Iðunn
In Norse mythology, Iðunn is the keeper of the magical apples that grant the gods eternal youth, signifying rejuvenation and immortality.
Hon varðveitir í eski sínu epli þau, er goðin skulu á bíta þá er þau eldast, ok verða þá allir ungir, ok svá mun vera allt til ragnarökrs.
She protects in her box the apples that the gods must take a bite of when they grow old, and then they all become young, and this way it will be until Ragnarök.
Hvernig skal kenna Iðunni? Svá, at kalla hana konu Braga ok gætandi eplanna, en eplin ellilyf ásanna.
How should one address Iðunn? Thus, by calling her Bragi’s wife and protector of apples, and the apples [should be called] the Æsir’s old age elixir.
The Sagas
Skáldskaparmál tells the story of how Iðunn has a wooden box (old Norse “eski”, similar to current-day Norwegian “eske” or Danish “æske”) in which she keeps her apples. The apples are magical and she allows the other Gods to take a bite of them once in a while which keeps them from aging.
The jotun Þjazi kidnapps Idunn and her apples
Loki lures Iðunn and her apples out of Asgard and into the jotunn Þjazi’s captivity under the pretense that he has found some apples, even better than the ones she have, and she should bring hers so she can compare. When the Gods find out both Iðunn and her apples are missing they are not only infuriated but also quickly start aging. The Gods therefore quickly arrange an assembly – a thing – to learn who has seen Iðunn last so they might find her. They quickly discover she was last seen leaving Asgard with Loki, who is subsequently captured, and when threatened with torture and death. Loki then asks to borrow Freyja’s falcon cloak so he might go look for her and he then flies to Þjazi’s home in Jötunheimr. Here he finds Iðunn locked up alone, so he transforms her into a nut and flies away with her. When Þjazi comes home and sees Iðunn missing he sets off after Loki in his eagle cloak.
When the Gods later sees a falcon with a nut in its claws with an eagle following close behind, they decide to build a large fire right behind the walls of Asgard. Loki in his falcon cloak easily dive in behind the wall, but Þjazi in his eagle shape can’t stop that quickly and he flies right above the flame, burning his feathers and crashing to the ground. The Gods quickly jump on him and kill him.
This story is quite interesting in the context of the old Norse sagas. Specifically it demonstrates the importance of Iðunn and her apples to the Gods, not only because of the resoluteness they have when getting her back, but also that the whole pantheon of the Gods are involved in retrieving her. Iðunn’s apples are completely intrinsic to the survival of the Æsir. The sagas also tells how this is how it will go until
Her Apples
The apple is and has been a significant symbol of life, fertility and knowledge in many cultures through the times, not only the old Norse. Iðunn’s apples are no different.
