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Hreidmar

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in Norse mythology. When the Asas journeyed through the world, Odin, Halner, and Loke came to a river with a waterfall. There they found a viper, devouring a salmon. Loke killed the viper, and it was brought to the village, where they sought a night's lodging of the rustic Hreidmar, who was a powerful sorcerer. Hardly had he seen the viper, when he called his two sons, Tofner and Reigen, and told them that the strangers had killed Otter (viper), their brother. Hreidmar immediately went to the Asas, who promised to pay him as much money in reparation as he desired. The sorcerer tore off the skin from the killed viper, and ordered it to be filled with red gold. Odin sent Loke into the land of the black elves to seek gold. There he found the dwarf Andwari, who gave him all the money he had in his possession. But the elf still had a small ring on his hand, which Loke ordered him to deliver with the gold. Andwari obeyed, saying, "The ring will be the death of its possessor."

The hide was filled, and the ring laid on top, and thus the Asas were free from all debt. Hreidmar's sons wanted a share of the gold, but he refused them. They consulted with each other and slew their father. Now Reigen thought he might take one half, but Tofinir forbid him, ordering him to go off, or the same fate should befall him which came upon his father. Reigen fled to king Hialfrek, and became his smith. Tofnur changed himself into a snake, and guarded the gold. The smith found an avenger in Sigurd. He told the latter where Tofnur was Sigurd dug a ditch near by where Tofnur was accustomed to get water, and waited there for him, and finally slew him. Sigurd then went to Reigen and killed him. Next he rode to Tofnur's dwelling, and took all the gold along with him.

Sigurd then came to the Hinderalps; there he found a beautiful woman, who called herself Hildur, but whose real name was Brynhildur. He married her and rode to king Giuki, who had two sons, Gunnar and Hogni, and one daughter, Gudrun; the latter he married, and entirely forgot Hildur. She incited Gunnar and Hogni to murder Sigurd; but they, being bound together by an oath, could not become traitors to him; so the third brother, Guttorm, killed him while asleep, with a sword. King Atli, the brother of Brynhildur, married Gudrun, the widow of Sigurd. He invited Gunnar and Hogni, but was anxious for their money. They hid it, whereupon he made war upon them, caught them, and killed both. Shortly after, Gudrun, to avenge the murder of her brothers, killed two of Atli's children, and gave the. king some nectar to drink from the skulls of his own children. Thus eventually the whole generation of Niflungar was annihilated.