The Gram sword in mythology is the legendary sword of Sigurd (Siegfried) in Norse and Germanic legend, most fully told in the Völsunga saga and the Poetic Edda. It was forged by the smith Regin from the broken pieces of his father’s sword, and it was the only blade able to pierce the dragon Fafnir’s hide.
Origins in the Völsunga Saga
The fullest account of Gram comes from the Völsunga saga, a 13th-century Icelandic prose retelling of older heroic poems. In the saga, the sword originally belonged to Sigmund, Sigurd’s father. Odin gave Sigmund the sword, but when Sigmund used it in battle, Odin appeared and shattered it with his spear. Sigmund died soon after, and his wife Hjordis kept the broken pieces.
Years later, Sigurd was raised by the dwarf Regin, who forged a new sword for him. Sigurd tested the first blade by striking an anvil: it broke. Regin forged a second, stronger blade, but that too shattered. Finally, Regin reforged the pieces of Sigmund’s own sword, and this new blade—Gram—split the anvil clean in two. This detail, the anvil test, is the most famous proof of Gram’s quality and appears in both the saga and the later German Nibelungenlied (where the sword is called Balmung).
How Gram Works in the Stories
Gram is not just a strong sword; it has specific narrative functions. In the saga, it is the only weapon that can kill Fafnir, a dwarf turned dragon. Sigurd uses it to dig a pit under Fafnir’s trail and stabs the dragon from below as it crawls over him. The sword also cuts through Regin’s anvil, which proves it is the true reforged blade and not a lesser imitation.
Another key trait is that Gram is described as being so sharp that Sigurd cuts a wisp of wool by letting it drift against the blade. This appears in the Völsunga saga as a test of sharpness. The sword also has a name—Gram means “wrath” or “grief” in Old Norse—which gives it a personified identity common to heroic swords.
Gram in the Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems compiled in the 13th century but with older oral roots, also mentions Gram. In the poem Reginsmál, Regin tells Sigurd about the treasure and the dragon. The poem does not describe the forging in detail, but it names the sword as Gram and says it was made by Regin. The later poem Fáfnismál recounts the dragon’s death and the conversation between Sigurd and Fafnir, where Fafnir warns Sigurd that the gold will bring his doom—a prophecy that comes true.
The Eddic poems are fragmentary, so the saga is the main source for the sword’s backstory. Scholars believe the poems and the saga share a common source in older oral tradition, but the saga gives the most coherent narrative.
Gram vs. Other Mythical Swords
Gram is often compared to other legendary swords, but it has distinct features. In Arthurian legend, Excalibur is given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake and is associated with kingship. Gram, by contrast, is a weapon of a hero who is not a king at the time—Sigurd is a young warrior. In Norse mythology, Odin’s spear Gungnir is a symbol of divine authority, while Gram is a mortal’s tool, though Odin intervenes in its history.
Another comparison is with the sword Tyrfing, from the Hervarar saga. Tyrfing is cursed to kill a man every time it is drawn and never to be sheathed without having taken a life. Gram has no such curse; its power is purely physical. The only supernatural element is that it was forged by a dwarf and could kill a dragon, which ordinary steel could not.
Gram’s Role in Sigurd’s Fate
Gram is central to Sigurd’s story, but it also plays a part in his downfall. After killing Fafnir, Sigurd takes the dragon’s hoard, including a gold ring and a helmet. He later marries Gudrun, but he had previously pledged love to Brynhild, a valkyrie. When Brynhild learns of the deception, she demands Sigurd’s death. In the saga, Sigurd is killed in his bed by his brother-in-law Gunnar, who uses Gram itself to strike the fatal blow. This detail is significant: the same sword that killed the dragon is used to kill its master, fulfilling Fafnir’s curse on the gold.
In the German Nibelungenlied, the equivalent sword is called Balmung, and it is used by Siegfried to kill the dragon. After Siegfried’s murder, Kriemhild uses Balmung to behead Hagen, who had killed her husband. The sword thus carries a theme of vengeance in both traditions.
Common Misconceptions About Gram
One common mistake is to confuse Gram with the sword that Odin gives Sigmund. In the saga, Odin’s sword is not named; it is simply a sword that Sigmund uses until it breaks. Gram is the reforged version, and it is different from the original. Another misconception is that Gram was forged by Sigurd himself—it was Regin who forged it, not Sigurd. A third error is to think that Gram is the same as Balmung in all details. While they share the same narrative role, they are distinct names in distinct traditions, and the Nibelungenlied does not mention the anvil test.
Also, some modern retellings claim that Gram was made from the shards of a sword called “Balmung,” but that is not in any medieval source. The original broken sword belonged to Sigmund, and its name is not given before it is reforged.
Gram’s Legacy in Modern Culture
Gram has influenced many modern fantasy works, though often indirectly. J.R.R. Tolkien, who was a scholar of Old Norse, used the motif of a reforged sword in The Lord of the Rings—Andúril is reforged from the shards of Narsil, just as Gram is reforged from Sigmund’s broken blade. The anvil test also appears in fantasy literature and games, where a hero must prove a sword’s quality by cutting through metal.
In video games, Gram appears in the Final Fantasy series as a powerful sword, and in Fire Emblem as a weapon. These uses are not directly based on the saga but draw on the name and the reputation. The sword also appears in the opera Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner, where it is called Nothung (or Nothung), and it is forged by Siegfried from the pieces of his father’s sword. Wagner’s version is the most widely known in the West, and it changed the spelling and some details, such as making Siegfried forge the sword himself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who forged the Gram sword?
In the Völsunga saga, the dwarf Regin forged Gram from the broken pieces of Sigmund’s sword. Regin was also the foster-father of Sigurd and the brother of Fafnir. He hoped Sigurd would kill the dragon so that Regin could claim the treasure.
What does the name Gram mean?
Gram is an Old Norse word that means “wrath” or “grief.” It is also used as a poetic term for a king or warrior. The name is fitting for a sword that brings both victory and sorrow to its owner.
Did Sigurd use Gram to kill Fafnir?
Yes. Sigurd dug a pit in the path that Fafnir crawled over, and when the dragon passed above, Sigurd thrust Gram upward into its belly. This is told in both the Völsunga saga and the Poetic Edda.
Is Gram the same as Balmung?
Gram and Balmung are the same sword in two different traditions. Gram is the Old Norse name from the Völsunga saga, and Balmung is the Middle High German name from the Nibelungenlied. They share the same origin story but differ in some details, such as who forges the sword.
What happened to Gram after Sigurd’s death?
In the Völsunga saga, after Sigurd is killed, the sword is placed in his burial mound. Later, his wife Gudrun’s brother Gunnar takes it, but it is not used again in the saga. In the Nibelungenlied, Balmung is taken by Hagen after Siegfried’s murder and later used by Kriemhild to kill Hagen.
Why could only Gram kill Fafnir?
The saga does not give a magical reason—it simply says that Fafnir’s hide was so tough that no ordinary blade could pierce it. Gram was a superior weapon, forged by a dwarf, and it was sharp enough to cut through an anvil, so it could also cut through dragon scales.
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