Famous Swords: Gram

In Norse mythology, Sigurd is the central character in the Völsunga saga. Sigurd's sword, Gram, was originally forged by Weyland the Smith for Sigurd's father, Sigmund, who received it in the hall of the Volsung after pulling it out of a log into which the god Odin had stuck it—nobody else could pull it out.

By the time Sigurd received his father's sword it was in pieces. He asked his stepfather Regin (a gifted smither) to reforge it, and the resulting sword was so powerful it clove an anvil in half. Regin then sent Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir and recover the treasure that was stolen from Regin's father. Sigurd kills the dragon by digging a pit under a trail that leads to a stream and plunging his sword into the dragon’s heart. Regin, however, corrupted by the cursed gold, plans to kill Sigurd and take the treasure for himself. Sigurd learns of this plot and ends up killing Regin.