The Apples of Autumn: A Heathen Tale for Haustblót
Long, long ago, when the leaves began to turn gold and red, there was a Goddess named Iðunn. She cared for a wooden box filled with shining golden apples. These were not ordinary apples—they gave the Gods their youth and strength.
Every so often, when the Gods began to feel tired or achy, they would visit Iðunn. She would hand them an apple, and with each bite they would feel the years melt away like frost in the morning sun.
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But far away, in Jötunheim, lived a greedy giant named Þjazi. He wanted the apples for himself. One day, he saw Loki, the craftiest of the Gods, walking with two companions.
In the shape of a great eagle, Þjazi swooped down, caught Loki in his talons, and carried him high into the sky. The wind roared in Loki’s ears as Þjazi spoke:
“I will let you go… if you promise to bring me Iðunn and her apples.”
Loki, knowing he could not escape the eagle’s grip, agreed—although his mind was already working on a plan.
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Back in Ásgard, Loki went to Iðunn and said, “I saw apples growing outside the walls—apples even more beautiful than yours! You should bring your box and compare them.”
Trusting Loki, Iðunn followed him. But as soon as they stepped beyond the gates, Þjazi swooped down, seized Iðunn, and carried her away to his hall in Jötunheim.
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Without Iðunn’s apples, the Gods began to wither. Their skin wrinkled, their hair turned grey, and their strength faded. They gathered in council, and their eyes turned to Loki.
“This is your doing,” they said. “Bring her back—or face our wrath!”
Loki borrowed Freyja’s falcon-feather cloak and flew to Jötunheim. There he found Iðunn alone. Using his magic, he turned her into a small nut, tucked her in his claws, and sped away toward Ásgard.
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When Þjazi returned and saw Iðunn gone, he took his eagle shape and chased after them. The wind howled as the two sped through the sky—Loki ahead, Þjazi behind, so close that the tips of his wings almost brushed the falcon’s tail.
At the gates of Ásgard, the Gods lit a great fire. Loki darted over it, but when Þjazi tried to follow, his feathers caught the flames, and he fell from the sky.
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Iðunn was restored to her true form, and the Gods bit into her apples once more. Strength and youth flowed back into them like mead into a horn.
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So, at Haustblót, when the fields are bare and the harvest is gathered, we give thanks for the fruits of the Earth and the gifts that keep us strong through the dark months ahead. We remember Iðunn’s apples, the wit of Loki, and the courage it takes to bring life back when it is nearly lost.
We say:
“To Iðunn, for life’s sweetness!
To Loki, for cleverness in dark times!
To the harvest, for the strength to see us through the winter!”
And as the apples are stored and the grain is stacked, we know that—just as Iðunn returned—life will return again after the dark time.
The End.
