Viking Saga Songs. 6: Apples of Iduna

School Radio > Music > KS2: Viking Saga Songs

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Clips

Iduna's magic apples give the Viking gods immortality. Loki isn't that fond of her…so when he is forced to help Thiassi - the king of the giants - against the gods Iduna's apples provide the perfect opportunity to cause mayhem.

Tutorial: 'Apples of Iduna'

Key timings in the tutorial are:

00 00: Tapping out the rhythm of the song title - 'Apples of Iduna' - and finding out about Iduna and the magic of the apples in her orchard.
01 40: Learning the chorus, beginning: 'Apples of Iduna, what is your secret?' Listening then repeating a line at a time. Noting where to take a breath.
03 19: Learning Verse 1, beginning: 'Loki and Odin…' Going straight on at 03 56 to learn Verse 2, beginning: 'Down through the river…' Noting that Verse 2 is sung higher.
06 05: Learning Verse 3, beginning: 'Off to the garden…' Noting that the verse is higher still, in a new key.
07 25: Learning Verse 4, beginning: 'Old and slow…' Noting that the words are sung slowly and with an 'old' voice. Noting the new key.
09 10: Learning Verse 5, beginning: 'Time for Loki…' and adding a chorus.
10 19: Learning Verse 6, beginning: 'Eagle-Thiassi…' and moving on to the coda, repeating the words 'Wait and see…'

The saga: The apples of Iduna - Part 1

Synopsis

Odin and Loki journey to Midgard and when lunchtime comes Odin orders Loki to use his skills to make a pot of stew. Loki cannot get the stew to cook but then a great eagle - which has been watching them from a nearby tree - reveals that he has put a spell on the pot…and they must allow him to share the food.

When the eagle takes too much Loki beats him with a stick…only to be carried into the air by the eagle. Later the eagle reveals that he is in fact Thiassi - king of the giants of Jotunheim - and he wants Loki's help in a plot against the gods. Loki must persuade the goddess Iduna to come out of her garden with her magic apples so that Thiassi can seize her and the apples. The gods rely on her magic apples for their everlasting youth and deprived of them they will grow old and frail.

See Resources below for a quiz about the story.

The saga: The apples of Iduna - Part 2

Synopsis

Loki does as Thiassi has asked him and visits Iduna in her garden, where the magic apples grow. He tries to persuade Iduna to leave the protection of her garden by telling her he has seen apples much finer than hers nearby. Iduna is about to do as Loki asks when her trees call out to her - warning her that it is a trick.

Thiassi has seen enough. He swoops down - in eagle disguise once more - and seizes Iduna and her basket in his claws.

Loki is not sorry to see the back of Iduna. But there's just one problem…without the apples the gods are growing old and weak…including Loki.

See Resources below for a quiz about the story.

Song: 'Apples of Iduna'

Learn the song 'Apples of Iduna' - about the magic apples that keep the gods forever young.

Once you have learnt the song singing with vocal version you can polish your performance singing with just the backing track.

Click here for the lyric sheet.

Click here for the music sheet.

Listening music: an extract from 'The Ride of the Valkyries' by Richard Wagner

‘The Ride of the Valkyries’ is a famous passage of orchestral music from The Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner which tells a long sequence of Viking-inspired stories over many hours. The music accompanies a group of Viking goddesses riding on horseback across the sky

• What words do the children use to describe the music?
• Can they hear the rhythm of the horses’ hooves in the music?
• What pictures does the music create in their imaginations?
• What instruments are prominent in the music?

Resources

More from Viking Saga Songs

Back to all content from Viking Saga Songs