Norse Mythology · deity

Heimdall

Heimdallr
deitythe watchmanthe lightthe dawn

The watchman of the gods, who guards the Bifrost and will sound the horn Gjallarhorn at Ragnarök; he and Loki will kill each other.

Wooden statue of Heimdall, unveiled at Midgardsblot 2023 — Wooden statue of Heimdall
Wooden statue of Heimdall · Birgit Fostervold · 2023 · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 4.0
The account

Who they are

Heimdall is the watchman of the gods, the one who guards the Bifrost (the rainbow bridge to Asgard) and who can see and hear across the whole world [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗. He is the god of the light and the dawn, and he will sound the horn Gjallarhorn to wake the gods at Ragnarök [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗. At the final battle, Heimdall and Loki will fight and kill each other [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗. His parentage is a genuine variant: in one account he is the son of Odin and of a giantess named Angrboða (which is odd, because Angrboða is elsewhere Loki's wife); in another he has nine mothers [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Worth knowing
  • Watchman of the gods; guards the Bifrost [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
  • Will sound the horn Gjallarhorn at Ragnarök [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
  • Will kill and be killed by Loki at Ragnarök [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Heimdall's parentage is a genuine variant: son of Odin & Angrboða (odd, since she is elsewhere Loki's wife) vs. nine mothers [S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.
Relationships (3)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFOdin — Odin is (in one account) the parent of Heimdall.[S2]

Conflict & enmity

KILLEDLoki — Heimdall and Loki will kill each other at Ragnarök.[S1] [S2]

Artifacts

OWNSGjallarhorn — Gjallarhorn is the horn of Heimdall, watchman of the gods.[[S1]]
Local graph

Their corner of the divine world

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hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusHeimdallNorse
NORSE · 40variantvariantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥BrísingamenGjallarhornDraupnirGungnirSkíðblaðnirMjölnirAngerboagiantthe giantess mother of the monsters4 relationsAuðhumblacreaturethe primordial cow2 relationsBestlagiantthe giantess mother of the gods3 relationsBúrideitythe first god3 relationsFriggdeitymarriage2 relationsGerðrgiantthe giantess beloved of Freyr2 relationsGinnungagaprealmthe void2 relationsHöðrdeitythe blind brother of Baldr4 relationsHrungnirgiantthe giant of the iron head2 relationsJárnsaxa (Járnsaxa)giantthe giantess mother of Thor's sons2 relationsLokitrickstercunning11 relationsMuspel (fire)realmfire0 relationsNannadeitythe wife of Baldr3 relationsNiflheim (ice)realmice0 relationsNjorddeitythe sea3 relationsSídgiantthe giantess who bore Sleipnir (in one accou…2 relationsSifdeitythe wife of Thor2 relationsSkaðideitythe huntress1 relationsSurtgiantthe fire-giant3 relationsTýrdeitywar1 relationsYmirgiantthe primordial giant5 relationsBorrdeitythe ancestor of the gods4 relationsFenrirmonsterthe great wolf8 relationsFreyjadeitylove3 relationsFreyrdeityfertility7 relationsHeldeitythe dead3 relationsJörmungandrmonsterthe world-serpent4 relationsSleipnircreaturethe eight-legged horse of Odin2 relationsOdindeitywisdom15 relationsVédeityone of the three brothers who made the world5 relationsVilideityone of the three brothers who made the world5 relationsBaldrdeitylight10 relationsHeimdalldeitythe watchman3 relationsThordeitythunder10 relationsVálideitythe avenger of Baldr2 relationsVíðarrdeitysilence2 relationsFosite (Forsétir)deitypeace3 relationsMagnideitystrength3 relationsMóðideitystrength4 relationsUllrdeitythe archer1 relations
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Myths featuring Heimdall

1 story

Ragnarök (The Fate of the Gods)

At the end of the world, a great winter (the Fimbulwinter) precedes Ragnarök. The bonds break: Fenrir breaks free, Jörmungandr rises from the sea, and the ship Naglfar (built from the nails of the dead) sails with the hosts of the dead. Heimdall sounds the horn Gjallarhorn; the gods ride to the field of Vígríðr. In the great battle, Odin is swallowed by Fenrir (avenged by Víðarr), Thor slays Jörmungandr but dies of his venom, Freyr is slain by Surt (having given away his sword), and Heimdall and Loki kill each other. Surt's fire destroys the world; from the ashes, a new world rises [S1]S1 · Poetic Edda (Codex Regius)c. 1270 (preserves earlier oral poetry)textOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Snorri Sturluson, Prose Eddac. 1220–1235textOpen source ↗.

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Artifacts of Heimdall

Objects they wielded, forged, or were bound to

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Gjallarhorn
Gjallarhorn
A · LegendaryWielded by Heimdall
Artworks

Depictions

Wooden statue of Heimdall, unveiled at Midgardsblot 2023 — Wooden statue of Heimdall
Wooden statue of Heimdall · Birgit Fostervold · 2023 · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Wooden statue of Heimdall · 2023
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