TATZLWYRM: (Germanic legend) A winged, fire-breathing dragon monster.
BLACK WORM: is a Teutonic, German, myth.The Black Worm hoarded gold, which it coiled round to protect. The worm was not quite long enough to coil around all of the gold and while it was sleeping, a local man took advantage of this gap and climbed up onto the hoard. Soon he had filled his pockets with gold, but he was greedy for more. He called to his female companion to climb up to and take more of the gold. This cry woke the worm, the dragon roared, the man panicked, dropped the gold, and fled. The black worm and it's gold then sunk into the ground, never to be seen again.
FAFNIR and SIEGFRIED: is a Germanic legend. Seiglinde, had been lost in the forest, but was rescued by Regin, a dwarf. She was about to give birth to Siegfried, so Regin became Siegfried's tutor. Regin was working on a broken sword which had belonged to Siegfried's father. The sword had once belonged to Wotan, most powerful of the gods, it possessed magic powers. Regin was teaching young Siegfried, the secrets of his craft.
Siegfried heard a dragon in the forest and was told by Regin of Fafnir the dragon. Fafnir began life as a giant who killed his father to gain his treasure. Fafnir transformed himself into a dragon and hoarded a fabulous treasure containing a gold ring and a magic helmet that brought wealth and immortality to whomever owned them. No one who tried to fight the dragon ever succeeded or returned to tell the tale.
Siegfried wanted to fight the dragon. Regin confessed that the sword he was fixing had been Siegfried's fathers and had been broken in three during one last terrible battle. The name of the sword which Regin was fixing was called "The Wrath" or Nothung. Siegfried took the hammer from the dwarf and completed the sword's repair.
Siegfried set out to find the dragon which lived on Gnita Heath. He could not see the dragon, but could hear it's voice. Pressing on, hearing the dragon and sensing danger the horse refused to go any further. Siegfried went to get Regin and the sword. Fafnir watched and waited. Siegfried returned with Regin and the sword, they dug a pit along the path Fafnir walked daily to get a drink. Siegfried hid in the pit and waited with the sword.
As Fafnir passed over the pit, Siegfried stabbed Fafnir's belly. Siegfried attacked, but his blows were ineffectual, slipping off the armoured skin. Then Siegfried stabbed Fafnir's shoulder, Fafnir exhaled flames, killing Regin and the horse. Siegfried, wanting vengeance, determined to fight, prayed to the gods for help. He raised the magic sword, lightening flashed from the blade and knocked down the dragon. Siegfried moved in for the final blow, Fafnir never moved again.
Siegfried thanked the gods and kissed sword drenched in dragon's blood. He felt his own blood stir, he could now understand the language of the birds. He bathed in the dragon's blood and became impossible to wound. However, he did not notice that as he was bathing a leaf fell on his back, covering part of his skin. That spot would remain soft and vulnerable, just like the Achilles myth. Siegfried took the magic ring and helmet and asked the birds what the best way out of the dragon lands was.
"Fafnir's bane" was the cursed treasure hoard Siegfried won from the dragon. The ring, referred to as Andvari's ring, has a curse upon it. Siegfried had many adventures and consulted with all the animals. He visited a mysterious island on which lived a young a hand maiden of god Wotan, Brunhilde, who was a Valkyrie, or Victory-Wafter "Choosers of the Slain" until she fell from grace.
She slept on top of a mountain under a spell cast by Wotan. Her bed was surrounded by a curtain of flames. The god in his wrath said, "thou hast thought in thy folly that the gods have friends and foes, that they wake, and the world wends onward, that they sleep and the world slips back, that they laugh, and the world's weal waxeth, that they frown and fashion the wrack: thou hast cast up the curse against me; it shall fall aback on thine head"
Siegfried found a way up to her side and kissed her on the lips which woke her. They fell in love and had many adventures. He gave the ring to Brunhilde, unbeknownst to him that the ring was cursed. In Siegfried's last battle his enemy's sword pierced the spot where the leaf had covered his skin when he bathed in dragon's blood.
In another version, the king of the dwarves left equal amounts of treasure to his three sons. When the mountain threatened to cave in, two sons hid their treasure under a dragon stone which was actually a dragon. After five years and a day, the dragon took on human form, allowing Siegfried to take the treasure.
Dragon imagry was depicted on the battle standards and shields of invading Teutonic tribes.
Siegfried is called Sigurd in the Norse versions of the legend
