Heimdall

== Basic Information ==
Heimdall is one of the Aesir gods of Norse Mythology. He's a somewhat enigmatic figure, not one of the most well-understood members of the Norse pantheon. What's he the god of? Eyesight and Vigilance, I guess…
Heimdall is the guardian of the gods, and he watches over the Rainbow Bridge (known as Bifrost). It is prophesied that Heimdall will notice the coming of the Jotun and assorted monsters at the start of Ragnarok. He will sound Gjallarhorn and warn the other Aesir.
== Other Names for Heimdall: ==
* The White God
* Gullintanni ("Golden-Toothed")
* Himinbjörg ("Sky Mountain")
* Hallinskíði ("Bent Stick")
* Ram (as in a male sheep)
* Rig (this is a name he used when traveling the world)
* Vindhlér ("Wind Shelter")
One kenning (a poetic alternate name) for sword used in the Prose Edda is "Head of Heimdall".
== Powers: ==
Heimdall has Super Senses, and can hear grass growing and leaves falling all over the world. He never sleeps, and watches all across the world, seeing everything. He can even see the future.
Despite being at the start of the defences and serving as an early warning system for Ragnarok, he will actually be the last god to die - he and Loki will slay each other. So, presumably, his super senses and prophecy are not his only powers, he's also a capable and skilled warrior, or else really heavily armoured. Protective powers would be a good fit.
In one tale, to retrieve the magic necklace Brisingamen, which had been stolen from Freyja by Loki, Heimdall turns into a seal and the two battle in the waves. That may have been Loki's doing, or Heimdall might have some shape-shifting talents as well.
As with all the Norse gods, Heimdall does not age because he eats the Golden Apples of Immortality.
Heimdall rides the magic horse Gulltoppr, which means "Golden Top".
He carries the magic "yelling horn" named Gjallarhorn (or just Gjall), and a sword named Höfud.
== Birth and relations: ==
Heimdall is referred to as a son of Odin, though he's possibly a foster-son or adopted son, and some scholars place him as originally being a Vanir. The Vanir origin is the minority view among scholars, and the only line that suggests it could also be translated to say he's as skilled as the Vanir.
It is said that Heimdall is the son of nine different mothers, possibly the the nine daughters of Ægir and Rán. Their nine daughters are waves (or at least have names derived from waves, and Aegir is a sea god) which lingers on in folklore traditions that waves come in groups of nine, and the ninth wave is called the ram. (Ram being one of Heimdall's other names, as mentioned above.)
What else we know of Heimdall's relationships with the other gods can be summed up as simply: He protects the group as best he can, and he (alone) is suspicious of Loki.
== Game and Story Use ==
* Bound to be a major factor during Fimbulvinter and Ragnarok, Heimdall's also the only god that doesn't trust Loki. If the PCs are trying to pull a fast one on the gods, or bring about the end of the world, Heimdall's gonna see them doing it.
** Given his predisposition, they might be able to get away with blaming Loki.
Category:Characters