Sigmund

Sigmund is introduced in the Völsung family cycle as the son of Völsung and Hljod and sibling of Signý. In saga narrative he is present at Völsung's hall built around the living tree Barnstokk, where a disguised Odin places a sword that only Sigmund can draw. His life becomes the central strand of a vengeance plot against King Siggeir of Gautland after Siggeir betrays and kills Völsung, leading to outlawry, tests of kin, and the birth of Sinfjötli by Signý in disguise as a völva to secure a rightful avenger. He dies in battle after Odin (in disguise) shatters his sword; on his death he prophesies that his descendant will reforge the fragments into a great weapon.

Primary sources and summaries emphasize Sigmund's deeds and genealogy rather than a sustained physical portrait; the narratives record particular actions (freeing the sword from Barnstokk, escaping bonds, biting a she‑wolf's tongue) but do not provide detailed, consistent physical descriptions such as stature, hair, or clothing in the supplied excerpts.

Sigmund is characterized by exceptional martial skill and destiny: he alone frees the sword placed by a disguised Odin, conducts raids and avenges his father's murder, survives nightly attempts on his life while bound and hidden in the forest (with aid from Signý), and displays feral resourcefulness (e.g., killing the she‑wolf by biting off her tongue when she licks honey from his face). He and his companion Sinfjötli become afflicted after killing and donning cursed wolf‑skins, linking him to transformation and lycanthropic motifs. Odin intervenes at key moments—placing and later shattering his sword—showing that his human heroism operates in interaction with divine agency. Traditions differ over attribution of a worm/dragon slaying: Beowulf attributes a dragon‑slaying to Sigemund, while the Norse Völsunga cycle assigns the famous dragon‑slaying to Sigurð/Sigurd.