God of Norse mythology, Heimdall is the guardian of the Bifröst Bridge , the rainbow separating Asgard from the lower worlds. But that's not all. Heimdall is also the god of light and the moon .
One who is a member of Aesir is also known as Hallinskidi or Rigg. In Old Norse, his first name means "one who shines on the world". Or, shorter, "pillar of the world" / "pole of the world".
Who is the god Heimdall?
Called in the texts "the white Ase", Heimdall is the protective god of Asgard . Whoever guards the world of the gods watches until the end, since he has a real destiny in Ragnarök.
The god Heimdall, the son of nine mothers
In the writings, it is mentioned that the god Heimdall is the son of nine different mothers . The names of these would be: Angeyja, Alta, Eistia, Eyrgjafa, Gjalp, Greip, Imd, Jarnsaxa, Ulfrun. Some assume that they are the nine daughters of Aegir, the god of the sea. Nine inseparable sirens , all of supreme beauty.
As for Heimdall's father , it would be the god Odin . For some, it is indeed his biological father. But for others, Odin is only the adoptive father of the god.
Heimdall, the guardian of Bifröst
Heimdall's home is called Himinbjorg , which means "sky mountains", "sky castle". This one is outside the walls of Asgard, near the Bifröst bridge. A bridge that is nothing ordinary since the latter is a rainbow bridge , which connects the world of the gods to Midgard. Glistening and burning, this bridge is stronger than any of the structures. He thus prevents the giants from accessing Asgard.
Using his powers, Heimdall is the guardian of the Bifröst Bridge . Indeed, the legend says that the god is able to see up to a hundred kilometers around, day and night. He hears the grass growing, and the wool growing on the backs of the sheep.
Finally, Heimdall hardly feels the need to sleep, even less than a bird we read in the texts. Due to his over-developed senses, Heimdall is therefore in the best position to watch over the nine worlds . But also and especially on Asgard.
Heimdall's attributes
The god of light and the moon is depicted wearing ram's horns . The animal is apparently attributed to him, without really clear links. Heimdall is tall and handsome , and has gold teeth , sometimes earning him the nickname Gullintani ("golden tooth" in Old Norse).
Heimdall wields his sword like no one else. He owns a horn, Gjallarhorn , as well as a golden-maned horse , named Gulltopp .
But that's not all. Heimdall has very special powers. The god is able to see 100 kilometers around , both day and night. But his sight is not the only one to be overdeveloped. His hearing is just as good. Added to this is the low need for sleep that allows Heimdall to watch over Asgard continuously.
The legends around Heimdall
Guardian of the Bifröst bridge at first glance, Heimdall nevertheless appears in the writings several times for other things. First when the deceitful Loki steals Brisingamen, the necklace of the goddess Freya. The latter hides the jewel at the bottom of the sea, and it is Heimdall, transformed into a seal , who finds it and returns it to the beautiful Freya.
Heimdall, the father of the peoples
The texts also tell that Heimdall is the father of the peoples, and that he is the origin of the three social classes of the mortal world .
While traveling on Midgard, Heimdall visits the homes of three couples .
He is first welcomed at Ai and Edda's , on a small farm where he is offered bread and soup. The god spends three nights in the couple's marital bed and begets a son after nine months: Thrall . This coarse-featured son will become a serf, the ancestor of all slaves.
At the couple Afi and Amma's , Heimdall is received again on a farm but this time is fed with meat and is better off. He fathers Karl , a more vigorous boy than the first. That son will become a free peasant.
Finally, the god begets a last boy, Jarl , in the couple Vater and Muter . This one, thanks to his very good education, will become noble, just like his descendants will be.
Heimdall and his destiny during Ragnarök
When the day of Ragnarök arrives, the god Heimdall is instructed to blow into Gjallahorn as soon as the Jötun approach the Bifröst Bridge . The sound of the horn, heard across the nine worlds, signals the start of battle. In the Völuspa, a 10th century poem, we can read: “Heimdall blows high in the high horn. Odin goes to consult Mimir's head. The Yggdrasil ash quivers from all its height. It moans, the old tree. »
During the fight on the plain Vigrid, Heimdall is destined to fight the god Loki . The two never really liked each other. They both kill each other and Heimdall will thus be the last of the gods to die during this end of the world.
How is Heimdall in the Marvels?
In the comics, the god Heimdall appears for the first time in number 85, October 1962. Just like in Norse mythology, he is part of the Aesir and is the guardian of the Bifröst bridge. A true stalwart of Odin, Heimdall is Sif's brother in Marvel Comics .
He possesses great strength and superhuman endurance . It does not fear bullet impacts and is protected from terrestrial diseases. And in the cinema, it is Idris Elba who embodies the character of Heimdall since 2011.
