Nine Mothers of Heimdallr

Attestations

The Nine Mothers of Heimdallr are mentioned in two books of the Prose Edda; Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál. In Gylfaginning, Heimdallr is introduced in chapter 25, where the enthroned figure of High tells the disguised mythical king Gangleri details about the god. Among other details, High says that Heimdallr is the son of nine sisters and, as a reference, provides two lines of the (otherwise now lost) poem Heimdalargaldr, in which Heimdallr himself says that he was born of nine sisters.

In chapter 16 of Skáldskaparmál a work by the 10th century skald Úlfr Uggason is quoted. The poem refers to Heimdallr as the "son of eight mothers plus one". Prose following the poem points out that the poem refers to Heimdallr as the son of nine mothers.

The poem Völuspá hin skamma (contained within the poem Hyndluljóð, oft considered a part of the Poetic Edda) contains three stanza that scholars have frequently theorized as referring to Heimdallr and his nine mothers. According to the stanzas, long ago, a mighty god was born by nine jötunn maidens at the edge of the world. This boy grew strong, nourished by the strength of the earth, the ice-cold sea, and the blood of swine. Names are provided for these nine maidens; Gjálp, Greip, Eistla, Angeyja, Ulfrún, Eyrgjafa, Imðr, Atla, and Járnsaxa. The stanzas in question read as follows:

The was one born, in times of old,

with wondrous might endowed, of origin divine:

nine Jötun maids gave birth, to the gracious god,

at the world's margin.

Giâlp gave him birth, Greip gave him birth,

Eistla gave him birth, and Angeia;

Ulfrûn gave him birth, and Eyrgiafa,

Imd and Atla, and Jârnsaxa.

The boy was nourished with the strength of the earth,

with the ice-cold sea, and with Sôn's blood.

One there was born in the bygone days,

Of the race of the gods, and great was his might;