In the golden age of Asgard, the home of the Norse gods, there was no treasure more vital than the basket of apples guarded by the goddess Idunn. She was the personification of spring, a gentle presence whose very aura seemed to push back the creeping shadows of decay. Within her casket of ash-wood lay golden fruit that possessed a miraculous property: whenever the gods felt the weight of years pressing upon their limbs or saw the first gray hairs of mortality in their mirrors, they would eat of Idunn’s apples. Instantly, their strength would return, their skin would smooth, and their vitality would be restored. Without Idunn, the Aesir were as fragile as the humans of Midgard, subject to the relentless march of time. Thus, she was the most protected and cherished of all the inhabitants of the celestial realm.
The trouble began during a journey undertaken by Odin, the All-Father; Hoenir, the long-legged; and Loki, the silver-tongued son of Farbauti. They were traveling through the desolate and rugged terrain of the Dovrefjell mountains, a place where the earth rises in jagged peaks to touch the throat of the sky. The landscape was harsh, filled with biting winds and sparse vegetation. After a long day of trekking across the rocky heaths, the three gods grew ravenous. They eventually came upon a herd of oxen grazing in a valley and decided to slaughter one for their evening meal. They built a great fire and set the meat upon the embers to roast, but as they waited, a strange thing occurred. Despite the intensity of the flames and the heat of the coals, the meat remained as raw and cold as the moment it had been carved.
Confused and frustrated, the gods piled on more wood, yet the oxen flesh refused to cook. From high above in the branches of a gnarled oak tree, a voice boomed with a mocking resonance. Looking up, they saw a massive eagle, its wingspan wide enough to cast a shadow over the entire camp. The eagle spoke, claiming that it was his magic that prevented the fire from warming the meat. He offered to release the spell only if the gods agreed to share the meal with him. Odin, wary but hungry, consented. The eagle swooped down and immediately began to seize the largest and best portions of the ox—the thighs and the shoulders—leaving only the scraps for the gods. Loki, never known for his patience, was incensed by the bird’s greed. He picked up a long, sturdy branch and struck the eagle across its broad back.
This was exactly the trap the eagle had intended. The eagle was no mere bird, but the giant Thjazi in a magical disguise. As the branch struck the feathers, it became magically fused to the eagle’s skin, and Loki’s hands became fused to the other end of the wood. With a powerful beat of his wings, Thjazi took to the sky, dragging Loki behind him. The trickster screamed in agony as his feet were battered against rocks, jagged stones, and the frozen trunks of trees. He felt his arms were being pulled from their sockets. Loki begged for mercy, but Thjazi only flew higher and faster. The giant made his terms clear: he would only release Loki if the trickster swore a solemn oath to bring him Idunn and her golden apples. Faced with a painful death among the crags of Dovrefjell, Loki gave his word.
Upon returning to Asgard, Loki waited for the perfect moment of vulnerability. He approached Idunn in her garden and, with a face of feigned wonder, told her a lie. He claimed that in a forest just beyond the walls of Asgard, he had discovered a tree that grew apples far more magnificent than her own. He urged her to bring her casket of fruit so she could compare them. Trusting the word of her fellow inhabitant of Asgard, Idunn followed Loki into the dark woods. As soon as they were away from the protection of the gods, the air grew cold, and the sound of massive wings filled the sky. Thjazi, in his eagle form, descended like a thunderbolt, snatched Idunn and her apples in his talons, and flew away to his mountain fortress of Þrymheimr.
The disappearance of Idunn brought an immediate and terrifying change to Asgard. The sun seemed to lose its warmth, and the vibrant colors of the halls faded. More alarmingly, the gods began to change. Odin’s eye grew dim and watery; Thor’s mighty muscles turned soft and sinewy; Sif’s golden hair became brittle and white as snow. The Aesir realized they were dying. A great council was called, and it was quickly noted that Idunn was last seen leaving the gates with Loki. The gods seized the trickster and threatened him with every torment imaginable—from being cast into the pits of Hel to being torn apart by wolves—unless he brought Idunn back.
Terrified, Loki agreed to find her, but he demanded that Freyja lend him her magical falcon skin, which allowed the wearer to take the form of a hawk and fly with incredible speed. Cloaked in feathers, Loki soared across the realms until he reached the icy peaks of the giants' home. He found Idunn alone in Thjazi's hall, for the giant had gone out to sea to fish. Acting quickly, Loki used his magic to transform the goddess into a single hazelnut, which he grasped firmly in his claws. He turned back toward Asgard, pumping his wings with all the desperation of a thief in the night.