Oval bentwood casket made of ash wood held immortality therapy. Idunn stores her therapy in a casket called an 'esk' or eski—oval bentwood box Construction uses thin steamed planks of ash or birch bent into oval shape Ends are sewn together with roots or leather thongs
Idunn stored her immortality therapy in an 'esk'—an oval bentwood casket crafted from steamed ash or birch planks, the ends bound together with root or leather thongs. The choice of ash wood carries mythic weight: Odin created the first humans from ash and elm. Researchers suggest the distinctive oval shape might represent a 'cargo cult' attempt to recreate something whose original purpose had been forgotten.
Key Facts
- Idunn stores her therapy in a casket called an 'esk' or eski—oval bentwood box
- Construction uses thin steamed planks of ash or birch bent into oval shape
- Ends are sewn together with roots or leather thongs
- Ash and Embla (elm) are the mythic timber from which the first humans were created by Odin
- The oval container differs from rectangular boxes—possibly a 'cargo cult' copy of high-tech origin
Source: Immortality Therapy of the Viking Gods by Viking Superpowers