why we all covet Iðunn.

After acquiring a blue pocket 1930 CE hardback copy of In The Days Of Giants by Abbie Farwell Brown, I ran across this brilliant interior illustration by Elmer Boyd Smith of Iðunn:

"He flapped away with her, magic apples and all" (originally 1902 CE)

Look at that jerkface Loki, clown-haired and so pleased with himself. And even though she's being abducted, Iðunn has this statuesque elegance about her, the dress falling just so to show off its floral pattern, her back with just enough romanticist swoon to indicate the not-rightness of the moment, her ornate cask of apples, and the nice detail of that runescript embroidered gown hem. We have to presume Heimdallr's posted on the other side of Ásgarðr in the background, or eagle form jötunn Þjazi would so not be getting away with this.

The implied NorsePlay of the narrative's situation would be that only Iðunn can tend, coax, & then pick the apples of youth, since Þjazi has arranged to take her & whatever limited amount of fruit's in the casket -- he's not taking the trees which bear the actual apples, but the goddess herself. The other implication is that the Gods age faster than the giants, so it becomes a waiting game for the vulnerability of age before deciding to strike at their longtime foes.

But don't let us spoil it if you don't know the story, listen to the Brown audiobook's retelling of the classic Eddaic tales here:

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Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.