**Stanza 1:** The poem begins with the seeress addressing all beings as Heimdallr's kin.
‘A hearing I ask from all kindreds,
greater and lesser, the sons of Heimdallr!
You wish, Valfǫðr, that I well recount
ancient tales of the living, those which I recall from longest ago.
Stanza 27: The seeress mentions that "Heimdallar hljóð" is hidden in Mimir's well. (Note: This word means something like sound/hearing, some scholars think it is about Gjallahorn and others think It might reference a lost myth about Heimdallr trading his ear in similar fashion to Odin trading his eye.)
‘She knows of Heimdallr’s hearing,
hidden under the light-accustomed holy tree;
she sees a river splashing in a muddy fall
from Valfǫðr’s pledge. Would you know still [more], or what?
**Stanza 45:** During the onset of Ragnarök, Heimdallr sounds his horn.
‘Mímr’s sons play, and destiny is kindled
at [the sound of?] the resonant Gjallarhorn;
Heimdallr blows loud — the horn’s aloft —
Óðinn speaks to Mímr’s head.
**Stanza 13:** Heimdallr's dwelling, Himinbjörg, is described.
‘Himinbjǫrg is the eighth, and there Heimdallr,
they say, presides over sanctuaries;
there the gods’ watchman drinks in a homely hall,
glad, the good mead.
**Stanza 47-48:** Heimdallr speaks, attempting to stop Loki's insults.
Heimdallr said:
47. ‘You’re drunk, Loki, so that you’ve lost your wits,
why don’t you control yourself, Loki?
Because, for every man, excess drinking ensures
that he doesn’t recall his prattling!’
Loki said:
48. ‘Silence, Heimdallr! In early days
the loathsome life was allotted to you;
with a muddy back you’ll always be,
and stay awake as the gods’ warder!’
**Stanza 15-16:** Heimdallr offers the wise counsel that solves the gods' dilemma of how to retrieve Thor's hammer.
15. Then Heimdallr, whitest of Æsir, said this —
he knew the future well, like other Vanir:
‘Let’s bind Þórr, then, in a bride’s linen,
let him have the great torc of the Brísingar!
16. ‘Let’s have keys clanging at his belt,
and women’s skirts falling over his knees,
and on his breast broad jewels,
and top it off tidily about his head!’
(Note: Even though the introduction names Heimdallr as Rig, the poem makes no reference to Heimdallr, and some scholars think the poem is actually about Odin. Voluspa stanza 1 seems to agree with Rig being Heimdallr.)
**Prose Introduction:** The prose introduction to the poem explicitly identifies the protagonist, Rígr, as Heimdallr.
People say thus in ancient stories, that a certain one of the Æsir, the one who was called Heimdallr, went on his travels and, advancing along a certain sea-strand, came to a farmstead and named himself Rígr. This poem is based on that story:
Narrative Summary: The poem then narrates how Rígr (Heimdallr) visits three households. In each, he sleeps between the husband and wife for three nights. Nine months later, a son is born in each home: Thrall (progenitor of the serfs), Karl (progenitor of the free farmers), and Jarl (progenitor of the aristocracy). Heimdallr is thus presented as the father of the three classes of mankind.
**Stanza 35-36-37-38:** Heimdallr's parentage is referenced.
35. ‘There was one born in ancient days,
much infused with supernatural strength, of the powers’ family;
nine bore him, the stud-ennobled(?) man,
giants’ maidens, at the earth’s edge.
36. ‘We say much to you and will say more;
I expect that it should be known thus — do you want even more?
37. ‘Gjálp bore him, Greip bore him,
Eistla bore him and Eyrgjafa;
Ulfrún bore him and Angeyja,
Ímðr and Atla and Járnsaxa.
38. ‘He was strengthened by earth’s power,
ice-cold sea and sacrificial boar’s blood.