Who Was Andvari In Norse Mythology and How Did Loki Steal Andvari’s Treasure?
Andvari was a craftsman dwarf whose treasure was seized by Loki.
Once, while traveling through Midgard with Odin and Honir, Loki killed an otter for dinner.
They traveled on to a farmhouse and offered to share the otter with the farmer Hreidmar. In horror, Hreidmar told them that the otter was his son.
Hreidmar and his two other sons weakened the gods with magic, rendering them helpless to their attack.
In reparation for the otter’s death, Loki offered to give Hreidmar enough gold to cover the otter’s skin. The skin, however, was magical and could be stretched to an immense size.
So, while Odin and Honir stayed at the farm as hostages, Loki searched for a giant treasure.
Loki borrowed a magic net from a sea goddess and descended through a maze of tunnels to an underground lake.
There, he captured a large pike that was actually the dwarf Andvari. Loki was in luck. Andvari owned a massive and beautiful treasure.
To secure his freedom, Andvari bitterly agreed to surrender his wealth to Loki.
Watching in fury as Loki walked off with his hoard of gold, Andvari laid a terrible curse on a magical gold making ring that lay within the treasure.
Whoever possessed the ring would be doomed.