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Iduna and the Magic Apples
Marianna Mayer's poetic retelling of this Nordic myth and Laszlo Gal's exquisite illustrations combine to form a lush, memorable picture book. Full-color illustrations.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 1988
About the author
Marianna Mayer
59 books84 followersMarianna Mayer is a children's book author and artist recognized for her beautifully written retellings of classic folk and fairy tales. Born in New York City, she began her artistic training early and studied at the Art Students League after a year of college. Her first book was published at the age of nineteen. Mayer has authored several acclaimed works, including Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave, Pegasus, and The Twelve Dancing Princesses, often collaborating with renowned illustrators such as Kinuko Y. Craft and Michael Hague. She was previously married to illustrator Mercer Mayer.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 29, 2019
The tale of Iduna, the Norse goddess whose magic apples maintained the eternal youth of the immortals of Asgard, is here retold for children. When the evil giant Thiassi kidnaps the gentle Iduna, it falls to Loki - the self-centered god of mischief, whose treachery permitted the abduction in the first place - to rescue her...
My recent reading of The Jewel Seed , a children's fantasy novel by Joan Aiken which takes the myth of Iduna as its inspiration, reminded me of this gorgeously-illustrated picture book. Hungarian-born artist László Gál, always one of my favorite fairytale illustrators, creates a sense of mystery and menace with his tempera paintings, framed on each page by gorgeous decorative borders.
I always look for attribution in folkloric and mythological retellings, and was therefore pleased to see that Mayer provided a brief note, explaining the origins of the story in the 10th-century Norwegian poem Haustlǫng , and the 13th-century Icelandic The Prose Edda . All in all, Iduna and the Magic Apples is a beautiful volume, offering the only picture-book retelling of this particular myth, with which I am familiar.
My recent reading of The Jewel Seed , a children's fantasy novel by Joan Aiken which takes the myth of Iduna as its inspiration, reminded me of this gorgeously-illustrated picture book. Hungarian-born artist László Gál, always one of my favorite fairytale illustrators, creates a sense of mystery and menace with his tempera paintings, framed on each page by gorgeous decorative borders.
I always look for attribution in folkloric and mythological retellings, and was therefore pleased to see that Mayer provided a brief note, explaining the origins of the story in the 10th-century Norwegian poem Haustlǫng , and the 13th-century Icelandic The Prose Edda . All in all, Iduna and the Magic Apples is a beautiful volume, offering the only picture-book retelling of this particular myth, with which I am familiar.
March 6, 2014
Marianna Mayer, the author of this picture book, explains in her introduction that Iduna, one of the Aesir, the race of Norse gods and goddesses who live in the realm of Asgard, holds the gift of immortality. Iduna supplies the other gods with golden apples which keep them eternally young. Her name means “renewal” or “the renewing one.” Other sources identify her as the goddess of spring and eternal youth.
In the version of the myth that Mayer presents, Iduna is almost a Persephone-like figure. She lives in the Everlasting Garden where nothing ever dies. Unlike some stories about her, in which she harvests the magical apples from one or more trees in her garden and places them in a special casket, in this account Iduna’s small chest of apples magically replenishes itself. The gods visit her in the garden to partake of the fruit when they experience any signs of aging.
Mayer explains that for her version of the myth, she’s drawn on two early sources: the tenth-century poem “Haustlong,” composed by the Southern Norwegian poet Thildof of Hvin and the thirteenth-century Prose Edda recorded by the Icelandic Scholar, Snorri Sturlason. I have read many versions of this story—most, I think, based on the latter source. I mention this because in some respects Mayer’s version is quite different. It’s hard to know if this is due to her using an earlier source as well as the more common one, or if it is simply a case of artistic license. Whatever the reason, I’m not crazy about her book, as lovely as László Gál’s muted illustrations may be.
Mayer makes clear that Iduna has an enemy from the start. A monstrous bird with a menacing human face flies over her garden. A few stray black feathers drop and transform into pointy-winged insects with poisonous stingers. The creatures circle, attack, and sting Iduna in the heart, leaving her weakened. The massive bird badly wants to capture the youthful goddess, but the garden is mysteriously and magically protective. (In no other version, have I encountered this event, and I’m not even sure why it was included.)
In the meantime—and more in line with other tellings of the myth—the gods Odin and Loki are travelling outside Asgard. Extremely hungry, they’ve killed an ox and are waiting for it to cook. Hours pass, but the meat remains raw, and Odin recognizes that dark magic is at work, likely that of the giant Thiassi, who’s able to shapeshift into a large bird of prey. Sure enough, they spy such a bird who tells them they won’t eat at all if they don’t share.
