(portrayed here by Swedish artist John Bauer in his "Loki and Idunn," 1911).
Idunn is the Norse Goddess of youth and regeneration, appropriate for this first weekend in April as the rains are falling and the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming.
She tended the orchard in which the holy fruits grew. Those fruits were eaten by the Gods and Goddesses to keep them young. Most depictions and descriptions claim those holy fruits were apples, but the oldest stories don't necessarily support that.
Though she's said to sit at court with the other deities, her stories are almost completely lost - except for one. Loki (of course) tricked her into leaving her orchard, and Idunn was abducted by a giant.
Because no one remained to tend the fruit of immortality, the deities began rapidly aging, and they demanded Loki right His wrong. Using Freyja's falcon cloak, Loki transformed into a huge bird, flew to the Giant's home, and rescued Idunn.
So as you celebrate the dawning of Spring, remember Idunn and the work She does tending the holy orchards.
This has been another Mythology Minute. To get a Myth of the Month in your inbox, subscribe to my newsletter at hdeanfisher.com.
And to read more about the nefarious dealings of the deities in humans' lives, check out my Medusa series at Barnes & Noble: Medusa: Rise of a Goddess by H Dean Fisher, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®