Who is Idun in Asgard?
Idun is the wife of Asgard’s court poet and minstrel, Bragi. One Old Norse poem has Loki accuse her of sleeping with her brother’s murderer, [3] but the identities of her brother and his slayer are unknown, and no tale explaining this accusation has survived into the modern era.
What is the name of the goddess that is the rejuvenating one?
Idun (pronounced “IH-dune;” from Old Norse Iðunn, “The Rejuvenating One” [1]) is a goddess who belongs to the Aesir tribe of deities. Her role in the pre-Christian mythology and religion of the Norse and other Germanic peoples is unfortunately obscure, but she features prominently in one of the best-known mythological tales, The Kidnapping of Idun. In this tale, which comes to us from the skaldic poem Haustlöng and the Prose Edda, Idun is depicted as the owner and dispenser of a fruit that imparts immortality.
Who is Idun in Norse mythology?
They relied on Idun’s apples for eternal youth. Naturally, she was one of the Ásynjur (a female member of the Æsir), the principal pantheon in Norse mythology. Let’s delve and find out more about this beautiful fair maiden named Idun!
What does the name Idun mean?
The name Iðunn means “ever young,” or “the rejuvenating one.”.
Why did the gods assemble at a thing?
The gods assemble at a thing (the name for an assembly in early Germanic society) to find out where Idun might have gone. It was soon apparent that the last person to see Idun was Loki.
What are some similar goddesses?
Other Goddesses With Similar Characteristics. Idun resembles and is compared to a lot of similar goddesses from European mythology, like: Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon maiden of renewal, also known as Ostara in Germany. Eostre herself is compared to the Roman Aurora and the Greek Eos.
What did the gods do when Loki was flying back?
As the gods saw Loki flying back with the eagle hot on his tail, they set up fires on the walls , ready to light once Loki was back in the perimeter. Just in time as the fires engulf the eagle who falls maimed into the courts of Asgard, where the gods are happy to deal the final blows to get rid of this giant foe.
Where did Thiazi take Idun?
No sooner than they had stepped out the gate, then Thiazi swooped down and took Idun away to Jotunheim (the world where the giants lived).
When was Idun published?
Published on October 26, 2020. There are not very many mentions of Idun in the Norse mythology texts. Still, she is the center of one of the most famous giant heist stories of all time. Forget coins or golden geese; these apples were far more valuable!
Who is Idun?
Idun’s name (spelled Iðunn in Old Norse) translates to Ever Young, Rejuvenator, or The Rejuvenating One. This signifies her association with youth and immortality.
What is the role of Idun in Norse mythology?
In Norse mythology, Idun is an important deity, who plays a significant role in the myths. A goddess of youth and renewal, Idun is the goddess that bestows the gods with immortality. However, despite her importance, there’s very little information about Idun and she remains one of the more obscure of the Norse gods.
What does Idun mean?
As a goddess of youth and rejuvenation, Idun is often associated with spring and with fertility. These associations are mostly theoretical and there isn’t much evidence to suggest that this was actually the case. In the Norse myths themselves, her meaning is mostly focused on her epli.
What is the goddess in the Ring of the Nibelungen?
Richard Wagner’s opera Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelungs) featured a goddess called Freia which was a combination of the Vanir goddess Freyja and the Æsir goddess Idun.
Why did the gods eat apples?
The gods had to eat these apples if they were to preserve their youth and enhance their longevity. This is a fascinating concept for two different reasons:
What is Idun's favorite fruit?
Idun is most famous for her special apples. While these fruits, called epli, are usually interpreted as apples, they could be any type of fruit since the English world apple doesn’t come from the Old Norse epli.
What is the most famous Norse myth?
One of the most famous Norse myths and certainly Idun’s most well-known legend is The Kidnapping of Idun. It’s a simple tale but it clearly showcases the importance of the goddess to the rest of the Æsir/Aesir gods.
Who is Idun in Norse mythology?
Idun is a member of the Ásynjur (goddesses of the principal pantheon of Norse mythology). Idun is described as the personification of spring, the goddess of youth and immortality, and like, Bragi (her husband), a skald.
What does the name Idun mean?
