The legend behind Heimdall-The great guardian of Asgard

Howdy fellow Steemians, the last week I watched the movie "Thor" that was released in 2011 again for the third time I guess :), and I was really interested in the character of the guardian of the rainbow bridge named as "Heimdall". so I decided to do some reading, and I decided to share with you about this great guardian of Asgard.

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In Norse mythology, Heimdall is known as the Watchman of Aesir, he considered the sentry and the guardians of the gods. Most of the well-known Norse gods and goddesses belong to the Aesir, including Odin, Thor, Tyr,Frigg, Baldur,loki, Heimdall, Bragi, and Idun. Their home is Asgard, one of the Nine Worlds, located in the highest branches of the world tree Yggdrasil. Heimdall was mysteriously born of nine mothers and he is the son of Odin "AllFather".
AESIR is The race of gods who lived in Asgard , under Odin "AllFather".
The Other gods included : Bragi (god of poetry), Forseti (god of justice), Balder(the beautiful), Frey (god of fertility), TYR(sky god), Vali(the avenger), Vidar(the silent god), Heimdall (the watchman of the gods), Njord (the sea god), Thor(god of thunder), and ULL (winter god).

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The story behind Heimdall’s Nine Mothers

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image Source : Wikipedia

One day when the great god Odin walked along the seashore, he came across nine beautiful giantesses, sleeping on the sand. They were the wave maidens, daughters of the sea god "Aegir". Their names were Augeia (Sand Strewer), Sindur (Dusk), Greip(Gripper), Aurgiafa (Sorrow-Whelmer), Jarnsaxa (Ironstone), Egia (Foamer), Alta (Fury), Gialp(Howler), and Ulfrum (She-Wolf).
Odin was so charmed and enchanted with their beauty that he married all nine of them, and together the nine giantesses brought Heimdall.

Heimdall in the legends

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Heimdall was handsome and tall and sometimes he was called the god of light, the shining god, or the white god. in addition to other names :
Rig (King), Gullintanni (Golden Teeth), Foe of Loki , Seeker of Freyja’s Necklace, Vindler (Protector from the wind), Hallinskidi (Ram), Hama as the Anglo-Saxon called him and the Guardian of the Bifrost. The poem Rigsþula tells how Heimdall became the father of the races of man, he has three sons, the ancestors of the three classes of human society and other stories refer to men as "sons of Heimdall".

Heimdall the guardian of the Bifrost

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His dwelling is called Himinbjorg (“Sky Cliffs” or "Cliffs of Heaven") which indicates an ideal high place or a great hall for a fortress, which sits at the top of the Bifrost. Heimdall as a watcher is the guardian god of the rainbow bridge Bifrost which connects Asgard to Midgard against the giants and other enemies of the gods.

he was appointed by the gods because they feared that someday the giants might try to enter Asgard over the bridge. He had sharp eyes like an eagle's, and he could see for 100 miles all around him regardless of whether it be day or night. He had a great ability "Second Site" that allowed him to see into the future, and he slept less than a bird that he was always awake and alert. It is said that Heimdall could hear the grass growing in Midgard and the wool growing on a sheep’s back. The legends say that Heimdall may have sacrificed an ear in return for these abilities in the same way that Odin sacrificed an eye.

Gjallarhorn

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The replicas of the Gallehus horns at the National Museum of Denmark
image Source : Wikipedia
Heimdall had a great horn called Gjallarhorn (“Resounding Horn”) and his sword was Hofund. The Gjallarhorn “Resounding Horn” is one of the greatest treasures of the gods. Heimdall must watch over Asgard day and night with the Gjallarhorn in his hand, whose blast could be heard all over the Nine Realms.
During Ragnarok, the final battle in which the realms will be destroyed, the Giants will march upon Asgard, and When Heimdall spots the giants heading towards Asgard, he will let out such a huge blast from the great Gjallarhorn that it will be heard throughout all the realms.Then all of the gods and all the living beings will know that this is the end of everything.

Gulltop (Golden Tuft)

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(Golden Tuft, Gold Top) One of the 10 horses that the Aesir gods rode each day to the World Tree "Yggdrasil", and according to Snnori sturluson, Gulltopp belongs to Heimdall , and it is the only horse to be named in the poems that tell of this journey.

Heimdall Foe of Loki

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Image source : Wikipedia

Loki and Heimdall are sworn enemies. According to a poem by Snnori sturluson they have battled after the trickster god had stolen the necklace of Freyja ("Brisingamen") and escaped into the sea. Loki and Heimdall became seals and they dived into the water. In the end, Heimdall had managed to defeat Loki, and he managed to take the necklace back to Freya.

Refernces

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• Norse Mythology A to Z (Mythology A to Z Series) 3rd Edition
• The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion by Daniel McCoy

I would like to thank you all for spending your time reading my post.
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