Regin:
The poem Volsupa describes Regin as a dwarf. Is he intended to be a dwarf here, or is this just one of many cases where different versions of myths conflict?
At first this seemed like a pretty clear no to me. But then, as I often do, I started thinking about what dwarves even are within the context of our surviving sources of Norse mythology. Which really is a whole lot. While Tolkien has left an indelible image of what dwarves, and elves, are in our modern consciousness, it’s important to not recast those images and ideas back to these sources without due cause.
Dwarves are never described, nor are elves, within the Eddas aside from broad notions of darkness or light, being earthy or airy, or being formed into the shape of man from the maggots writhing in Ymir’s flesh. Even the terms dwarf and elf are interchanged. It seems dwarves could be synonymous with dark elves. Their powers and traits are varied. Thor at one time keeps a dwarf up until dawn in a debate and when the sunlight falls on it, it turns to stone. Otr, if indeed dwarven, has the ability to shapeshift. Fafnir also shapeshifts, in his own way, due to his coveting of the treasure. Regin fulfills the archetype of the black-smithing dwarf.
That Regin shares a name with a dwarf in the (possibly interpolated) section of Voluspa which goes on listing dwarf names ( which contain names with the very word elf [Gand-alf, Vind-alf] ) could be mere coincidence. But given that this is epic storytelling, it most likely is not.
So is Regin a dwarf? I would definitely say maybe.
What’s more curious to me is that regin in Old Norse and Icelandic means “"the gods, the ruling powers.”
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Regin and Sigurd appear to have a pattern of threes, like mythic tales do. There are three questions Regin asks of Sigurd, which seem to have been interpreted as conniving temptations on the part of a malicious Regin. I personally don’t see it that way though. It’s laid out that Regin raised Sigurd well, educated him broadly. Regin is trying to rear a strong foster-son; physically, mentally and I believe ethically.
That Regin asks if Sigurd trusts the king(s) in holding Sigmund’s wealth, as though to stir up envy or greed seems more like a test which Sigurd passes.
That Regin chides Sigurd about not having a horse and Sigurd just nonchalantly goes and gets Grani ( with the help of Odin ) reflects a sort of… not humility, but that Sigurd is not so caught up in material status reckons a strong spirit.
And then even when Regin expresses his displeasure at Sigurd walking around as though he were only a pauper, and explains to Sigurd where he can gain a mass of treasure, Sigurd promises to slay Fafnir, but only after he has avenged his own father. (Which yes, is chapter 16, but it’s like one paragraph…)
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Regin [Signy] forges [births] three swords [sons] for Sigurd [Sigmund], the first two fail their first test and are destroyed. The third passes the test and proves to be superior in all regards.
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I’m gonna throw this on here too... Originally did this off the Nibelung stories, but then got all giddy when it showed up here.
I need to learn that rings in Norse mythology are always arm-rings though... Damn you Tolkien.