What We Know About Iduna

Given how little of the lore remains to us, we actually know a fair amount about Idunna. Firstly Her name means “The Rejuvenating One.” This is an apt by-name for Her, as She is charged with guardianship over the golden apples of immortality, a gift of the Gods and one that ensures vitality and youth forever. One of the most well known stories about Her involves the theft of Her apples and the ensuing consequences and struggle to get them back. As the story goes (in brief), while on a trip camping Loki is stolen away by a great eagle. This eagle turns out to be the Jotun Thiazi. He is very powerful in magic and will only free Loki if the latter agrees to bring him Idunna and Her apples. Loki does so, probably figuring He’d find some way of getting Her back later. The theft of the apples and kidnapping of the Goddess throws the Aesir and Vanir into an uproar and of course, Loki’s role in the whole debacle comes to light and He is charged with getting Idunna back. He does so, turning Her into a walnut and Himself into a falcon (by borrowing Freya’s falcon cloak). Then, holding the walnut in his talons, flying as fast as He can He flees Thiazi’s hold. Thiazi sets up chase and in the ensuing sequence of events is killed. This leads to Thiazi’s daughter Skadhi showing up at the gates of Asgard demanding vengeance and wergild for Her father’s death. Amongst other things, Skadhi accepts one of the Vanir in marriage as partial repayment and so becomes an ally of the Aesir too. So in a very round-a-bout way, one could say that Idunna helped to forge a tenuous alliance with one of the Jotnar: the Goddess Skadhi (the kidnapping and acquisition of kin is also similar in pattern to Idunna’s Mother’s tale). Ironically, Skadhi’s realm and gifts are diametrically opposed to those Idunna governs. This is Idunna’s major story and the only thing (to my knowledge) other than the “Hrafnagaldr Odins” and brief one-line references to Her that survives in the lore.

We also know that Idunna is the wife of Bragi. Bragi is the son of Odin and Gunnlod, conceived when Gunnlod bartered the mead of inspiration for three nights with Odin. He is also the God of poets, bards, and skalds. Idunna is the daughter of the Duergar Ivaldi, and a Valkyrie named Hildegun (Her name means “battle” or “war”). Hildegun was abducted by Ivaldi when She was young and later had at least two children by Him (one source mentions Idunna having a brother). It is interesting that Idunna both bears the apples of inspiration and youth, and married a God of musicians and poets while being the child in part, of one of the Duergar. This is a Divine race very often associated with craftsmanship and by extension creativity. Ivaldi for instance, created Frey’s magical ship Skidbladnir. There are several tales wherein the other Gods seek out the Duergar because of the high levels of craftsmanship amongst this race. (Odin gets His spear and arm ring from Them, Sif golden hair, and Freya Her special necklace. Thor also acquires His mighty hammer from a Duergar craftsman). In my own work with Them, I have found Them to be Gods of craftsmanship—usually crafts of fire and earth, like metalsmithing-- who have honed Their individual crafts to a very high level. I also find the association of Idunna with apples, in this light, particularly powerful. If the apples bring gifts of youth and immortality, I can’t help thinking of the ancient aphorism: ‘Art is long, life is short.’ (Ars longa, vita brevis). In other words, true immortality lies in the craft of one’s hands and the manifestation of one’s creative vision. One wonders what lessons Idunna must have learned at Her father’s knee. 

Of course, I like to speculate that from Her valkyrie mother, She would surely have inherited a warrior’s tenacious pride and strength of spirit and will. It strikes me that one of Her lessons is very similar to something that Sigyn teaches: gentleness is a choice, a conscious, ongoing, everyday choice requiring immense personal integrity and strength of will. In my dealings with the Duergar I’ve noticed that They rarely brag. Rather They allow the level of Their crafts to speak for Them, but in the value They place on such work, They are unmovable. I see, beneath what seems to be a gentle surface, the same implacability in Idunna. 

There has of late been some discussion over Idunna’s parentage. In an extensive paper on Heathenry in general and Idunna in particular, scholar A. Ember Cooke notes that, as we’ve already pointed out, Idunna is likely half Aesir, half Duergar but it gets a bit more interesting. In her work, Cooke interviewed numerous Heathens about their thoughts on Idunna’s parentage and several of the answers (I shall quote one here) brought some interesting speculations to light: 

“Freya Aswynn also believes Ivaldi is Idunna's father. She gives Nanna, Baldur's wife, as Idunna's sister, and Orvandil as their brother.(1) Orvandil is likely the same as Aurvandil who Sturluson gives as the husband of Groa.(2) Groa is also the mother of Svipdag from Svipdagsmal in the Poetic Edda.(3) Aswynn may be citing Viktor Rydberg, who gives Orvandil as the former husband of Sif and father of Ullr, and as the son of Ivaldi via a series of similarities between the Sons of Ivaldi and the brothers of Orvandil.(4) If we accept this argument, that would make Idunna the sister of Volund the Smith (aka Vorlund, Weyland) as well, but this does not change the significance of her heritage overall. Idunna's kinship with Ivaldi is given as evidence in Rydberg's argument, citing Forspjallsljóð: 

Álfa ættar
Iðunni hétu
Ívalds eldri
yngsta barna.

of alfen race,
Idun by name,
the youngest of Ivaldi’s
elder children.

