James Jobling
Well-known member
Iduna von Keyserling & Blasius, 1840. Raul Mohedano has emailed me to suggest a very plausible origin from the Norse sagas for this generic name. Iðunn or Iduna was the goddess of spring and rejuvenation, who was changed into a sparrow to enable her rescue by Loki, in falcon form, from the giant Þjazi or Thiassi. I wonder how many other mythological names, obscure and otherwise, are lurking out there?