According to Norse mythology, the Norse god Heimdall is the sentinel of Asgard. He watches over the Rainbow Bifrost Bridge to ensure the safety of the Aesir gods. He is the son of nine mothers, which seems to have granted him incredible powers that make him uniquely suited to his role as a watchman.
The Scandinavian god Heimdall is also responsible for establishing the social order in the Viking world. He is also the mastermind behind Thor’s cross-dressing adventure.
Heimdall Norse God and Guardian of Asgard
In Old Norse the name Heimdall means “he who illuminated the world”. He is also referred to as “shining” on several occasions. He is sometimes called Gullintanni, which means “one with the golden teeth” and the whitest of the gods. This probably refers to a bright white shining rather than the color of his skin.
The sources for Norse myth suggest that the Vikings believed that the gods appeared to shine, kind of like angels, when humans saw them in their true form. This could have stemmed from a belief that Asgard was among the shining lights visible in the night sky. Perhaps as the god that stands at the entrance to Asgard, Heimdall was believed to shine the brightest.
The Rainbow Bifrost Bridge was created by Odin and his brothers when they created Midgard to join the two worlds. Bifrost means “fleetingly glimpsed rainbow”. The rainbow bridge gave the gods easy access to the world so that they could protect it from the jotun. The bridge crosses a body of water, which only Thor is strong enough to cross on foot. It is seen as a weak point in the defenses of Asgard.
According to the Prose Edda, Heimdall watches the rainbow bridge from his stronghold near the entrance to Asgard called Himinbjorg, which means “sky cliffs”. There he is known to feast and indulge in mead like any good Viking warrior.
Heimdall seems to have been widely venerated in the Viking Age. He is mentioned alongside Odin on a runic inscription on a lead spindle wheel found in England and dating to AD 1000-1100.
Heimdall’s Advice to Thor in Norse Mythology
Heimdall is not often mentioned in surviving stories from Norse mythology, but he does play an important background role in one important story.
When the giant Thjazi stole Thor’s hammer, he demanded the hand of the beautiful goddess Freyja in exchange for its return. Thor assumed that Freyja would be willing to make this sacrifice. But she bluntly refused and refused to be involved in any tricks.
While the gods were deciding how they would retrieve the hammer, it was Heimdall who suggested that Thor dress up as Freyja and go undercover to get it back. Some descriptions of the sort suggest that this advice was based on foresight. Thor initially refused, considering it a slight to his manliness. But, eventually, he was convinced by Loki, who shapeshifted into a woman to pose as a handmaid and join Thor on the adventure.
Despite Thor’s enormous appetite for good and drink almost giving him away a few times, they did manage to trick the giant. When the hammer was called to officiate the wedding, Thor stole it back and killed all the giants in the hall.
One important part of the story is that Thor borrowed Freyja’s distinctive golden necklace Brisingamen to complete his disguise.
This detail may relate to another fragmented story recorded in the 10th-century Skaldic poem Husdrapa by Ulfr Uggason. In the Norse poem, Heimdall is described as fighting Loki in seal form over possession of Brisingamen. Heimdall wins and returns the necklace to Freyja.
It may be that it was also Heimdall’s idea that Thor uses the necklace to make his costume convincing. But after the adventure, Loki seized the opportunity to steal the necklace. Therefore, Heimdall may have felt responsible for ensuring that it was returned.
Son of the Nine Waves
It is unclear in Norse mythology who Heimdall’s father was, though he may have been one of the many sons of Odin. But more important than his paternal heritage was his maternal heritage. According to the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda, Heimdall himself says that he is the son of nine mothers. While their identity is never specifically stated in the surviving sources, they are assumed to be the nine daughters of the sea god Aegir, also known as the nine waves.
The conditions of Heimdall’s birth could explain why Heimdall was sometimes called Vindler, which means “protector against the wind of the sea”, and why he is said to have been nourished by the power of the earth, the water of the sea, and the heat of the sun, as he is associated with the natural elements.
Heimdall’s Superpowers
It was probably this incredible parentage that gave Heimdall “superpowers” listed in the Prose Edda that are not possessed by the other gods of Asgard. He is described as requiring less sleep than a bird, as being able to see for over a hundred leagues during the day or at night, and as having hearing so good that he can hear grass growing in a meadow or wool growing on a sheep. These talents were probably why he was chosen as the watchman of Asgard.
