The gods are not immortal in themselves – their youth hangs on the apples of a single goddess. What happens when she disappears?
One of the most beautiful and profound stories of the Edda revolves around the goddess Idun and her wonderful apples.
Idun guards apples that preserve the gods’ eternal youth. This is a remarkable idea: the Norse gods are not immortal in themselves – they need Idun’s apples not to age. Their power is vulnerable.
Once again it is Loki who brings the misfortune. Under duress he lures Idun out of Asgard, where the giant Thjazi in eagle form carries her off together with her apples. At once the gods begin to age: their hair greys, their strength fades.
The ageing gods force Loki to make good his fault. In Freyja’s falcon-cloak he flies into the land of the giants, turns Idun into a nut and carries her back – Thjazi pursues him as an eagle and burns at a fire on Asgard’s walls. The gods are saved, and with Idun youth returns.
The story shows how fragile even the world of the gods is – a basic idea that points ahead to Ragnarök.