The Dwarf Andvare and the Ring Andvaranaut

Foto: Bengt A Lundberg / Riksantikvarieämbetet, CC BY 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5, Wikimedia Commons

In Norse mythology, the story is told of Andvare’s waterfall, home to a dwarf by the same name. In this waterfall, he has hidden a treasure of gold that he carefully guards. He rarely leaves the water, sustaining himself by shape-shifting into a pike to hunt fish. Among all the objects in his gold treasure, he especially values the ring Andvaranaut, to which he is deeply attached.

One day, the gods Odin, Loki, and Hœnir came to Andvare’s waterfall during their travels. Hungry and searching for prey to prepare a meal, they spotted an otter eating salmon by the water’s edge. Loki managed to kill the otter by throwing a stone at it, and the gods then cooked its meat. After finishing their meal and preparing to leave, they took the otter’s skin with them.

As night approached, the gods sought lodging at the farm of Reidmar, a man skilled in magic who lived nearby. Unsuspecting, they showed him the otter skin. Reidmar grew pale—he recognized the otter as his son, who often hunted in the waterfall in otter-form. Enraged, Reidmar had his two other sons, Regin and Fafnir, bind the gods and hold them captive. To release them, he demanded that they fill the otter skin entirely with gold, leaving no part visible.

The gods were uncertain how to gather enough gold, but eventually agreed to forcibly take Andvare’s treasure. Loki was sent to carry out the task. He determined that the easiest way to seize the treasure was to capture Andvare when the dwarf had transformed into a pike. Thus, Loki first went to the sea goddess Ran to borrow her fishing net.

The plan succeeded. Andvare was trapped in the net, and Loki demanded the treasure in exchange for the dwarf’s freedom. While gathering the gold, Loki noticed Andvare trying to hide a golden ring, and he demanded that too. Andvare secretly placed a curse on the ring, condemning all future owners to suffer misfortune and a grim death. Loki, suspecting the ring’s special nature, initially intended to keep it for himself.

Using Andvare’s treasure, the gods filled the otter skin with gold, but when they had finished, a single whisker remained uncovered. Loki reluctantly had to use the cursed ring to conceal the final whisker. Reidmar thus became immensely wealthy, unaware that he had also brought a curse upon himself. Eventually, the treasure led to conflict between him and his sons, ultimately causing their deaths.

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Footnote: The story of Andvare and his ring sets the stage for the saga of Sigurd Fafnesbane (Sigurd the Dragon Slayer). The image mentioned above shows a detail from the Drävle Runestone in Uppland, illustrating scenes from this saga. On the left, Andvare is depicted running away, clutching the ring Andvaranaut in one hand.