Mythology, Religion & Legend — Power Ranking TOP 100
I wrote a book ranking the most powerful gods, monsters, and heroes from world mythology, religion, and legend! The ranking is heavily influenced by my own perspective, but every placement is grounded in the actual lore and episodes from each mythology, so I think it makes for a satisfying read.
In this post, I’d like to introduce some of the characters featured in the ranking. There are many more beyond the ones mentioned here, so if you’re interested in mythology, religion, or legend, I think you’ll enjoy it!
Rank 99: Sigurd (Norse Mythology)
Overview
Sigurd is a hero from Norse mythology (Germanic mythology) widely celebrated as a dragon-slayer for his defeat of the great dragon Fafnir.
In the heroic epic Nibelungenlied, composed between the 13th and 14th centuries, he appears under the name “Siegfried” — though that version of the story incorporates some changes from the original mythology.
Sigurd’s sword is known as the “cursed sword Gram (or Balmung),” originally bestowed by Odin, the chief god of Norse mythology, upon a human being. It was said to cut through an anvil, and to slice through wool floating down a river simply by holding the blade against the current — an extraordinarily sharp sword.
In the Siegfried version, bathing in the dragon’s blood made him invulnerable everywhere except one spot on his back — but the Norse Sigurd has no such legend and was killed by ordinary assassination (though Siegfried was also assassinated, so there is little practical difference).
Why This Ranking
The great dragon Fafnir that Sigurd slew was a tremendously powerful dragon-like creature (not explicitly stated to be a dragon) said to have steel-like scales and deadly venom.
Fafnir was originally just an ordinary dvergr (a race similar to dwarves), but transformed into a mighty monster through the overwhelming greed of refusing to share his treasure with anyone.
Sigurd, having defeated this creature, is certainly a hero of considerable power — but the fact that he was killed by ordinary assassination and the somewhat underwhelming performance of the magic sword Gram suggest he never really escaped the realm of an ordinary hero.
He is by no means weak, but please understand that within this ranking’s criteria, a lower placement was unavoidable.
