Iduna
Iduna (Idunn) (rejuvenation) In Norse mythology, one of the Aesir; goddess of the golden apples of immortal youth, food of the gods; wife of the god Bragi. Loki, the fire-trickster god, was forced by the giant Thjassi to trick the goddess Iduna. Odin, Hoenir, and Loki were out travelling. They were unable to cook an ox they had killed. An eagle in the tree, actually the giant Thjassi, said he would cook it for them if he could have some too. When he took too much, Loki struck him with a staff that stuck to the eagle as he flew away, with Loki still holding on to the staff. He would only be freed if he agreed to bring Thjassi one of Iduna’s apples. Loki then lured Iduna into the forest and told her that he had found apples growing a short distance from her celestial residence that were of much better quality than her own, and he persuaded her to go and look at them. Deceived by Loki’s words, Iduna took her apples and went with him into the forest. When they entered the forest, Thjassi, covered in his eagle plumage, swooped down and took Iduna and her apples into his claws and flew off to Jotunheim, the home of the giants. The gods, deprived of their magic apples, began to wrinkle and turn gray, old age creeping fast upon them. When they discovered that Loki had caused all the trouble they threatened to punish him unless he could get Iduna back. Loki borrowed the goddess Freyja’s falcon plumage and flew to Jotunheim. Finding Thjassi out fishing, Loki lost no time in changing Iduna into a sparrow and flying off with her. When Thjassi returned and discovered what had happened, he put on his eagle plumage and gave chase. When the gods saw Loki approaching, holding Iduna transformed into a sparrow between his claws and Thjassi with his outspread eagle wings ready to overtake them, they placed on the wall of Asgard bundles of chips, which they set afire the instant Loki had flown over them. As Thjassi could not stop his flight, the fire caught his plumage; he fell and and was killed by the gods. The myth of Iduna is told in the Prose Edda.
Source:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow-Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante
Idun – The Renewer; The Rejuvenator
Did you ever wish you could retain a youthful body and soul but simultaneously accrue the wisdom of age and experience? The Norse deities possess the ability to mature without aging because of Idun’s golden apples. Idun is the goddess of eternal youth, fertility, and abundance. She is the custodian of a grove of magical golden apples. A diet of these apples preserves ideal youthful appearance and vitality. Should the Norse spirits ever feel too ancient or creaky or if signs of age begin to creep up, Idun provides them with apples, which eliminate all negative aspects of aging. Her role is also to guard the apples so that those who are not authorized to eat them never get a taste. (Dwarves and Frost Giants notoriously lust for her fruit.) Idun’s home is the Grove of Brunnaker. Request her assistance to stay ever-youthful via petition and visualization.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Iduna
ORIGIN:
Norse
MANIFESTATION:
A beautiful, ever-youthful, cheerful woman
ATTRIBUTE:
A wooden box in which she carries ripe apples so that she always has some on hand in case of an emergency; no matter how many apples Idun removes, the box magically always contains the same number of apples.
Consort:
Bragi, Lord of Poetry
SEE ALSO:
Source:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses– Written by: Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.