Heimdall in Old Norse comes from the word heim, which means home. Heimdall is the guardian of Asgard in Norse mythology, from the end of the Bifröst he waits with his horn to warn of the presence of enemies.

Origin

In the eddas is counted as odin, after the creation of Midgard, found asleep on a beach, on the edge of the kingdom, nine maidens Jotun (a race of giants). The god Odin decided to marry them after joining the nine in one, which would later lead to heimdall, who, being different from the rest of the gods, grew up in a short time and accompanied his father to Ásgard, just in time to witness the creation of the bifröst.

Heimdall's Attributes

Being a half-giant being, Heimdall was born larger than other gods and became one of the strongest, even being on a par with Thor, the god of thunder, and Tyr, the god of war. His physical superiority was such that he could go days without sleeping during surveillance.

Having been born from several mothers, he inherited more acute senses, he could see everything that happened in the 9 kingdoms and hear the trees grow, so it was he himself who volunteered to guard the Bifröst.

equipment

To fulfill his duties as protector, he was given white armor, a flashing sword, and the castle Himinbjörg, at the edge of the sky. In addition, he was awarded the battle horn Gjallarhorn qwhose sound, as told in the eddas, resounds in the 9 kingdoms and will be the sign that the ragnarok has started.

A heimdal He was also recognized by his gold teeth, which sometimes flashed when he smiled, and which gave him the nickname Gullitani (the one with the gold teeth). In battle he rode on a swift steed with a mane of gold which he called Gulltoppr.

Feud with Loki

In addition to his role as guardian Heimdall, has been one of the most important rivals of Loki, mainly due to the continuous teasing that Loki dedicated to him due to his role as guardian and watchman of Ásgard. Thus it is common that in several myths of the eddas These two are antagonists, one being the representation of order and the other of chaos.

They both fought for him. Brisingamenthe necklace of the goddess Freya (emblem of fertility and harmony of the Earth). When Loki he stole it, as he says Husdrapa, when Freya woke up without him asked heimdall to find the thief. Finally, discovering that it had been Loki transformed into a seal, heimdall he also became a seal and fought with Loki and after defeating him he returned the necklace.

In another meeting heimdall who captures Loki after causing the death of Balder, the most beloved of Odin's sons.

At the end of the battle of ragnarok, Heindall engages in combat Loki and both will die in the fight, neither being able to prevail over the other.