Evil Thiassi doesn’t keep his end of the deal. Yes, he ensures that the meat cooks, but when it’s done, he sweeps in and takes not a share but almost the entire ox. Enraged, Loki seizes a branch, smacks at the bird, then finds himself stuck to the wooden stick which is now in the bird’s talons. He’s dragged across rocks, bushes, and brambles, and is only freed when he agrees to procure the magic apples of youth and Iduna for Thiassi.
The rest of Mayer’s telling mostly adheres to the storyline I’m familiar with: Loki lures Iduna from her garden with the promise of apples that are superior to her own. The fruit supposedly hangs from trees in a wood on the perimeter of Asgard. Once outside her garden, Iduna is abducted by Thiassi. Of course, without their supply of magical apples, the gods begin to weaken and age. Mayer further builds the Persephone parallel by having Iduna’s garden wither and begin to die as well. Thiassi, meanwhile, is depicted as a Hades figure by Mayer, demanding that Iduna marry him. In most accounts, he’s primarily interested not in the young woman but only the apples that bestow immortality.
When the Aesir figure out how Iduna’s abduction transpired, they’re enraged. Loki is sent to retrieve her. In Mayer’s version, he shapeshifts into a falcon and once he reaches the giant’s fortress, he transforms Iduna into a small bird and her chest of apples into a tiny locket, so they can all fly back to Asgard. (Usually the goddess and her chest of apples are turned into a nut which Loki carries in his talons.)
Regardless, Thiassi’s fate is always the same: the Aesir have prepared a fire along the walls of Asgard. Loki and Iduna are able to fly over the flames because they’re lightweight, while Thiassi, given his large heavy body, is not. His wings burn and he’s ultimately speared and hammered to death by the gods.
Strangely, Odin’s son Bragi, the god of poetry, plays a major role in Mayer’s version of the story, yet the author never mentions that he and Iduna are husband and wife. I guess that inconvenient fact would spoil Mayer’s characterization of Iduna as a chaste and innocent young maiden. The author also unnecessarily includes the goddess of death and the underworld in her tale. I really don’t know why. Underscoring that the gods were doomed to end up in her realm if Iduna wasn’t recovered? I don’t think so. Her inclusion seems more a matter of injecting a sensational and macabre element into the story, juicing it up so to speak. One side of the mistress of death’s face is depicted as beautiful; the other side is exposed white skull. Mayer refers to her as “Hela”, which is, in fact, the Marvel Comics version of her name. In Norse mythology, her name is Hel (the same name as the domain she presides over). In myth, she’s far less gruesome: sometimes described as being half black and half white or half flesh-coloured and half blue.
Overall, as pretty as this book looks, I don’t really like it. My biggest complaint is about Mayer’s frilly overwrought language. Let me end with the narrative’s opening to show you what I mean:
“The wind was young as a summer breeze, blowing from the wild, wooded gardens to the lush green valleys where only the gods walked. Although such days are past, the wind remembers the stories of the gods. If you listen carefully, you may hear it whisper the tale of the magic apples.”
With a few exceptions, it’s hard to find good picture book versions of any but Greek or Roman myths. Disappointingly, this book is not one of the exceptions.
In the version of the myth that Mayer presents, Iduna is almost a Persephone-like figure. She lives in the Everlasting Garden where nothing ever dies. Unlike some stories about her, in which she harvests the magical apples from one or more trees in her garden and places them in a special casket, in this account Iduna’s small chest of apples magically replenishes itself. The gods visit her in the garden to partake of the fruit when they experience any signs of aging.
Mayer explains that for her version of the myth, she’s drawn on two early sources: the tenth-century poem “Haustlong,” composed by the Southern Norwegian poet Thildof of Hvin and the thirteenth-century Prose Edda recorded by the Icelandic Scholar, Snorri Sturlason. I have read many versions of this story—most, I think, based on the latter source. I mention this because in some respects Mayer’s version is quite different. It’s hard to know if this is due to her using an earlier source as well as the more common one, or if it is simply a case of artistic license. Whatever the reason, I’m not crazy about her book, as lovely as László Gál’s muted illustrations may be.
Mayer makes clear that Iduna has an enemy from the start. A monstrous bird with a menacing human face flies over her garden. A few stray black feathers drop and transform into pointy-winged insects with poisonous stingers. The creatures circle, attack, and sting Iduna in the heart, leaving her weakened. The massive bird badly wants to capture the youthful goddess, but the garden is mysteriously and magically protective. (In no other version, have I encountered this event, and I’m not even sure why it was included.)
