Heimdall – forefather of humankind

Heimdall is ever watchful, and with his keen sight and extraordinary hearing he can see for miles and hear the grass growing in the fields and the wool on sheep’s backs. He needs less sleep than a bird and can see as clearly by night as by day.

The gold-toothed god

Heimdall bears the epithet Gullintanni, meaning “the Gold-Toothed.” He rides the horse Gulltoppr, whose name means “the Golden-Maned.” These names have led some scholars to suggest that Heimdall is connected to the sky or the sun.

He dwells in Himinbjörg, “Heaven’s Mountain,” beside Bifröst, the rainbow bridge that links Asgard with the world of men. Some interpret this as a symbol of the Milky Way. There he keeps his watch in tranquillity, often with a horn of mead in hand.

Heimdall shows his wisdom in the tale where the giant Thrym steals Thor’s hammer. It is Heimdall who proposes that Thor should disguise himself in order to retrieve it – one of the most famous stories in Norse mythology.

Heimdall blows the Gjallarhorn at Ragnarök

When Ragnarök, the end of the world, begins and the rainbow bridge Bifröst breaks, Heimdall blows his horn, Gjallarhorn, to warn the gods. Ragnarök is a great battle in which much is destroyed, and in the final clash Heimdall and the evil Loki meet. They fight one another, and both fall.

Heimdall’s role in mythology

Heimdall is a central figure in the Norse sagas, yet there is no historical evidence that he was ever worshipped in a cult, nor are there places named after him, unlike other gods such as Thor or Odin.