Norse mythology · 3 chapters

The Theft of Idunn's Apples

The gods grow old, because Loki cannot resist a bargain

While traveling with Odin and Hœnir, Loki is seized by the storm giant Þjazi in eagle form and forced to promise him Idunn and her golden apples, the fruit that keeps the gods eternally young. Loki lures Idunn out of Asgard with a story about remarkable apples in the forest. Þjazi swoops down and carries her to his hall in Þrymheim. Without the apples, the gods begin to age rapidly. They discover Loki's role and compel him to fix it. He borrows Freyja's falcon cloak, flies to Þrymheim, transforms Idunn into a nut and carries her back. Þjazi pursues in eagle form. At Asgard's walls, the gods light a great fire. Þjazi cannot stop his dive and burns. His daughter Skaði will come seeking justice, and this sets up the next story.