The poem is also called "Hrafnagaldr Odins", and was translated by Benjamin Thorpe in his compilation of the Poetic Edda.(5) The 6th stanza is the only historical reference we have for Idunna's sire being Ivaldi (or anyone else for that matter). This somewhat confusing poem also seems refer to Idunna as Nanna, which may be why Aswynn believes they are sisters. “Alfen” most likely still refers to Ivaldi, who is otherwise known as a Dwarf, since the Duergar are also called Svartalfar ("Dark Elves"). One could possibly argue that Idunna is the daughter of a Dwarf and an Alf, from this poem, but I have not encountered this yet.” (Quoted with permission from “Finding the Vanir: A Case Study” by Angela Ember Cooke). 

“Hrafnagaldr Odins’ also charges Idunna with nourishing the World Tree, Yggdrasil, through Ragnarok, indicating at one point, that She conceals Herself within it’s trunk. Scholar Rudolf Simek notes that if Idunna were honored in Pagan times, it would have been as a Goddess of fertility, because of the apples.(6) I would extend that and see Her instead, and partially by extension, as a Goddess of health and transformative power. It’s clear from the tale of Her kidnapping that Her power over these things was coveted by the Jotnar, who live in a dangerous, hostile world. Amongst the Ice etins that world is also often bleak and barren. As I noted in my book “Exploring the Northern Tradition,” it is interesting to note that Thiazi coveted not the apples, but Idunna Herself. Ostensibly the apples were useless unless given directly from Her hands, which would imply that their regenerating power lay within this Goddess Herself. (7) In my personal devotions I’ve always sensed a deep connection between Idunna and Hela: one plants the seed and sees it to fruition, the other harvests it when the time is right. There is a strong connection to natural cycles there. 

S. McGrath in her book “Asyniur” comments that Idunna carries Her precious apples in a casket made of ash wood.(8) Ash is so often associated by Odin and by extension the valkyries that to my mind at least, this speaks to some mystery learned from Her mother. Ash is a warrior’s tree associated with breaking inertia and moving through obstacles.  Of course it’s worth noting that tree lore was very important to the neighboring Celts too, who associated apple with journeying to the other-worlds and ash to the working of fate. My mom used to honor Idunna in part as a Goddess of gardening (she was an avid and skilled organic gardener). Last year Ironwood Kindred raised a God-pole in honor of Idunna, placing it in an apple orchard.


Idunna, fruitful Goddess of the harvest
Be Thou hailed.
Goddess of the apples of youthfulness,
Be Thou honored.
Idunna, Goddess of transformations, journeys and coming home,
Be Thou praised.
For Your blessings
For Your mercy,
For Your firm counsel
And gentle, healing touch,
And always for Yourself alone,
Be Thou adored.
Hail, Idunna.


Notes: 

1. Aswynn, Freya. “Northern Mysteries and Magic.” 230.
2. Sturluson. "Skaldskaparmal". Edda Trans. Faulks. 79.
3. "Svipdagsmal". Poetic Edda. Trans. Hollander. Stanzas 1-2.
4. Rydberg, Viktor. "Viktor Rydberg's Teutonic Mythology". Trans. William P. Reaves.
5. "Hrafnagaldr Odins: Odin’s Ravens’ Song". Trans. Benjamin Thorpe.
6. Simek, Rudolf. “Dictionary of Northern Mythology.” 172.
7. Krasskova, Galina. “Exploring the Northern Tradition.” 57.
8. McGrath, Sheena. “Asyniur.” 59.

Recommended Reading:

“Northern Mysteries and Magic” by Freya Aswynn
“Edda” by Snorri Sturluson, Faulkes Translation
“Poetic Edda” Hollander translation
“Exploring the Northern Tradition” by Galina Krasskova
“Asyniur” by Sheena McGrath.
“Victor Rydberg’s Teutonic Mythology” translated by William Reaves
“Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek
“Hrafnagaldr Odins” translated by Benjamin Thorpe