In the meantime—and more in line with other tellings of the myth—the gods Odin and Loki are travelling outside Asgard. Extremely hungry, they’ve killed an ox and are waiting for it to cook. Hours pass, but the meat remains raw, and Odin recognizes that dark magic is at work, likely that of the giant Thiassi, who’s able to shapeshift into a large bird of prey. Sure enough, they spy such a bird who tells them they won’t eat at all if they don’t share.
Evil Thiassi doesn’t keep his end of the deal. Yes, he ensures that the meat cooks, but when it’s done, he sweeps in and takes not a share but almost the entire ox. Enraged, Loki seizes a branch, smacks at the bird, then finds himself stuck to the wooden stick which is now in the bird’s talons. He’s dragged across rocks, bushes, and brambles, and is only freed when he agrees to procure the magic apples of youth and Iduna for Thiassi.
The rest of Mayer’s telling mostly adheres to the storyline I’m familiar with: Loki lures Iduna from her garden with the promise of apples that are superior to her own. The fruit supposedly hangs from trees in a wood on the perimeter of Asgard. Once outside her garden, Iduna is abducted by Thiassi. Of course, without their supply of magical apples, the gods begin to weaken and age. Mayer further builds the Persephone parallel by having Iduna’s garden wither and begin to die as well. Thiassi, meanwhile, is depicted as a Hades figure by Mayer, demanding that Iduna marry him. In most accounts, he’s primarily interested not in the young woman but only the apples that bestow immortality.
When the Aesir figure out how Iduna’s abduction transpired, they’re enraged. Loki is sent to retrieve her. In Mayer’s version, he shapeshifts into a falcon and once he reaches the giant’s fortress, he transforms Iduna into a small bird and her chest of apples into a tiny locket, so they can all fly back to Asgard. (Usually the goddess and her chest of apples are turned into a nut which Loki carries in his talons.)
Regardless, Thiassi’s fate is always the same: the Aesir have prepared a fire along the walls of Asgard. Loki and Iduna are able to fly over the flames because they’re lightweight, while Thiassi, given his large heavy body, is not. His wings burn and he’s ultimately speared and hammered to death by the gods.
Strangely, Odin’s son Bragi, the god of poetry, plays a major role in Mayer’s version of the story, yet the author never mentions that he and Iduna are husband and wife. I guess that inconvenient fact would spoil Mayer’s characterization of Iduna as a chaste and innocent young maiden. The author also unnecessarily includes the goddess of death and the underworld in her tale. I really don’t know why. Underscoring that the gods were doomed to end up in her realm if Iduna wasn’t recovered? I don’t think so. Her inclusion seems more a matter of injecting a sensational and macabre element into the story, juicing it up so to speak. One side of the mistress of death’s face is depicted as beautiful; the other side is exposed white skull. Mayer refers to her as “Hela”, which is, in fact, the Marvel Comics version of her name. In Norse mythology, her name is Hel (the same name as the domain she presides over). In myth, she’s far less gruesome: sometimes described as being half black and half white or half flesh-coloured and half blue.
Overall, as pretty as this book looks, I don’t really like it. My biggest complaint is about Mayer’s frilly overwrought language. Let me end with the narrative’s opening to show you what I mean:
“The wind was young as a summer breeze, blowing from the wild, wooded gardens to the lush green valleys where only the gods walked. Although such days are past, the wind remembers the stories of the gods. If you listen carefully, you may hear it whisper the tale of the magic apples.”
With a few exceptions, it’s hard to find good picture book versions of any but Greek or Roman myths. Disappointingly, this book is not one of the exceptions.
June 3, 2009
Gentle retelling of the Norse myth of Iduna, goddess of youth, and her abduction by the giant Thrassi. Iduna never leaves her beautiful garden, where she grows the apples that give eternal life and youth to the gods. When the trickster god Loki is captured by a giant he agrees to lure Iduna out of the garden in exchange for his release. But once she is taken prisoner by the giant her garden withers, and without the apples the gods become old and weak. Gal's lovely illustrations perfectly suit the text.
Want to Read
June 4, 2009Nordic Myth
January 18, 2012
Iduna and the Magic Apple was an interesting story. It followed a similar pattern of all folk tales. Where good triumphs over evil in the end. I noticed some similarities to greek myths.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews