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Gods and Goddesses in Norse Mythology

Heimdall - the Guard of Bifrost


Heimdall

 

Heimdall was the god who guarded Bifrost.

Bifrost was the rainbow bridge which connected Midgard to Asgard.

 

Heimdall was the son of the nine daughters of Aegir. It was quite an astonishing accomplishment.

The nine mothers of Heimdall were associated with the nine waves. It is uncertain who his father was; though rumors were told it might have been Odin.

 

Aegir was an ocean god. He was married to Ran. Ran was particularly fond of gold. She would catch all the drowning Vikings in her net. Viking who drowned in the ocean came to live with Ran at the bottom of the ocean. If they had gold they were secured a good afterlife. For this reason it was extremely important that Vikings at sea always wore a piece of gold.

 


Aegir and Ran lived with their nine daughters in a magnificent mansion.
 
They were well known for their expertise in brewing mead.

 






Heimdall, the grandson of Aegir, was a perfect guard for the Bifrost Bridge. It was told he needed less sleep than a bird. He could hear the grass grow and he could see a hundred miles both day and night.

 

Heimdall was very handsome. His teeth were made of gold. For this reason he got the nickname “Gold Tooth”. He owned a horse named Gulltopp (Gold-top). Gulltopp had a mane made from gold.

 

Heimdall owned a very special horn named Gjallarhorn. The sound from the horn could be heard loud and clear throughout the nine worlds. Heimdall was to blow the horn when he saw the enemies arriving as Ragnarok approached.

Ragnarok was the end of the world. When the gods at Asgard heard the sound from Gjallarhorn they were warned to get ready for the final battle.

During Ragnarok Heimdall fought with Loki. They killed each other.

 

The Children of Heimdall

 

At one time Heimdall wandered around in Midgard. Midgard was the land of the humans. He had disguised himself as a mortal taking the name Rig. He was caution and did not smile as he did not want the sight of his golden teeth to cause alarm.

 

He arrived at a shabby hut. The husband and wife invited him for a meal. He then spent three nights with the couple, sleeping in the same bed with the wife on one side and the husband on the other. Now it turned out the husband was a very heavy sleeper.

Nine months later the wife gave birth to a son. The child was strong, hardworking yet not attractive. He was willing to work from dawn to dusk. From this child a new social group was established; the serfs.

 

Heimdall disguised as Rig went to a second home. This home was in better shape. The same thing happened in this house. Heimdall spent three nights sleeping with the couple in their bed.

Nine months later the wife gave birth to a son. From this son the social class of peasants descended.

 

Heimdall visited a third house. The same ritual took place. This home was a wealthy one. After spending three nights sleeping in the married couple’s bed, he departed. The wife gave birth to a son nine months later. This son was the ancestor of the social class of nobility.

 

From Heimdall and his three sons, three social classes are established in society; serfs, peasants and nobility.