Heimdall is the Nordic god associated with fire, light, sky and sleep. He is the full-time guardian of the gates of Asgard and the Bifröst. He is, according to legend, the son of Odin and nine mothers. Each of his mothers being sister and daughter of nine sisters (the legends say so, not us).
He is represented with gold teeth and wears ram's horns on his head. From time to time, he is also seen on his horse Gulltop. He was named guardian of Asgard because of his incredible powers. He can see a hundred places in the round, day and night, and his hearing is so acute that he can hear the wool growing on the backs of sheep and the grass growing in the fields.
He lives in Himinbiorg, right next to the Bifröst, so that he is all the more efficient and sleeps less than a bird.
At the time of the Ragnarök, he will carry out the task for which he was made: to blow his Gjallarhorn to warn the nine worlds that the enemy is attacking the sacred place.
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THE LEGENDS OF HEIMDALL
In spite of his great importance at the foot of Bifröst, Heimdall was also a fighter and therefore naturally appears in famous legends.
The Flight of Brisingamen
A short legend, but at least anecdotal. Loki, god of mischief used to annoy his world to distract himself, one day he had the idea to steal Brisingamen, Freya's necklace that made her irresistible.
Loki hid it in the Western Sea. Freya immediately warned Heimdall and asked him to help her. With his magical eye, Heimdall quickly located the necklace and went to retrieve it, disguised as a seal.
Loki was there, also disguised as a seal. The two gods fought for many hours, before Heimdall finally defeated the smart guy. Loki admitted defeat and gave the necklace to Freya.
The creation of social classes
Yes, according to Norse mythology, it is the god Heimdall who is at the origin of the different social classes that have been used for years. He actually went to three families, and slept in each of them for three nights and procreated a child in each family. He created:
- Thrall, in the bed of his parents Ai and Edda. Thrall had coarse features and eventually became a slave.
- Karl, in the house of Afi and Amma. Karl soon became a lively and rigorous child. Karl will become a free man.
- Jarl, in the home of Vater and Mutter. Jarl received a good education and eventually became a nobleman.
Heimdall, according to the texts, did not want to create classes by doing this. But the humans, having realized the major differences between the three children, were inspired to create the social classes of the medieval Scandinavian society.
His role during Ragnarök
The Ragnarök is a prophecy that will come true and will announce the end of the world. It is Surt who is at the origin of this massacre and who created a war between the giants and the gods(Baldur then resurrected to fight at the side of his friends).
It was Heimdall's role to blow into Gjallarhorn, which he did to warn and gather all the gods. He then took his sword and went to fight like any self-respecting warrior.
All the gods were fighting together except for Loki. Loki had been imprisoned for life in Asgard for the various crimes he had committed. To avenge this imprisonment, Loki freed all the giants during the Ragnarök and then changed sides.
It is Heimdall who will fight the god of malice. The fight was very close and lasted a long time, beforeHeimdall managed to inflict the fatal blow to Loki. Before dying, Loki inflicted a final blow to Heimdall, and that is how the guardian of Bifröst will die.
WHAT IS THE BIFROST
The Bifröst is the famous rainbow of Asgard, it links the sky (Asgard) to the earth (Midgard) through the different worlds and opens only when Heimdall wishes it. This rainbow, also called Asbru is composed of three colors and plays a major role in the defense of the city of the Aesir.
It is indeed the strongest work ever created by the gods, absolutely unbreakable (compared to what we can see in the Thor threads) and constantly burns with a fiery fire, making it inaccessible to giants and mortals. Moreover, it is said that during Ragnarök, when the giants invade Asgard, they will have to reach the city by crossing the long rivers surrounding it.
HEIMDALL'S APPEARANCES IN MOVIES
Although he plays a major role in Norse mythology, Heimdall was no more present than any other god in the legends, it is however one of the most famous gods. This fame is undoubtedly his various appearances in the films, including those of Thor.
It is Idris Elba who will play the role of the gold-toothed guardian. He is represented as in mythology, always at his post, opening the portal when necessary and especially armed with his magic eye that can see through the nine worlds.
On the other hand, compared to mythology, he will be dishonored and will have his powers withdrawn after having allowed Thor and his friends to cross the magic bridge although Odin had forbidden them.
