Iðunn in Norse tradition
As keeper of the gods’ youth, Iðunn preserves divine vitality through her apples. Iðunn is the Norse deity associated with rejuvenation, protection from old age, and the renewal of the gods. When Þjazi carries her and the apples to Jötunheim, the gods begin to age; Loki rescues her in falcon form, and she restores their youth.
The quick answers
Who is Iðunn?
Iðunn is a Norse deity associated with keeping the gods young, rejuvenation, preservation of divine vitality, protection from old age.Source
Source
- Dictionary of northern mythology
- Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
What is Iðunn the god of?
keeping the gods young, rejuvenation, preservation of divine vitality, protection from old ageSource
Source
- Dictionary of northern mythology
- Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
Is Iðunn in Der Ring des Nibelungen?
Yes. It is linked here to The Kidnapping and Return of Iðunn.What family links are recorded for Iðunn?
Father: Ivaldi, Spouse: Bragi.What happens in The Kidnapping and Return of Iðunn?
Þjazi carried Iðunn and her apples to Jötunheim after Loki lured her beyond Bifröst, leaving the gods in Ásgarðr to age without their source of renewal.Source
Source
- the ancient sources
- Treasury of Norse Mythology
- Norse Mythology
Iðunn’s family, at a glance
Parents above, children below, and the figure’s consorts named in between, the same family data as the fact box, laid out as a chart instead of a field list.
The names Iðunn answers to
Iðunn
Old Norse form of the name
SourceGods and Myths of Northern Europe
Idunn
Common English transliteration
SourceGods and Myths of Northern Europe
Idun
Anglicized spelling of the name
SourceGods and Myths of Northern Europe
The myths of Iðunn
1 myth, each traced to its primary text and corpus sources, with 1 reviewed modern rework linked where the evidence supports it.
The Kidnapping and Return of Iðunn
Loki led Iðunn across Bifröst, promising to show her a tree whose golden apples resembled those in her ash box. She carried her own apples so they could be compared. As soon as they crossed the bridge, Þjazi swooped down in eagle form and carried Iðunn and her basket over the sea to Jötunheim. He shut her in his stronghold at Thrymheim. She sat behind a barred window, afraid and weeping for her husband Bragi and her friends in Ásgarðr. Þjazi could not force her to share the apples.
Months passed. Without Iðunn, the gods grew old, weak, and grey. Odin called a meeting in Gladsheim, but Iðunn and Loki were absent. The gods found Loki asleep in a field, bound him, and dragged him before Odin. Loki admitted that Þjazi had threatened to kill him unless he brought Iðunn to Jötunheim. Odin threatened to kill Loki unless he brought her back. Loki agreed, if Freyja lent him her falcon cloak.
Loki flew to Thrymheim and found Þjazi away on the northern sea. He reached Iðunn through the barred window, changed her into a nut, and carried her towards Ásgarðr. Some accounts include this transformation, while others leave it unstated. Þjazi returned with his daughter Skaði, changed into an eagle, and pursued him. Odin watched from Hlíðskjálf. The gods gathered wood shavings and lit a great fire at the gates. Loki flew over the flames. Þjazi followed, and the fire burned his wings. The gods killed him. Loki restored Iðunn, and the apples made the gods young and strong again.
In the modern world
Der Ring des Nibelungen
MusicWagner gives Freia, not Idunn, the golden apples of eternal youth and has giants hold her hostage, ageing the gods until Loge helps recover her, transplanting Idunn's core myth (the youth apples, the abduction, the gods ageing) onto a different named goddess.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1Treasury of Norse MythologyT1
- 2the ancient sourcesT1
Quote
“Þjazi carried Iðunn and her apples to Jötunheim, but Loki brought her back, allowing the gods to regain their youth.”
the ancient sources
- 3Norse MythologyT1
Also appears in
The myths across MythSource where Iðunn features, each on that figure’s page.
- Ægir’s Feast and Loki’s Flyting · on Ægir
- Bragi’s Quarrel with Loki at Ægir’s Feast · on Bragi
- Freyja’s Quarrel with Loki · on Freyja
- Frigg Rebukes Loki at Ægir’s Feast · on Frigg
- Gefjon’s Quarrel with Loki · on Gefjon
- Heimdall Quarrels with Loki · on Heimdall
- Ægir's Feast · on Jötnar
- Loki's Bargain with Þjazi · on Jötnar
- Þjazi and the Theft of Idunn · on Jötnar
- Loki, Þjazi, and Idunn · on Loki
- Loki’s Flyting at Ægir’s Feast · on Loki
- Thor Confronts Loki at Ægir’s Feast · on Thor
5 works catalogued
This is the candidate catalogue for Iðunn: candidate reworks first, then references, then names used as atmosphere. Nothing here has been checked against a source yet. Only reviewed myth-to-work links are promoted in Overview.
Showing 5 of 5 works.
Game4
- Ashes of Idunn: Tales of FimbulwinterName only
- IdunName only
- Idun: Frontline SurvivalName only
- Idunn GurdiansName only
Music1
- Der Ring des NibelungenThe Kidnapping and Return of IðunnRework
These are catalogue candidates, not proof that every work retells this figure. Reviewed myth-to-work links appear in Overview.
What this page is built from
About this page
Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed not yet recorded. How a page gets built.
3 sources are cited on this page, primary texts and corpus scholarship, listed below.
Cite this page
MythSource. (n.d.). Iðunn. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/iunn
"Iðunn." MythSource, n.d., www.mythsource.com/figures/iunn.
"Iðunn." MythSource. n.d. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/iunn.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the primary texts and scholarship above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only reviewed joins are presented as modern reworks in Overview.
The film
The Underdrawing video on Iðunn embeds here once it publishes.