Heimdal
Heimdal is another of the chief gods; according to report he was
considered great and holy, and bore the appellation of the White
God. He
was born in a miraculous manner of nine Giant maidens, on the
confines of
the earth, in the morning of time; and he drew his sustenance from
the
earth. By some he was called Odin’s son. His teeth are of gold; by
night or
day his vision spans a hundred miles of space; he is able to hear
the
growing of grass upon the ground and of wool on the backs of
sheep;
therefore he is a fit watchman for the gods. He dwells near
Bifrost, which
he guards against the Giants. He has an immense horn, the
Gjallar-Horn;
when he blows it, the sound is heard in all the worlds. His
dwelling at the
brink of heaven is known as the Mount of Heaven (Himinbjorg). For
the
rest, report has little to say of Heimdal. He is also called
Gullintanni, by
reason of his golden teeth; another of his names is Hallinskidi.
The skalds make frequent mention of him; gold they refer to as
“Heimdal’s
Teeth,” and to his sword they give the designation “hofuð
(manns),” i.e.,
“(man’s) head,” in allusion to an obscure myth. His horse bears
the name of
Goldtop.
Sources:
Peter
Andreas Munch: Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods
and Heroes. The American-Scandinavian Foundation, New
York. 1926, pp. 17-18.
Rasmus B. Anderson (Ed.): The Elder Eddas of Saemund
Sigfusson and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson.
Norræna Society, London-New York. 1906.
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