The Keeper of Youth
Idun is the Norse goddess who tends the golden apples of immortality. Without her fruit the Æsir would age and wither like any mortal, which makes this gentle goddess one of the quietly essential figures of all Asgard.
She is the wife of Bragi, the god of poetry, and is remembered above all for the tale in which the giant Thjazi abducts her and her apples. As soon as she is gone, the gods begin to grow old and grey, and only her rescue restores their strength.
Idun embodies renewal, spring, and the fragile nature of even divine youth. Her apples are among the most precious treasures the gods possess, and she alone may give them out.
Divine Powers
Apples of Youth
Guards the fruit that keeps the gods forever young and strong
Renewal
Associated with spring, rebirth, and the turning back of age
Immortality
The wellspring of the gods' agelessness rests in her keeping
Quick Facts
Key Connections
Residence
Asgard
Idun dwells among the Æsir, keeping her apples close at hand
Family
- Group: Aesir
- Husband: Bragi
- Symbol: Golden apples