Skegga's Edda Chapter 4 - The Son of Nine Mothers

In a hall deep on the ocean bed lived the sea ettins Aegir and Ran.  This couple had nine children, all girls, who were close to one another in age.  Ran had named them after the waves.  In time they grew to be young women but despaired of finding good husbands; for this was long before mortal men sailed out away from the safety of land.

In desperation the daughters decided to magic themselves a lover.  The eldest, Bloodyhair, stole into her mother's chamber.  She took the smallest of her mother's brewing vessels and a wand made of coral sanded smooth as glass.  She joined her sisters in their own private apartment.  The soapstone brew pot was placed in the centre of the room and the sisters gathered about it.

'We need to fill the pot for the spell,' said Bloodyhair, 'with the most powerful talismans we can give.  What shall we use?'
'We can give hair' suggested Heavenshining
'Yes,' agreed Bloodyhair, 'that will make powerful magic.  Let us all chop off a lock of hair and drop it in the pot.'  They did so and the pot was a third full.
'What shall we add next?' asked Bloodyhair.
'We can add spittle' suggested Rising.
'Excellent' said Bloodyhair approvingly, and the nine ettin maids spat into the pot.  It was now half full, for ettins are skilled in the art of spitting.
'And what next?' asked Bloodyhair. 'We need much more magic than this.'
Brightwave spoke up; she was the youngest: 'I could give the blood of my maidenhead.'
'Hmph, we all could: that is why we are making a man' growled Bloodyhair.  She passed around her coral wand and each used it to break their maidenhead and the blood from each of them was stirred into the pot.  It was now full.  Bloodyhair stirred the mixture of blood, spittle and hair and she started to sing the haunting spell songs of the deep ocean.  Her sisters, one by one, added their voices to hers and the magic shone in the pot and was powerfully strong.
'Keep singing my sisters' said Bloodyhair 'but one by one name your desires and so he shall be formed.  I say that he will be in a grown man's body from his first breath.'
'I say he should be born with speech and wisdom', added Heavenshining.
'I say he should be very handsome', said Rising.
'I say he should be keen of eye', said Rolling.
'I say he should be keen of hearing', said Foaming.
'I say he should be very strong', said Breaking.
'I say he should have great endurance', said Sparkling.
'I say he should be a good lover', said Coldwave.
'I say he should have gold teeth', said Brightwave.
The chanting sisters glared at Brightwave but she just shrugged. 'I like gold', she said.
The pot was glowing like a fallen star, and as the sisters chanted a figure rose from out of the light. He was everything they had asked for and more.  The new made man took one look at the grasping, lusty ettin girls reaching out for him and had one thought - escape.

Realising that they had thought of everything except obedience the ettins howled in frustrated rage and made chase. But thanks to their gifts the man was quicker than they and left them far behind as he swam towards the shores of Middle Garth.

After no small effort the man reached the shallows off the coast and fought his way through the crashing and tugging surf.  The waves struggled to pull him back under but he was stronger and gained the dry shingle.  He walked cold, hungry and naked to the nearest habitation which was a crooked smoky hut built from piled driftwood and thatched with sea grass.  There was a woman bent over by the leather door curtain, gutting and slicing fish to dry, and she gasped at the sight of him.

'Greetings to you good woman', the man said. 'I am very tired and hungry, please could I rest here and gather my strength?'
The woman nodded nervously and beckoned him into the hut and offered him a place by the fire, there were no benches, only well worn hides covering the floor for comfort.  The woman brought him a shirt of heavy leather and he gratefully pulled it on.  She served him a thin fish stew from the hearth pot, a slab of gritty hard bread and a cup of spring water.  He thanked her most kindly and asked her name.  'My name is Great-grandmother, lord, and my husband who is out fishing is called Great-grandfather' she replied.  'And how might you be known, lord?'
'This will seem most strange to you, I have been born from a cauldron, and have not even slept since I awoke for the first time.  But my nine mothers gifted me wisdom and I was born knowing my own name, I am Heimdall.'  Great-grandmother left him to his meal and shyly went back to her work, he watched her, feeling that she was of his own kind as the sea ettins were not.

In time the husband returned with a basket of fish, and sat with his wife stripping the catch for smoking.  When the work was all done and the fish dangling on rods above the fire, the couple made ready for bed and insisted that Heimdall lie in the middle so that he would be warm.  He accepted the offer and he lay there with Great-grandmother and Great-grandfather lying close beside him.  Great-grandfather, tired from his labours, soon fell asleep but Heimdall and Great-grandmother lay awake, aware of one another's closeness.  He pulled her closer, so that her small breasts pressed against him and he kissed her.  Great-grandmother was equally eager and clutched at him with hands worn rough from hard cold work.  They coupled together as Great-grandfather slept soundly.

