HEIMDALL, another of Odin’s great sons, was the watchman for the Aesir. Early in the beginning of time, he had been born by nine sisters, nine lovely jotun maidens. Having so many beautiful mothers, he was wonderfully handsome; and he had a truly dazzling smile, for his teeth were of pure gold.
Heimdall was an excellent watchman. His clear blue eyes were so keen that he could see to the end of the world. So sharp were his ears that he could hear everything, even the sound of the wool growing on the sheep down on Midgard. And he needed no more sleep than a bird.
Odin had given him a trumpet-horn, the Gjallarhorn, to blow whenever he saw danger approaching. The sound of this horn was so loud that it could be heard shrilling over the whole wide world. Straight as a ramrod, with the Gjallarhorn at his side, Heimdall stood at the landing of the rainbow bridge, watching and listening so that no enemy could sneak into Asgard.
It happened one day that a woman dressed in glimmering gold came walking up the rainbow. The smoldering fire in the rainbow did not burn her feet, and Heimdall did not blow his horn. He only stared at her, for she was bewitchingly beautiful, and he did not stop her from entering Asgard.
All the Aesir flocked around her and admired her. She was Gullveig, and she had come from the world of the Vanir gods, the faraway world of the singing winds. Beautiful as Gullveig was, she really was a wicked witch. She had come to Asgard because she wanted gold, and the Aesir had plenty of it.
In no time at all the Aesir had begun to quarrel among themselves, each one trying to bring the most gold to Gullveig. Odin saw that she had brought evil into his peaceful home, and he angrily stood up and declared that Gullveig was a witch who must be burned.
She was put to the stake. Three times the fire was lit and three times she rose from the flames in a different shape. Her lust for gold burned hotter than the flames.