The name Idun pronounced “IH-dune” (old Norse, Iðunn which derived from ið "again" and unna "to love"), has been translated to "forever young" or "rejuvenating."
Who illustrated Iduna and the Magic Apples?
For further reading, see Iduna and the Magic Apples by Marianna Mayer (1988). A lovely retelling of this classic Norse myth with beautiful full-color illustrations by Laszlo Gal, that perfectly match the text.
What did Loki do to help Idun?
In the myth, Idun never left her enchanted garden where only she could pick the apples that held the secret of everlasting youth. When the giant Thiazi captured Loki, for his release Loki agreed to help the giant capture Idun by leading her away from her garden. Without the rejuvenating quality of the apples, the gods began to age and weaken. Loki, realizing he had to redeem himself, used Freya's Feather-Skin to transform into a falcon to rescue Idun.
Ageism, Norse-God Style
The ability to reverse aging is nothing unique in world mythology. Also, a god designated with this power was fairly common. In many respects, it reflected the hopes and dreams of mortal beings of finding a way to reverse the clock and to live in eternal youth. Aging was a frightening aspect of life, and nothing could stop it.
The Golden Apples
As with many mythologies, the golden apple was an object to be had. It was present in ancient Greek and Irish stories. And in nearly every case, some type of magical power was associated with them. This included immortality or vitality.
The Goddess of Spring and Fertility
Idun’s role in Norse mythology was not just as a protector of magic apples. She was also a goddess of spring, fertility, youth and death. Also, she was the wife of Bragi, the god of poetry. As a partner to Bragi, Idun acted as a “muse” for poets who recited verses of beauty.
Marvel Comics Resurrects Idun
This would not be the last appearance of Idun. In 1965, Marvel Comics brought the goddess of youth back to life. Her appearance was brief (only one issue). She appeared in Journey Into Mystery #114 and was part of the Asgardian Universe – with Thor, Loki, and Odin - that would become a sub universe in Marvel Comic’s superhero universe.
The Legacy of Looking Young
These days, Idun has been relegated to being a minor comic book heroine. Whether she ever turns up in another issue or get her own line of comics is hard to say. Still, she has a legacy in modern time, although it’s more for what she symbolized rather than the deity herself.
What is Idun's role in Norse mythology?
Idun is best characterized as the goddess of youth. Her role in Norse mythology is that as tender of the divine orchards of Asgard. There grow magical apples, which Idun harvests and keeps in a box made of ash called eski.
Why is Idun so interesting?
Of the many gods and goddesses in the Norse pantheon that receive little popular attention, Idun is among the most fascinating. She is interesting for two reasons. Firstly, her role and purpose suggest that the Vikings did not believe their gods to be immortal in an absolute sense. Secondly, she clearly demonstrates that Norse beliefs don’t draw ...
What is the scraps of information that we do have about Idun revealing about?
But the scraps of information that we do have about Idun are revealing about the nature of the various beings that inhabited the Norse cosmos.
Why do Idun give me more apples?
And these apples seem to be the secret of the youthfulness of the gods. When they don’t eat the fruit they age, and then Idun most provide them with more apples so that they can rejuvenate themselves.
Where does Idun live?
What we know about Idun reflects the blurriness of the lines between these different beings. She lives in Asgard and clearly counts among the Aesir gods. She is one of the many deities that was present at a great feast in Asgard when Loki shows up and decides to insult everyone.
What are the Vanir gods?
There are also the Vanir gods, which are very similar to the Aesir but more associated with nature, such as Freya. Then there are the giants, who again seem very similar to the gods in terms of their power, but rather than pursuing peace and order, they like to sew chaos.
Where does the story of Odin start?
The story starts with Odin, Hoenir (who helped Odin create human beings), and Loki hiking through a mountainous region of Asgard. On their way, they come across some Oxen and decide to slay on to eat. But when they try and light a fire to cook the meat, they find that they are unable to do so.
Who was Idunn?
According to Norse belief, Idunn was an Æsir, one of the two tribes of deities in the Norse pantheon. In the literary sources, she is depicted as the wife of Bragi, the skaldic god of poetry. She is also believed to be the goddess who was in possession of the fruits that allowed the gods to maintain their youthfulness.
