior named Sigurd, to slay the monster that had become his brother. Sigurd did as instructed. Afterwards, Regan asks Sigurd to roast the animal's heart so that he can eat it.
Sigurd obeyed and tasted the heart's blood before serving him. But as the liquid met Sigurd's tongue, he understood the chirping of the surrounding birds.
They were singing but one thing: Reagan was going to kill him.
So Sigurd kills Regan and seizes the wealth for himself.
This was just the beginning. In the years to come, this ring will tear families apart, torment lovers, and empower, then ultimately destroy, whoever possesses it.
Andori's curse set off a vicious cycle that would consume many lives—and inspire some of the most influential works of the 19th and 20th centuries.
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