Heimdall

Watchman of the gods, born of nine mothers, guarding Bifröst at Himinbjörg with all-seeing senses.

Parentage

• parent: Odin

Domains

• watchfulness guardianship

Powers

• See and hear across all distances
• need less sleep than a bird and see a hundred leagues by night or day
• father the orders of humankind as Rig

Epithets

• Gullintanni old-norse · eddicGolden-toothed oneSnorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning 27 (Prose Edda) (primary)
• Hallinskíði old-norse · skaldicA heiti of Heimdallr (also a ram-heiti)Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál (þulur), Prose Edda (primary); Simek, Dictionary of Northern Mythology, s.v. Hallinskíði (secondary)
• Vindlér / Vindhlér old-norse · skaldicA heiti of Heimdallr (sense uncertain, 'wind-sea'?)Snorri Sturluson, Skáldskaparmál 8 (Prose Edda) (primary)
• hvíti áss old-norse · eddicThe white god; brightest of the ÆsirGylfaginning 27 (Prose Edda); Þrymskviða 15 (primary)

Relations

• sibling: BragiFull sibling — shares the same attested parentage (Odin) per the figures' cited genealogy.
• sibling: VáliFull sibling — shares the same attested parentage (Odin) per the figures' cited genealogy.
• sibling: VíðarrFull sibling — shares the same attested parentage (Odin) per the figures' cited genealogy.
• sibling: SigiFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• sibling: ThorFull sibling; shares the same complete attested parentage.
• enemy: LokiReciprocal of norse_loki.enemy — Heimdallr and Loki are foretold to slay each other at Ragnarök; long-standing antagonists (cf. the Singasteinn/Brísingamen contest).Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning (Prose Edda), ch. 51; Skáldskaparmál ch. 8 (primary)

Sources

• existence: Prose Edda, Gylfaginning 27; Poetic Edda, Völuspá 1, 46 (primary)