Why was Idunn important to Asgard?
Therefore, Idunn’s presence in Asgard was of utmost importance, as it was from this goddess that all the other Norse deities depended. The gods faced dire consequences if they did not have access to her fruits of immortality, and this is clearly seen in the famous myth simply known as ‘The Kidnapping of Iðunn’.
What did the gods see when they looked up?
When the gods looked up, they saw a huge eagle, who turned out to be the jötunn Þjazi. The eagle makes a deal with the gods, telling them that he would undo the magic he had placed on the ox in exchange for a portion of it. Loki, Odin, and Hoenir try to cook, but Þjazi stops them.
What happened to Loki and Idunn?
Loki and Idunn. ( Public Domain ) Meanwhile in Asgard, the gods and goddesses began to age, and gathered for a meeting, in which Loki was absent. Suspecting that the god of mischief had something to do with Idunn’s disappearance, they seized him, and found out what he had done.
What is the name of the myth that Idunn was kidnapped?
One of the best-known Norse myths is known as ‘The Kidnapping of Iðunn’, in which it is demonstrated just how important this goddess was to the other Norse deities. In this myth, the other Norse gods and goddesses begin to age after Idunn was kidnapped – they had to do all they could to get her back. From left to right: Iðunn, Loki, Heimdallr and ...
What is the name of the goddess that keeps the Norse deities young?
Idunn: The Rejuvenating Goddess that Keeps Norse Deities Young. Idunn (Iðunn) is one of the most important goddesses in Norse mythology. The name of this goddess has been variously translated to mean ‘The Rejuvenating One’, ‘Ever Young’, and ‘Rejuvenator’, which highlights the role she has in the Norse pantheon.
Who wrote Idunn and the Apples of Youth?
Idunn and the Apples of Youth. ( Public Domain ) Top image: ‘Idun and the Apples’ (1890) by J. Doyle Penrose. Source: Public Domain.
Overview
Attestations
Iðunn appears in the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna and, included in some modern editions of the Poetic Edda, in the late poem Hrafnagaldr Óðins.
Iðunn is introduced as Bragi's wife in the prose introduction to the poem Lokasenna, where the two attend a feast held by Ægir. In stanzas 16, 17, and 18, dialog occurs between Loki and Iðunn after Loki has insulted Bragi. In stanza 1…
Name
The name Iðunn has been variously explained as meaning "ever young", "rejuvenator", or "the rejuvenating one". As the modern English alphabet lacks the eth (ð) character, Iðunn is sometimes anglicized as Idhunn, Idunn, Idun, or Ithun. An -a suffix is sometimes appended to denote femininity, resulting in forms such as Iduna and Idunna.
The name Iðunn appears as a personal name in several historical sources and the Landnámabók records …
Theories
Some surviving stories regarding Iðunn focus on her youth-maintaining apples. English scholar Hilda Ellis Davidson links apples to religious practices in Germanic paganism. She points out that buckets of apples were found in the 9th-century Oseberg ship burial site in Norway and that fruit and nuts (Iðunn having been described as being transformed into a nut in Skáldskaparmál) have been found in the early graves of the Germanic peoples in England and elsewhere on the continent of E…
Modern influence
Iðunn has been the subject of a number of artistic depictions. These depictions include "Idun" (statue, 1821) by H. E. Freund, "Idun" (statue, 1843) and "Idun som bortrövas av jätten Tjasse i örnhamn" (plaster statue, 1856) by C. G. Qvarnström, "Brage sittande vid harpan, Idun stående bakom honom" (1846) by Nils Blommér, "Iduns Rückkehr nach Valhalla" by C. Hansen (resulting in an 1862 woodcut m…
Notes
1. ^ For "ever young", see Lindow (2001) pp 198–199. For "Rejuvenator", see Orchard (1997) p 95; for "The rejuvenating one", see Simek (2007) p 171.
2. ^ Examples include Idun in Davidson (1965), Idunn in Larrington (1999), and Ithun in Hollander (1990).
3. ^ Examples include Iduna in Thorpe (1907) and Idunna in Gräter (1812).