Submitted by: Luca Panaro
Description:
Heimdallr is a deity and a major figure in Norse mythology and Old Norse literature. He is one of theÆsirand is the watchman of Ásgarðr (LINK), dwelling on the edge of heaven near the Bifröst (LINK) and keeping a lookout for the armies of the gods' enemies that will arrive at Ragnarök (LINK). When he spots them, he will blow on the Gjallarhorn (LINK) to alert the gods and goddesses of the impending doom. He appears as a sworn enemy ofLoki according toGylfaginningch. 50, where they kill each other at Ragnarök, just before the world is destroyed by Surtr's fire (LINK). The two also engaged in a swimming contest in the shapes of seals in the 10th century poemHúsdrápa, by the Icelandic skáld Úlfr Uggasson, and Snorri gives "Loki's foe" as a kenning for Heimdallr.
He was born (simultaneously?) from nine mothers, and in the lost poemHeimdalargaldr, of which we only have two lines quoted in theProse Edda, these nine mothers are also sisters. In a variant version of the eddic poemVöluspá, calledVöluspá in skamma("the shortVöluspá"), these nine mothers are specified asjötnarwomen, but they are not called sisters there. Only theSkáldskaparmálsection of theProse Eddaprovides the claim thatÓðinnis Heimdallr's father, but this should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism, as with much else found in theProse Edda.
(Snorri's description)
His name's meaning is uncertain, with heim meaning "home" or "world," like the suffix of the mythological realms, but dallr is not precisely known. It has been linked tentatively with Old English deall, "proud, eminent, bright," leading to the possible meaning of "home-proud/bright."
| Medieval Sources | Description | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| Gylfaginning | Gylfaginning is a section of the compiled treatise on mythology and poetry known as the Prose Edda, the Younger Edda, or Snorri's Edda (LINK). The tit... | none |
| Völuspá | Völuspá, "the Prophecy of the Seeress," is a mythological poem that is part of the Apocalypse Old Norse-Icelandic |
|
| Skáldskaparmál | Skáldskaparmál, "the language of poetry," is a section of the Prose Edda, Younger Edda, or Snorri's Edda (LINK). The section begins as a dialogue s... |
Old Norse-Icelandic |
| Lokasenna | Lokasenna ("Loki's Quarrel," "Loki's Senna") is one of the poems in the Insult contest |
No linked sources yet.