apples of perpetual youth
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In Scandinavian mythology, the golden apples of perpetual youth, in the keeping of Idhunn, daughter of the dwarf Svald, and wife of Bragi. It is by tasting them that the gods preserve their youth.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “apples of perpetual youth” mean?
In Scandinavian mythology, the golden apples of perpetual youth, in the keeping of Idhunn, daughter of the dwarf Svald, and wife of Bragi. It is by tasting them that the gods preserve their youth.
Is “apples of perpetual youth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.