Andvari

In Norse mythology, Andvari (Old Norse "careful one"[1]) is a dwarf who lives underneath a waterfall and has the power to change himself into a pike (gedda) at will.

For the Sigur Rós song, see Takk...

This part of the Drävle Runestone is held to depict Andvari.

Andvari had a magical ring Andvaranaut, which helped him become wealthy. Using a net provided by Ran, Loki catches him as a pike and forces him to give up his gold and Andvaranaut. Andvari cursed the stolen gold which would destroy anyone who possessed it. After the deaths of Brynhild and Sigurd, Gunnar left Andvari's gold in a cave. Years later, Andvari discovered the cave and his lost gold, although his ring was lost forever.

In Richard Wagner's cycle of music dramas, Der Ring des Nibelungen, the character Alberich is a combination of Andvari and the character of Alberich from the Nibelungenlied.[2]

References

1. Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. p. 7. ISBN 0-304-34520-2.
2. Weiner, Marc A. (1997). Richard Wagner and the Anti-Semitic Imagination. U of Nebraska Press. p. 94. ISBN 9780803297920.