J.R.R Tolkien in the context of "Fáfnir"

In Germanic heroic legend and folklore, Fáfnir, was a dwarf or other type of humanoid, who had shifted into the hamr of a Germanic dragon (a worm, "serpent", in period nomenclature), in order to protect a treasure, and then was slain by a member of the Völsung family, typically Sigurð.

In Nordic mythology, he is the son of Hreiðmarr, and brother of Regin and Ótr. He is attested throughout the Völsung Cycle, where, Fáfnir commits patricide out of greed, taking the ring and hoard of the dwarf Andvari, and shapeshifting into a dragon. Fáfnir's brother Regin later assisted Sigurð in obtaining the sword Gram, by which Fáfnir is killed. Fáfnir has been identified with an unnamed dragon killed by a Völsung in other Germanic works, including Beowulf, the Nibelunglied and a number of skaldic poems. Fáfnir and his killing by Sigurð are further represented in numerous medieval carvings from the British Isles and Scandinavia, and a single axe head in a Scandinavian style found in Russia. The story of Fáfnir has continued to have influence in the modern period, such as in the works of J.R.R Tolkien, who drew inspiration from the tale of Fáfnir in his portrayals of Smaug and Gollum.