Heimdall is the protector of Asgard, also known as the Norse gods’ realm. He has a horn that he blows to announce the coming of Ragnarok, where all the gods die and history begins again.
Here are some fun facts about Heimdall!
His name means “World Marsh.”
He is the son of nine mothers.
The Nine Worlds are spread by Yggdrasil, the tree at the center of the universe. Each world was protected by a different god in Norse mythology.
Heimdall is a watchman – he warns when danger is approaching
Heimdall has one horn that he constantly blows in order to warn Asgard when danger approaches. He lives on Himinbjörg, which is a mountain that touches the heavens.
Thor and Loki have to dress up as maidens once in order to sneak into a giant’s castle undetected. Eventually they are discovered but use magic to escape safely. In the morning, Thor dresses Heimdall in drag and takes his place at the bridge until Loki can get back with the real Heimdall.
Heimdall is a watchman, which is someone who guards a place and watches for danger. In Norse mythology, he is the guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge that connects Midgard to Asgard.
In Old English, his name means “Bright Home.”
He is also known as the White God because of his skin color.
He is known for ridding evil in Asgard.
Loki Tricked Heimdall
One time Loki tricked him into allowing some giants to row across Bifrost by turning into a mare and seducing him. The Giants were able to come back later on their own terms, which sparked the beginning of Ragnarök.
Since Heimdall is related to Loki by blood, Loki once nearly burned down Asgard with his fire magic. Loki used this magic many times against people in Asgard and other realms until Thor killed him at Ragnarök . Therefore, Heimdall always considers Loki to be a dangerous enemy.
Heimdall never sleeps
Heimdall always wakes up first because he never slept.
He also had nine mothers because he was born from the Nine Mothers of Muspellheim, who are fire demons.
Thor has to put up with his constant noise-making because Heimdall is necessary for Ragnarok, or the battle at the end of time where everything dies.
It is a job well done when Heimdall puts away his horn for the last time.
Every night he takes over Odin’s job of guarding Bifrost Bridge, which leads to Asgard. If someone evil comes, he will kill them with his sword before they enter Asgard.
What did Heimdall look like?
Heimdall has yellow teeth, but Loki’s are white and sharp, like a wolf’s. Loki also wears white furs to disguise himself as the goddess Freya when he tricks gods into fighting each other. He loves war and hates peace because he likes doing things that cause destruction and anger in Asgard .
Even though Heimdall looks scary, he is actually gentle and kind. When Freyja was walking around in Jotunheim, looking for her missing necklace, she saw three beautiful giants playing in a stream and asked if she could join them. They agreed and were very nice to her until they realized she got them wet by accident with her foot when she stepped in the stream. Furious at her mistake, they transformed into hideous wolves and chased her. She ran to Heimdall for protection, and he killed the three giants with his sword. Freyja was so thankful that she offered him her most precious possession, the necklace called Brisingamen.
Heimdall’s horn belonged to Freya
Heimdall loves his horn dearly because it also belonged to Freyja, but he does not play it much. One time a goddess played a magic song on this golden horn that made all the elves in Asgard laugh joyfully without stopping. This angered Heimdall greatly because elves are ugly creatures who make everyone sad when they laugh, but no one could stop laughing until Odin ordered all of them to be silent right away.
In Norse mythology, gold is considered a sign of wealth and beauty. People in the old days thought gold was one of the most important materials they needed to have a happy life. It made them feel powerful, special, admired, comfortable, respected, wealthy, or just extremely lucky. Neither people in Asgard nor their enemies had enough gold, so they fought each other to get more of it.
Heimdall uses his sword named Hofund to protect Asgard from invaders because no one can enter without his permission. He also has two loyal dogs by his side at all times named Gere and Freke, who are great hunters that always help him keep watch for danger by searching for any intruders nearby.
Here’s a quick video that will help you get to know Heimdall
Did you know…?
1. Heimdall’s name means ” World Marsh .”
2. He does not sleep every night, and he must protect Bifrost Bridge from evil people trying to pass it into Asgard.
3. Loki once used his magic to nearly burn down Asgard with a fire spell because of Heimdall’s family relation to him.
4. When three ugly elves laughed for joy on Freyja’s golden horn (that later belonged to Heimdall), everyone in Asgard was unable to stop laughing until Odin silenced them all right away.
5. Gold is considered one of the most important materials for a happy life by Norse mythology people, and they valued it as much as we do today with material items like money and credit cards.
6. Heimdall has two dogs named Gere and Freke that are wild hunters who always help him protect Asgard by looking out for danger in the area.
7. Gold is also considered a sign of beauty and wealth because it was one of the most important materials people needed to be happy in Norse mythology.
