Heimdall

**Heimdall** is the God of Boundary and Vigilance from Norse mythology. He is the Guardian of the Bifröst, the celestial bridge connecting the Nine Realms of Norse cosmology, and the Gatekeeper of Asgard, realm of the Aesir gods.

## Overview

In Norse mythology, **Heimdall** is a god who keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himinbjörg, where the burning rainbow bridge Bifröst meets the sky. He is attested as possessing foreknowledge and keen senses, particularly eyesight and hearing. The god and his possessions are described in enigmatic manners.

Heimdall possesses the resounding horn Gjallarhorn and the golden-maned horse Gulltoppr, along with a store of mead at his dwelling. He is the son of the Nine Mothers, and he is said to be the originator of social classes among humanity. Other notable stories include the recovery of Freyja's treasured possession Brísingamen while doing battle in the shape of a seal with Loki. The antagonistic relationship between Heimdall and Loki is notable, as they are foretold to kill one another during the events of Ragnarök.

Heimdall is attested in the *Poetic Edda*, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional material; in the *Prose Edda* and *Heimskringla*, both written in the 13th century; in the poetry of skalds; and on an Old Norse runic inscription found in England. Due to the enigmatic nature of these attestations, scholars have produced various theories about the nature of the god.

## Appearance

Heimdall is a roguishly attractive man, with an extremely muscular frame. He has black hair styled into long dreadlocks and a short beard, golden teeth, and striking gold eyes. When using his divine power, his eyes glow bright silver, while the roots of his hair and his hands and feet begin to glow a pale-white light.

## Personality

Heimdall is a strong and loyal warrior of Asgard, with a high sense of honor. Among the Aesir gods, he is known as one of their greatest and most noble members, and was originally in-line to his father's throne, though he relinquished it in order to "better protect the Yggdrasil", though he admitted he did it because of a disinterest in politics. Regardless, when Vidarr became the new King of Asgard, he was among the first to swear loyalty to him and his reign.

For the most part, he is a stern, serious, and no nonsense god, one who would *not* allowed himself to be disrespected by anyone, even if it is from higher-ranked gods or even the Primordials. He holds a neutral stand toward most matters in his pantheon, never choosing one side over another. Because of his solemn nature, only a few could get a reaction out of him, one of which is Loki who is fated to be his antithesis.

Due to his position as the [Guardian of the Bifröst], he's required to spend all of his attention managing the rainbow bridge so no potential danger can enter Asgard. He takes his responsibilities very seriously and would not allow anyone or anything interfere with his duties.

He has a great sense of justice and can be infuriated by dishonorable acts, though due to the nature of his duty, he could do nothing but stand there and watch. While he does take pride in being Asgard's gatekeeper, he admitted that this side of his duties is not something he could agree with. As such, he can become enraged when this "cowardice" side of him is mentioned.

This doesn't mean he is always on duty, however, as he does give himself a break once in a while, albeit only after assigning entire squadrons of einherjar in his place. While on break, he is much more friendly and relaxed, even making jokes on rare occasions.

Like Odin, he is a traveler at heart, yet unlike him, he does this purely to satisfy his wanderlust desire. After seeing the nine realms and many other worlds from one place, he grew a desire to one day visit these destinations to see if they would look greater when looking up close. Though like his father and brothers, he is also a natural flirt, with many wild flings to his name and demigods to prove it whenever he does go on vacations.

Due to a combination of the ancient laws and and his responsibilities managing the Bifröst, he couldn't interact with his demigod children as much as he wants to, though he could always watch over them and blackmails over gods into assisting them, if they don't want their secrets leaked to the whole world.

## Equipment

**Hǫfuð** (ホファンド, *Hofando*): Heimdall's divine sword and main weapon of choice. It is a one-handed sword made of Bone Steel with a guard similar to the Bifröst emblem, embedded at the pommel is an orange-colored gem. It is extremely sharp, capable of piercing through most sacred metals, and - Due to being imbued with his own divine power during the forging process - possesses the power to create portals leading to the branches of Yggdrasil.

**Gulltoppr** (グルトップ, *Gurutoppu*): Heimdall's familiar and personal mount. It is a mechanical winged horse, with fiery eyes and long golden mane after which the horse is named. When not used as transportation, it transforms itself into a personal throne for him to sit on while watching over the nine realms.

**Gjallarhorn** (ギャラルホルン, *Gyararuhorun*): Heimdall's legendary horn. It is a large horn-shaped instrument made out of brass and engraved with ancient runes that can be used both as a trumpet and as a drinking vessel. It's foretold that when Ragnarök arrived, he would blow his horn and all the gods would gather in the field of Vigrith for the final battle against the jötnar.

## Quotes

**Thor**: "*Heimdall, may we pass?*"
**Heimdall**: "*Never has an enemy escaped my watch until this day. I want to know how it happened.*"
**Thor**: "*And tell no one where we have gone until we return.*"
— Heimdall and Thor

## Trivia

* His name, *Heimdall*, means "the one who illuminates the world".
* He is also known as **Rígr**, **Hallinskiði**, **Gullintanni**, and **Vindlér** or **Vindhlér**.
	+ The name, *Gullintanni*, means "the one with the golden teeth".
	+ The name, *Vindlér*, means "the one protecting against the wind" or "wind-sea".
* His palace "Himinbjörg" means "heaven's castle" or "heaven's mountain".
	+ According to Norse mythology, he stores and drinks fine mead in his personal palace.
* His personal sword, "Hǫfuð", means "man-head" in Old Norse.
* He is associated with rams, borders and boundaries, and white sea foam.
* He smells like "ozone, salty sea breezes, and honey mead".
* He has an Instagram account where he posts pictures of places he visits.
* In Norse mythology, he is known as the "Whitest God" despite his dark skin. According to him, the "white" mentioned in his title means "brightest" or "most glittering", a reference to his position as a [God of Light] rather than a description of his skin color.
* Heimdall, a crater on Callisto - One of Jupiter's moons - is named after him.
* He personally dreads Mother's Day more than Ragnarök, seeing that he has to select the perfect gifts for all nine of his mothers.