Heimdall stayed with them a little while and then decided to move on.  He thanked Great- grandmother most kindly for feeding and clothing him, she clung to him with tears in her eyes.  'I will be back, Great-grandmother', he promised and went on his way, following the path inland.

After a long walk Heimdall came to a stoutly built house of cut logs with fields of ripening grain all about it.  There was a plump woman sitting on the doorstep shelling peas.  She looked up at him and smiled in greeting.
'Greetings to you, my name is Heimdall.  Please could you give me something to eat and a place to sleep.'
'Of course, of course'  the woman readily agreed.  'You are welcome to stay here, My name is Grandmother and my husband is Grandfather, he is out working in the fields but he will be back soon. Come sit down by the fire and I will fetch you some food.'
There were benches placed about the hearth, and Heimdall sat down to take his ease.  Grandmother brought him good brown bread with cheese and smoked ham, and Heimdall thanked her kindly.  After a while Grandfather returned home and after he had eaten the couple made ready for bed.  They insisted that Heimdall sleep between them as an honoured guest.  Heimdall agreed and lay between them.  The bed was a mound of hay covered in woollen sheets with warm woolen blankets to cover them.  Grandfather soon fell asleep but Heimdall and Grandmother lay awake aware of one another's closeness.  Heimdall pulled Grandmother to him and stroked her body, her skin was almost smooth and her well rounded body was pleasant for him to touch.  Grandmother was equally eager and they coupled as Grandfather slept beside them.
Heimdall stayed a while with them and then decided to move on.  Grandmother wept to see him go and again he promised to return.

Heimdall walked on for many miles until he came to large hall with carved and painted gables.  There was a woman sitting outside the door embroidering an apron.
'Good greetings to you' called Heimdall giving his name and asking hers.
'My name is Mother' she replied, 'my husband is Father, he is out hunting with his hawks but he will be back soon.
'Would you be so kind' asked Heimdall 'to give me some food and shelter?'
'Of course' agreed Mother. 'Come and sit by the fire and I will fetch you something.'
She took him to a carved chair with a soft cushion on its seat and brought him fine white bread and roast game still warm from the oven.  He ate most gratefully.  Soon the husband returned and the couple made ready for bed.  They insisted that Heimdall take the place of honour in the bed between them and Heimdall did not object.  So they lay there all together on the feather bed with its carved posts.  Father fell asleep leaving Mother and Heimdall lying awake, each aware of the presence of the other.  Heimdall put out his hand and touched skin that was perfectly smooth, she moaned at his touch and reached out for him.  He kissed her round firm breasts and they coupled together as Father slept.

Heimdall stayed a while with them but in his heart he knew that he did not belong there and wished to travel onwards.  He made his farewells to Mother and she wept to see him go and again he promised to return.  He made his way deep into Middle Garth.  Heimdall's wonderous vision allowed him to see what mortal men could not, a great ash tree filling the heavens to the east.  He made his way towards it and in time came close to Urd's well at the centre of the Nine Worlds.

The Norns gathered excitedly outside the door of their hall.  Ever since Ran's daughters had started their spell the Norns had observed great changes in Wyrd's web.  The short threads of mankind twisted into new patterns and faint ghosts of the future weaving suggested a great increase in their numbers.  Just as remarkable was the long thick thread of gold and green which had appeared on the loom besides those of the folk of Godhome.  There was no doubt in their minds that a new god would soon be taking up residence and that he would be a desirable match.

The Norns had all bathed and dressed in their finest clothes to greet the newcomer.  Heimdall observed them from afar and smiled to see their eagerness and quickened his stride.
'Good greetings to you, ladies.  We have not met but you must be the guardians of the Wyrd.'
The goddesses nodded and smiled and introduced themselves, there was Urd, Saga and Verdandi, Skuld and Sybil, and not forgetting Frigga, they informed him, who now dwelt nearby in Fenbank Hall.
'So which of you will tell me of my future?' asked Heimdall.
Skuld was urged forward and sat herself before the loom inspecting it closely 'There is no great mystery here' she said.  'You will make your way to Godhome and offer your services as a warrior in defence of the garth.  You will be soon counted among the Osfolk.'
'Is that all?' teased Heimdall 'Will I marry?'
Skuld looked to the loom again and frowned.  'I see no marriage but I see a mating and a child; the ghost of another god lies on the loom...' she stopped speaking and glanced at her sister Sybil with a meaningful look.  Sybil caught her expression and learnt forward to see for herself and gasped.  The ghostly weaving grew more distinct before her eyes.
'What's this?' laughed Heimdall. 'A promise of a mating?  With such lovely ladies as you how could I turn you down?'
Sybil rose and caught his hands in hers, 'And how could I turn you down?' she replied.  'If you will have me.'
Heimdall hoisted her into his arms and carried her into the hall at Urd's well where he proved the worth of many of Ran's daughters' gifts.
The remaining Norns sat about the loom watching as the faint life thread of a new god grew slowly brighter, it was white with strands of green.

