Fafnir speaking with Smaug. The other dragon Glaurang has many similarities as well. In Tolkien's "The Book of Lost Tales", Glaurang is described as a flightless dragon that hoards gold, breaths poison, and has "Great cunning and wisdom". In Tolkien's book "The Children of Húrin", he is slain by Turin from below much like Fafnir. Turin and Glaurang also have an exchange after the mortal blow is dealt. Fafnir In Norse mythology, Fáfnir (Old Norse and Icelandic) or Frænir is a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother of Regin, Ótr, Lyngheiðr and Lofnheiðr. After being affected by the curse
Norse mythology in popular culture George Webbe Dasent brought the mythology of Scandinavia back to the popular notice of many people in Germany and England; in both cases, Norse mythology was recognized as the latest surviving form of Germanic paganism. Germany and England were Christianized far earlier than the Scandinavian countries and much of their own traditions were lost. In Britain, William Morris composed poetry such as "Sigurd the Volsung" on Norse legendary subjects as well as translating Icelandic sagas into English. In Germany, Richard Wagner borrowed characters and themes from Norse mythology to compose the four operas that make up "Der Ring des Nibelungen"