ANDVARI: The dwarf who created a magic ring and became master of all the gold in the universe.

But he hadn't reckoned with LOKI, who seized it along with a great deal of treasure as pay-off for a murder he'd committed. ANDVARI just had time to curse the ring so it would bring death to all who owned it.

LOKI, being much too wily to be caught by a trick like that, didn't touch it, and the ring went straight to REGIN and FAFNIR as ransom for the death of their brother OTR.

There's more than a passing reference to ANDVARI in Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', but Wagner completely cribbed him for 'Ring of the Nibelungs' where he was forced to sing lustily under the name of Alberich with lots of Rhine Maidens and large Teutonic Operatic Volk wearing funny costumes and helmets with wings on.