Idunn

📷 Wikimedia Commons — domaine public — Lorenz Frølich — 1906

MythologyMiddle AgesNorse mythology, transmitted orally then set down in writing in Iceland between the 12th and 13th centuries (the Eddas)

A goddess of Norse mythology, Idunn is the keeper of the golden apples that preserve the eternal youth of the Aesir gods. Her abduction by the giant Thiazi causes the gods to age, illustrating her central role in the Viking cosmic order.

Key Facts

Idunn is mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda (c. 1220) as the keeper of the apples that prevent the gods from aging
Her abduction by the giant Thiazi (with Loki's help) is one of the major myths in the Gylfaginning
The gods grow old and weak the moment Idunn is absent from Asgard, underscoring how vital she is to the divine order
Loki is forced to rescue her by transforming into a falcon and bringing Idunn back in the form of a nut
She also appears in 10th-century Icelandic skaldic poetry (Þjóðólfr of Hvinir's Haustlöng), confirming the myth's antiquity

Gallery

Brita as Iduna (Iðunn)label QS:Len,"Brita as Iduna (Iðunn)"label QS:Lsv,"Brita som Iduna (Iðunn)"

Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Carl Larsson

Idun and Brage label QS:Lfr,"Bragi assis jouant de la harpe, Iðunn debout derrière lui"label QS:Len,"Bragi sitting playing the harp, Iðunn standing behind him"label QS:Lsv,"Brage sittande vid harpan,

Wikimedia Commons, Public domain — Nils Blommér