Heimdall
Profile
He can hear the grass grow and spot a fly on a giant's nose from a mile away. The sound of his horn strikes fear in the hearts of the gods—they know it means Ragnarök is close at hand. That's right: he's Heimdall, watchman of the gods and guardian of Asgard. Tasked with keeping constant tabs on traffic over Bifröst Bridge, the only entrance into the gods' homeland, it's Heimdall's job to keep the giants out. Work and play mingle for Heimdall: his house's convenient location where Bifröst meets Asgard means that he can enjoy a fine cup of mead in his banquet hall even as he scours Bifröst for signs of giants. On the few occasions when Heimdall abandoned his post, it was for good reason—once to recapture Freyja's stolen necklace from Loki, and another time to sire the three Middle-Earthling classes of serfs, craftsmen, and nobles.
Basic Information
Nickname The Watchman, Hallinskiði, Gullintanni (gold-toothed), Vindhlér (protector against the wind)
Sex Male
Current city Asgard
Work & Education
Occupation Watchman (pretty self-explanatory, right?)
Education Asgard Security Training Services
Beliefs
Political views Isolationist (The giants should stay out of Asgard!)
Family & Friends (& Enemies)
Parents Nine maids (all sisters); I don't know who my father is
Siblings Nope, I'm an only child
Children Þræll the serf, Karl the craftsman, and Jarl the nobleman
Friends Freyja (I rescued her necklace)
I'm on friendly terms with all the AsgardEnemies Loki (I got Freyja's necklace from him—oh, and he's the guy who will kill me at Ragnarök)
Relationships
Relationship status Lover to the human women Edda, Amma, and Moðir
Interested in Humans
Favorites
TV Shows Quotations "May he who holds in his hands the destinies of nations, make you worthy of the favors he has bestowed, and enabled you with pure hearts and hands and sleepless vigilance, to guard and defend to the end of time, the great charge he has committed to your keeping."
– J. Reuben Clark
"One is not exposed to danger who, even when in safety is always on their guard."
– Publilius Syrus
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force."
– Patrick Henry
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
– Yogi Berra
"All along the watchtower / Princes kept the view / While all the women came and went / Barefoot servants too."
– Bob DylanBooks The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Watchmen by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore
The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Compleat Meadmaker: Home Production of Honey Wine From Your First Batch to Award-winning Fruit and Herb VariationsMusic All Along the Watchtower performed by Jimi Hendrix, music and lyrics by Bob Dylan
The Police (everything they do, obvi)
Tubthumper by Chumbawumba
I Fought the Law performed by The Clash (Hear that giants? The law always wins!)
Frank Sinatra (nothing beats Sinatra for kicking back with a glass of mead)
Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
Someone to Watch Over Me by George and Ira Gershwin
Everything Louis ArmstrongMovies Watchmen (2009)
Dances with Wolves (1990)
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Chinatown (1974)
L.A. Confidential (1997)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)Activities & Interests
Likes Mystery stories
Mead
Bridges
The brass section (trumpets, horns, you know)
The brass (police)
Elaborate dental work
Watchtowers and border wallsInterests Hornblowing
Horseback riding
Detective work
Surveillance and SecurityGroups Gods of Asgard
Security Workers United
Fathers of Mankind
Mead of the Month ClubSpotter's Guide
Heimdall rarely leaves his guard post at the border of Bifröst Bridge and the heavens—who'd protect Asgard from the giants if he did? There's no one better than Heimdall for this job, since he possesses hearing so keen he can hear grass grow, and eyesight so sharp he can see for hundreds of leagues, even in the dark. We're not exaggerating. On the job with him he has his horse, Gulltoppr; his sword; and his horn, Gjallarhorn, which he will blow to announce the end of the world. It's all very epic.
Sex: Male
Age: Old Enough
Build: Strong
Complexion: Extremely fair—in fact, almost white
Hair Color: Blonde
Facial Hair: Often bearded
Scars/marks/tattoos: All of his teeth are gold…awesome
Jewelry and accessories: A horn, Gjallarhorn
Clothing: Medieval Viking style
Armor: Sometimes carries a shield
Type of Weapon: Sword; oh, and extremely keen senses of sight and hearingTypical Companions:
His golden-maned horse, Gulltoppr
Known Hangouts:
His hall, Himinbjörg, at the juncture of Bifröst bridge with Asgard (he can't really leave his post all that often)
Sightings
Dec 20, 2019 - Dec 20, 2019
Saltfleetby Spindle Whorl
The earliest appearance of Heimdall in writing is on the Saltfleetby spindle whorl, where his name appears in a runic inscription next to Odin's and Þjalfi's. We're still waiting for an ancient Shmoop inscription.
Dec 20, 2019
Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturluson
In the Heimskringla,court poet Snorri Sturluson re-imagines the Norse gods as human ancestors of the Viking races. Pretty cool, right? Heimdall is one of the vassals to whom Odin (here a Swedish king) grants lands. What do you think: a fitting transformation?
Dec 20, 1962
Journey into Mystery #85
In his Marvel Comics incarnation, Heimdall is the brother of the goddess Sif. He's still the guardian of Asgard, and still possesses spectacular powers of sight and hearing. Way to be accurate, Marvel.
Dec 20, 1992
Heimdall
In this computer game, the gods create an infant, Heimdall, whose job it is to retrieve Odin's spear, Freyr's sword, and Thor's Hammer from Loki, who has stolen them. Go to it, Heimdall.
Dec 20, 1999 - Dec 20, 2019
The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok
In this anime manga comic, Loki is exiled to earth in a child's body, and Heimdall is sent to assassinate him. Loki vs. Heimdall? Sounds about right.
Dec 20, 2019
Stargate SG-1, "Revelations"
Heimdall appears as a member of the alien, highly-advanced Asgard race in this sci-fi series. It's pretty modern stuff: he's a scientist working on problems in cloning.
Dec 20, 2019
And Another Thing… by Eoin Colfer
In this sequel to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer has Heimdall appear briefly as the keeper of the gates of Asgard. Three cheers for accuracy!
Dec 20, 2019
Thor
Heimdall reprises his role from the Marvel Comics series in this live-action version. You know he's a cool dude—he's played by Idris Elba.