Heimdall is the Norse god associated with fire, light, the sky, and sleep. He is the full-time guardian of the gates of Asgard and the Bifröst. According to legend, he is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Each of his mothers being a sister and daughter of nine sisters (these are the legends, not us).
He is depicted with golden 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 thanks to his incredible powers. He can indeed see a hundred leagues around, day and night, and has such fine hearing that he can hear wool growing on the backs of sheep and grass growing in the fields.
He lives at Himinbiorg, right next to the Bifröst, to be even more effective and sleeps less than a bird.
During Ragnarök, he will fulfill the task for which he was made: to blow his horn Gjallarhorn to warn the nine worlds that the enemy is attacking the sacred place.
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THE LEGENDS OF HEIMDALL
Despite his crucial importance at the foot of the Bifröst, Heimdall was also a fighter and naturally appears in famous legends.
The Theft of Brisingamen
A short but far from trivial legend. Loki, the god of mischief, used to bother his world for amusement; 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 for his help. Thanks to his magic eye, Heimdall quickly located the necklace and went to retrieve it, disguised as a seal.
Loki was there as well, also disguised as a seal. The two gods then fought for many hours before Heimdall finally defeated the little trickster. Loki admitted defeat and returned the necklace to Freya.
The Creation of Social Classes
Yes, according to Norse mythology, it is the god Heimdall who is the origin of the different social classes that were used for years. He indeed visited three families, slept at each of their homes for three nights, and fathered a child in each family. He created:
- Thrall, in the bed of his parents Ai and Edda. Thrall had coarse features and would end up becoming a slave.
- Karl, in the house of Afi and Amma. Karl quickly became a lively and diligent child. Karl would become a free man.
- Jarl, with Vater and Mutter. Jarl received a good education and would end up becoming a noble.
According to the texts, Heimdall did not intend to create classes by doing this. But humans, having noticed the major differences between the three children, were inspired to create the social classes of medieval Scandinavian society.
His Role During Ragnarök
Ragnarök is a prophecy that will come true and will announce the end of the world. It is Surt who is behind this massacre and who created a war between the giants and the gods (Baldur then resurrected to fight alongside his friends).
It was Heimdall’s role to blow Gjallarhorn, which he did to warn and gather all the gods. He then took his sword and went to fight like any respectable warrior.
All the gods fought together except Loki. The latter had indeed been imprisoned for life in Asgard for the various crimes he had committed. To take revenge for this imprisonment, Loki freed all the giants during Ragnarök and then switched sides.
It is Heimdall who will fight the god of mischief. The battle was very close and lasted a long time before Heimdall managed to deliver the fatal blow to Loki. Before dying, Loki dealt a final blow to Heimdall, and thus the guardian of the Bifröst died.
WHAT IS THE BIFROST
The Bifröst is the famous rainbow of Asgard, it connects the sky (Asgard) to the earth (Midgard) passing through the different worlds and only opens when Heimdall wishes. This rainbow, also called Asbru, is made up of three colors and plays a crucial role in the defense of the city of the Aesir.
The Bifröst
It is indeed the strongest structure ever created by the gods, absolutely unbreakable (compared to what can be seen in the Thor movies) and constantly burns with a fierce fire, making it inaccessible to giants and mortals. Moreover, it is said that during Ragnarök, when the giants invade Asgard, they will have to access the city by crossing the long rivers surrounding it.
HEIMDALL’S APPEARANCES IN CINEMA
Although he plays a crucial role in Norse mythology, Heimdall was not more present than any other god in the legends, yet he is one of the best-known gods. This fame is undoubtedly due to his various appearances in films, especially those of Thor.
Idris Elba plays the role of the guardian with golden teeth. He is portrayed as in mythology, always at his post, opening the gate when necessary and especially armed with his magic eye that can see through the nine worlds.
However, compared to mythology, he is dishonored and stripped of his powers after allowing Thor and his friends to cross the magic bridge even though Odin forbade them.