As the Norns had predicted, Heimdall was made welcome in Godhome.  Frigga had confirmed that he could be trusted and Thor was delighted to accept the Heimdall's offer of protection, which would allow him far more freedom to ride out to battle the dangers of the Outlands.  Until Heimdall's arrival he had concerned himself much with his sister's safety. They offered him a large estate in Godhome but Heimdall refused and built himself only a modest hall beside the rainbow bridge where he could easily watch who approached.

Heimdall was much loved by all the goddesses and seldom wanted for company.

Time passed and Heimdall knew that the women in Middle Garth would have born children and that they would now be well grown.  He took leave from Godhome and travelled back to the coast where he had emerged from the sea.  Great-grandmother did indeed have a son, he was short and stocky and sat by her helping to scrape the fish, for he was not old enough to go to sea.  Heimdall called the lad to him and they walked over the shingle to a rocky headland.  There Heimdall taught him many things: some relating to the sea and the currents and the habits of the fish on which life here depended, and others to the working of the land: the best ways to plough, dig, plant, and harvest.

This lad's name was Thrall, and from him are descended all hard working men who dig, toil and build.

Heimdall slept with Great-grandmother once more for pleasure's sake, and she wept bitter tears to lose him for he made no promise to return.  He travelled on to the home of Grandmother and Grandfather and saw that she had a fine son, upright and strong.  He was winnowing grain with his mother and Heimdall called the boy away. He took the lad to a grove of apple trees and he taught him many things: of what crop grew best in what soil, of how to care for animals, how to improve the stock and how to defend his holding and many things of worth to a farmer.

This lad's name was Carl and from him are descended all the farmers, artisans and warriors.

Heimdall lay once more with Grandmother for pleasures sake, then he travelled on to the hall of Mother and Father.  There sat Mother's son at her feet as his mother taught him songs and ballads.  The son was very striking with a fierce commanding gaze and a proud bearing.  Again Heimdall called the lad away to a moot stone and taught him many things of worth to the leaders of men.  He taught him how to win men's loyalty through generosity, how to win in battle, how to judge over disputes and how to write in runes.

This lad's name was Earl and from him are descended all the great leaders of men.

Heimdall asked to share Mother's bed and to his surprise she refused.  'I am deeply honoured that you should ask such of me' she explained 'I dreamt many times of you being beside me but over the years memories grow dim, and now I remember that I am lucky in my husband.  Please let me stay a loyal wife, one not forever hankering after what she cannot have.'
Heimdall laughed at this and kissed her lightly on the cheek.  'Oh noble woman!' he praised her. 'For such wisdom you shall forever have my blessing.  I can see further than the hawk and hear the wool growing on the backs of sheep.  From my hall in Godhome I will watch over you and yours.'
She pushed a bundle of bread and dried game into his hands and he made his way back over the many miles to Godhome.

But what became of Sybil?  She bore a child from Heimdall's seed, and named the boy Ull.  He proved to be a strong child with a keen eye that he had inherited from his father.  He took to the hunting bow with ease.  When he reached manhood Frigg and Thor gave him a large estate in Godhome which he proudly named Yewdale, and left the land wild and well stocked with beasts for his hunting.

Notes:

Much of this tale comes from the Icelandic Eddas.  Heimdall is said to be the son of the nine ettins of the waves, though how he can have nine mothers is never explained.  My additional of his magical birth allowed me to explain some of his stranger powers: supernatural eyesight and hearing and even his golden teeth.  The story of the fathering of the three classes of mankind, the slaves, the freemen and the nobility, is taken straight from the Lay of Rig in the Poetic Edda.

In the ancient world slavery was commonplace and even in England bonded servants who received no wages still existed on farms until about 1800.

The use of spittle in the ettin girls' spell is borrowed from the later tale of Kvasir.

Sybil (better known by another name that will be revealed later) is recorded as the mother of Ull by an unknown father.  Heimdall with his heightened senses seems an excellent father for the god of hunting.  Ull's estate of Yewdale also comes from the Edda's as does Heimdall's Hall, Heavensmount.

The term Osfolk is Jord and Thor's family name.  Os is the old English name for a god which survives in the personal names Oscar and Oswald.  I will be using the terms Os and Osfolk, Van and Vanfolk to replace the Norse As, Aesir, Van and Vanir.  The Van gods are the inhabitants of Vanhome who will be making their presence felt soon.