Gram (mythology) facts for kids

Gram is a famous sword from Norse mythology. It belonged to the brave hero Sigurd. Sigurd used this powerful sword to defeat the fearsome dragon Fafnir.

The Story of Gram

The mighty sword Gram was created by a legendary craftsman named Weyland the Smith. Its first owner was Sigmund, who was Sigurd's father. Sigmund received the sword in a very special way. The god Odin had stuck the sword into a large log in the hall of the Volsung family. No one else could pull it out, but Sigmund managed to free it!

Later, the sword was broken into pieces. However, it was reforged, meaning it was made new again. After being reforged, Gram was incredibly strong. It was so sharp and powerful that it could cut a heavy anvil completely in half!

Gram's Other Names

In different stories, this famous sword is known by other names. In the old German poem called the Nibelungenlied, Sigurd's sword is known as Balmung. In Richard Wagner's famous opera series, Ring Cycle, the sword is called Nothung (or Notung in modern German).

Images for kids

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  A depiction of Sigurd with Gram on the Ramsund carving, dated to around the year 1030

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  Sigmund's Sword by Johannes Gehrts (1889)

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  Sigurd proofs the sword Gram by Johannes Gehrts (1901)