Idunn (Idun)

Idunn (Idun)

The gods and goddesses of Asgard don't have to rely on potions, creams, or wacky diets to remain youthful. Instead, they have Idunn and her box of apples. Yep, that's right—when they begin to age, they simply bite into one of Idunn's apples and voila! Eternal youth. Beyond this function, though, what we know about Idunn is a bit murky. A single source identifies her as an elder daughter of Ivaldi (a dwarf), and, since dwarves and elves were sometimes conflated in Norse mythology, this makes her a descendant of elves. In this same source, she's also called a dís¸ a protective spirit associated with fate and fertility. Fancy! Idunn's time in the spotlight of Norse mythology is pretty dramatic: a giant abducts her, with a little help from Loki (of course!). Without Idunn and her magic apples, the Aesir begin to grow old, and they take desperate measures to get her back.

Basic Information

NameIðunn (Anglicized "Idunn")
NicknameKeeper of the Apples, The Aesir's old age cure, Þjazi's booty (all from Prose Edda chapter 86—yep, those are some of the ways people actually refer to me)
Forever Young (that's the meaning of Idunn)
SexFemale
Current cityAsgard

Work & Education

OccupationGoddess of Youth and Fertility
EducationAsgard Botanical Gardens School of Botany and Herbology (major: Fruits and flowering plants)

Beliefs

Political viewsThe youth(ful) are our future!

Family & Friends (& Enemies)

ParentsMy dad might be Ivaldi, a dwarf
SiblingsAssuming Ivaldi is my dad, my brothers are the sons of Ivaldi, who were responsible for creating some of the gods' most precious magical objects.
ChildrenNone known (so, yeah, probably none)
FriendsEveryone (Who wouldn't want to be friends with someone bearing magical youth-bestowing apples?)
EnemiesLoki and Þjazi (they're my kidnappers!)

Relationships

Relationship statusMarried to Bragi, god of poetry—yes, he writer me lots of love poems
Interested inYoung gods

Favorites

Quotations"Youth is wasted on the young."
– George Bernard Shaw

"May you build a ladder to the stars / and climb on every rung / May you stay forever young."
– Bob Dylan

"Immortality: A toy which people cry for / And on their knees apply for / Dispute, contend, and lie for / And if allowed / Would be right proud / Eternally to die for."
– Ambrose Bierce, from The Devil's Dictionary

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."
– Martin Luther
Books"Because I Could not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson
"After Apple-Picking" by Robert Frost
Snow White by the Brothers Grimm
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Immortality by Stephen Cave
The Apple-Lover's Cookbook by Amy Traverso
The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist by Michael Phillips
Juan Ponce de Leon by Robert Henderson
MusicForever Young by Bob Dylan (performed with Bruce Springsteen)
Forever Young by Rod Stewart
Forever Young by Alphaville (check out the awesome 80s hair and attire!)
And yes, I know, those songs all have the same name. But they're all different (and all awesome)!
The Lord's Been Good to Me (Swedenborgian hymn)
Fiona Apple (artist) (And she kind of looks like me, don't you think?)
You're the Apple of My Eye performed by The Four Seasons
Who Wants to Live Forever? By Queen (I probably shouldn't like this, but it's a guilty pleasure!)
MoviesThe Secret Garden (1993)
Tuck Everlasting (2002)
Forever Young (1992)
Cocoon (1985)
Searching for Johnny (2009)
Death Takes a Holiday (1934)
The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Peter Pan (1953)
TV ShowsNip/Tuck
Strawberry Shortcake

Activities & Interests

LikesFruit (especially apples)
Orchards (especially apple orchards)
Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Micro-Sculpting Serum
Apple pie
Apple cider
Autumn harvest festivals
ActivitiesSharing magical apples of immortality with the other gods and goddesses
Bobbing for apples
Foraging for apples
Planting seeds
InterestsImmortality
Youth
Gardening
Botany
Herbology
GroupsGoddesses of Asgard
Asgard Botanical Gardens School of Botany and Herbology Alumni
World Anti-Aging Academy of Medicine
International Fruit Tree Association