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Heimdall (also Heimdallr) is the watchman of the Norse gods. He guards the rainbow bridge Bifrost, sees a hundred leagues by day or night, hears the grass grow, and will blow the horn Gjallarhorn when Ragnarok begins.
Who is Heimdall in Norse mythology?
Heimdall is the watchman of the gods, guardian of the rainbow bridge Bifrost and the borders of Asgard. Born of nine mothers, he needs less sleep than a bird, sees for a hundred leagues by night or day, and hears the grass growing on the earth and the wool on sheep. He is keen-eyed vigilance made into a god.
He is called the White God because the Prose Edda names him hvíti áss. He is the watchman of the gods. He guards the rainbow bridge and needs less sleep than a bird.
What is Heimdall the god of?
- Domains — watchfulness, boundaries, beginnings
- World — Asgard
- Animal — ram
- Offerings — beer, wine, mead, milk; a horn token, a white stone
- Herbs — angelica · Wood — ash · Metal — gold
Kin — Mothers: nine, said to be sisters
Gjallarhorn and the end of the world
He keeps the horn Gjallarhorn, whose blast will summon every god to arms when Ragnarok dawns. Heimdall and Loki are ancient antagonists, and it is fated that at the end of the world the two will meet in single combat and slay each other. Under the name Rig, Heimdall also wandered Midgard and fathered the ancestors of humankind's classes.
He guards the road to Asgard, and his fight with Loki comes at Ragnarok.
Questions
What are Heimdall's powers?
He needs less sleep than a bird, sees for a hundred leagues by day or night, and hears the grass growing and the wool on the sheep.
What is Heimdall's horn called?
Gjallarhorn. Its blast will call all the gods to battle at Ragnarok.
Who kills Heimdall?
Loki. At Ragnarok the two old enemies kill each other.
Who is Heimdall's mother?
He has nine mothers, said to be sisters.