The Poetic Edda on Heimdal

The > Volume I > Introductory Note

• relationship: The stanza references a son of Heimdall.

  "1. Hearing I ask | from the holy races, From Heimdall's sons, | both high and low; Thou wilt, Valfather, | that well I relate Old tales I remember | of men long ago."

• attestation: Heimdall is characterized by age in the verse.

  "1. Hearing I ask | from the holy races, From Heimdall's sons, | both high and low; Thou wilt, Valfather, | that well I relate Old tales I remember | of men long ago."

• attestation: The stanza references wealth or gifts involving Heimdall.

  "1. Hearing I ask | from the holy races, From Heimdall's sons, | both high and low; Thou wilt, Valfather, | that well I relate Old tales I remember | of men long ago."

• attestation: Heimdall is characterized by power in the verse.

  "27. I know of the horn | of Heimdall, hidden Under the high-reaching | holy tree; On it there pours | from Valfather's pledge A mighty stream: | would you know yet more?"

• attestation: The stanza describes warfare or combat involving Heimdall.

  "13. Himinbjorg is the eighth, | and Heimdall there O'er men holds sway, it is said; In his well-built house | does the warder of heaven The good mead gladly drink."

• attestation: The stanza describes an act of creation involving Heimdall.

  "13. Himinbjorg is the eighth, | and Heimdall there O'er men holds sway, it is said; In his well-built house | does the warder of heaven The good mead gladly drink."

• attestation: Heimdall is characterized by age in the verse.

  "13. Himinbjorg is the eighth, | and Heimdall there O'er men holds sway, it is said; In his well-built house | does the warder of heaven The good mead gladly drink."

• attribution: Heimdall delivers a speech in the verse.

  "46. "Be silent, Byggvir! | thou never couldst set Their shares of the meat for men; Hid in straw on the floor, | they found thee not When heroes were fain to fight."

Heimdall spake:"

The > Volume I > Notes

• attestation: Heimdall serves as the watchman of the gods, and mankind is enigmatically referred to as 'Heimdall's sons'

  "Heimdall: the watchman of the gods; cf. stanza 46 and note. Why mankind should be referred to as Heimdall's sons is uncertain, and the phrase has caused much perplexity."

• attestation: Heimdall's Gjallarhorn, the 'Shrieking Horn,' is buried under Yggdrasil until the last battle

  "The horn of Heimdall: the Gjallarhorn ("Shrieking Horn"), with which Heimdall, watchman of the gods, will summon them to the last battle. Till that time the horn is buried under Yggdrasil."

• attestation: Heimdall has two functions: father of mankind and warder of the gods.

  "the two functions of Heimdall—as father of mankind (cf. Voluspo, 1 and note, and Rigsthula, introductory prose and note) and as warder of the gods—seem both to be mentioned"

• attestation: Heimdall is identified as the watchman of the gods.

  "Watchman of the gods: Heimdall"

• attestation: Heimdall serves as both the watchman and possibly the god of light, and was born of nine sisters as a son of Odin

  "Heimdall: besides being the watchman of the gods (cf. Voluspo, 27), he appears also as the god of light (cf. Thrymskvitha, 14), and possibly also as a complex cultural deity in the Rigsthula. He was a son of Othin, born of nine sisters"

• attestation: Heimdall and Loki slay one another in the last battle

  "In the last battle he and Loki slay one another"

• attestation: Heimdall is described as the 'whitest of the gods' suggesting he was the god of light as well as watchman

  "Heimdall: the phrase "whitest of the gods" suggests that Heimdall was the god of light as well as being the watchman"

• attestation: Heimdall is called 'the kinsman of men' in the short Voluspo

  "in "the Short Voluspo" (Hyndluljoth, 40) he is called "the kinsman of men.""

• attestation: Heimdall was born of nine giantess mothers whose names denote attributes of the sea, according to Snorri

  "According to Snorri (Gylfaginning, 27) Heimdall was the son of Othin and of nine sisters"

• attestation: Heimdall's nine mothers' names can be rendered as Yelper, Griper, Foamer, Sand-Strewer, She-Wolf, Sorrow-Whelmer, Dusk, Fury, and Iron-Sword

  "The names of Heimdall's mothers may be rendered "Yelper," "Griper," "Foamer," "Sand-Strewer," "She-Wolf," "Sorrow-Whelmer," "Dusk," "Fury," and "Iron-Sword.""

• attestation: Heimdall drew strength from earth, sea, and the blood of sacrifice

  "Swine's blood: to Heimdall's strength drawn from earth and sea was added that derived from sacrifice"

The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Pronouncing Index

• attestation: Heimdall is a god in Norse mythology

  "Heim′-dall, a god"