However, it is also possible that Heimdall made a sacrifice to earn these powers. This relates to the story of Odin sacrificing his own eye at the well of Mimir, in Niflheim at the base of Yggdrasil, to drink from the well of wisdom.
The Prose Edda says that Heimdall’s hljod, which could be interpreted as a horn in Old Norse, hearing, or an ear, is hidden beneath Yggdrasil, the world tree. Perhaps it suggests that he sacrificed something there for his excellent hearing. This would be in imitation of Odin’s sacrifice of an eye to drink from the well of wisdom.
Odin is also described as using the horn Gjallarhorn to give Mimir water from the well of wisdom. The horn of Heimdall is also called Gjallarhorn, perhaps suggesting that it was placed there, and therefore available for Odin to use to feed Mimir. However, Heimdall is never depicted without his horn or described as having lost it. Gjallanhorn has also been interpreted as meaning “horn of Gjoll”, which is a river on the path to the underworld of Helheim, which is located near Mimir’s well.
Gjallarhorn is a special horn that can be heard throughout the Norse cosmos when it is brown. Heimdall also had a horse with a golden main called Gulltoppr.
Norse Mythology Heimdall Establishes Social Order
Heimdall also seems to have been considered the founder of the social order that governed Norse society. This myth is relayed in a poem called The Lay of Rigr in the Poetic Edda. The name Rig or Rigr is one of the alternatives sometimes used for Heimdall.
According to the story, Rigr visited the world of ancient Northmen and came across a poor and ugly couple who managed a subsistence living. He stayed with the couple for three nights, giving them advice on the best way to do things. Each night he also slept in bed with the couple.
Nine months later, the couple had a son, whom they called Thrall, which means slave. A woman called Thir, the female version of a slave, turned up and the two married. Together they had 12 boys and nine girls, all as ugly as their parents and grandparents. This earned them names such as Horsefly, Stumpy, Lumpy-Leg and Eagle-Nose.
Next, Rigr visited a middle-class couple and repeated his actions. This time they had a son called Karl, which means freeman. Soon a woman called Snor, which means daughter-in-law, came into the area, and the two married. They had 12 boys and ten girls. These children were given names such as Smith, Farmer, Speaker, Bride, and Wife, reflecting their professions and social roles.
Finally, Rigr visited a wealthy and very attractive couple and stayed with them for three nights. But after nine months he returned and claimed their son Jarl, which means earl, as his own. He taught him to be a warrior and the secrets of the runes.
Rigr also told this warrior son that he must go out and conquer new lands, which he did. Soon Jarl was in command of 18 halls. While on his conquests, he married a woman from another land called Erna. Together they had 12 sons and no daughters.
All Jarl’s sons had noble names, but the youngest was the most talented of them all, which earned him the name Konr Ungr, or king.
This story seems to describe Heimdall as Rigr creating the three main social classes in Viking society. He also seems to have introduced the idea of raiding, telling Jarl that he must look beyond the boundaries of his home to seek a wife and his fortune.
Death of Heimdall
Like most of the Norse gods, Heimdall is destined to meet his end at Ragnarok, the prophesied Norse apocalypse. The prophecy describes many of the Aesir tribe of gods engaging in battles with their enemies and the two killing one another. Heimdall will see the army approaching across the rainbow bridge and sound his horn to alert the gods.
Odin will be killed by the great wolf Fenrir, and then the wolf will be killed by Odin’s don Vidarr. Thor and Jormungandr will fight to the death, killing one another. Freyr and the fire giant Surtr will die fighting one another.
In the final battle, it is said that Heimdall will face Loki, killing one another. It is interesting that Heimdall is the opponent of the important figure of Loki. Despite leading the charge, Loki does not face off with Odin or Thor. But perhaps this is indicative of a history between Heimdall and Loki that is not preserved in the surviving sources. Though their seal battle may be a nod towards an ongoing feud.
In the story of Lokesenna, Loki arrives at a dinner and insults all the gods. Heimdall tells Loki to be quiet because he is drunk and witless. Loki responds that Heimdall is destined for a hateful life, because of his role as watchman of the gods.
Heimdall’s Role in Norse Mythology
Heimdall’s principal role in Norse mythology is as the guardian of Asgard. For this, he needs powers of sight and hearing that go beyond that of the other Norse gods. Heimdall plays an important role in Old Norse legend about the establishment of social order among the Vikings.
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