Chapter 49

Then Gangleri asked: ‘Is there still more to be told about the Æsir? Thor accomplished a great feat on that journey.’

High replied: ‘One could tell of an event that the Æsir themselves thought more important. The origin of this saga was that Baldr the Good had a series of ominous dreams; he saw his life threatened. When he told the Æsir about his dreams, they took council and decided to seek a truce for Baldr, protecting him from all dangers. Frigg took oaths that Baldr would not be harmed by fire and water, iron and all kinds of metal, stones, the earth, trees, diseases, animals, birds, poisons and snakes. When this was done and became known, Baldr and the Æsir took to amusing themselves by having Baldr stand in front of all the others at the assembly while some would shoot at him, some would strike blows, and some would hit him with stones. Whatever was done caused him no injury, and all thought this remarkable.

‘But when Loki, son of Laufey, saw this, it angered him that Baldr was uninjured. After changing himself into the likeness of a woman, he went to Frigg at Fensalir. Frigg asked this woman if she knew what the Æsir were doing at the assembly. The woman replied that everyone was shooting at Baldr, yet he suffered no injury.

‘Then Frigg said, “Neither weapons nor wood will harm Baldr. I have received oaths from all of them.”

‘Then the woman asked, “Have all things given their oath not to harm Baldr?”

‘Frigg answered, “A shoot of wood grows to the west of Valhalla. It is called mistletoe, and it seemed too young for me to demand its oath.” Immediately afterwards, the woman disappeared.

‘Loki got hold of the mistletoe. He broke it off and went to the assembly.

‘Hod, because he was blind, stood at the edge of the circle of people. Loki spoke to him, asking: “Why aren’t you shooting at Baldr?”

‘Hod replied, “Because I can’t see where Baldr is, and also I have no weapon.”

‘Then Loki said, “You should be behaving like the others, honouring Baldr as they do. I will direct you to where he is standing. Shoot this twig at him.”

‘Hod took the mistletoe and, following Loki’s directions, shot at Baldr. The shot went right through Baldr, who fell to the ground dead. This misfortune was the worst that had been worked against the gods and men. Baldr’s death left the gods speechless and so weak that they were unable to muster the strength to lift him up in their arms. They all looked at one another, and all were of a single mind against the one who had done the killing. But no one could take vengeance because the place was deeply revered as a sanctuary. When the Æsir first tried to speak, all they could do was weep, and no one could form words to tell the others of his grief. Odin suffered most from this misfortune. This was because he understood most clearly how grievous was the loss, and that the death of Baldr was ruin for the Æsir.¹

‘When the gods returned to their senses, Frigg asked who among the Æsir wished to gain all her love and favour by agreeing to ride the Road to Hel to see if he could find Baldr. He was to offer Hel a ransom if she would let Baldr return home to Asgard. Hermod the Bold, Odin’s son, was the one who agreed to undertake the journey. They caught Odin’s horse Sleipnir and led it forward. Hermod mounted and galloped off.

‘The Æsir took Baldr’s body and carried it to the sea. Baldr’s ship was called Ringhorn and it was the greatest of all ships. The gods wanted to launch it and use it for Baldr’s funeral pyre, but the ship would not budge. Then they sent to Giant Land for the giantess called Hyrrokkin. She came riding a wolf, using a poisonous snake for reins. When she jumped off her mount, Odin called to four berserkers. He told them to watch that mount, but they were unable to hold it and they struck it down. Hyrrokkin approached the prow of the ship. On her first try, she pushed so hard that the log rollers underneath the keel² of the ship caught fire, and the whole land shook. This angered Thor, who gripped his hammer. He would have crushed her head had not all the gods asked that she be left in peace.

‘Baldr’s body was carried out on to the ship, and when his wife, Nanna Nep’s daughter, saw this, her heart burst from sorrow and she died. She too was carried on to the funeral pyre, which was then set on fire. Next Thor stood up and blessed the pyre with Mjollnir. A dwarf named Lit ran in front of his feet. Thor kicked the dwarf with his foot; it landed in the fire and burned to death.

‘Many kinds of beings came to this cremation. First to be mentioned is Odin. Frigg was with him, as were the valkyries and his ravens. Frey rode in his chariot. It was drawn by the boar called Gold Bristle or Sheathed Tooth. Heimdall rode the horse Golden Forelock, and Freyja drove her harnessed cats. Many from among the frost giants and the mountain giants also came. Odin laid the gold ring Draupnir³ [Dripper] on the pyre. It had the characteristic afterwards that, every ninth night, eight gold rings of equal weight dripped from it. Baldr’s horse, with all its riding gear, was led onto the pyre.

‘But about Hermod the following is told. For nine nights he rode through valleys so deep and dark that he saw nothing before he reached the river Gjoll and rode on to the Gjoll Bridge.⁴ The bridge was roofed with shining gold, and the maiden guarding it was named Modgud. She asked Hermod about his name and family and said that the previous day five troops of dead men had ridden across the bridge, “yet the bridge echoed more under you alone, and you lack the colour of the dead. Why do you ride here on the Road to Hel?”

‘He answered, saying, “I ride to Hel in search of Baldr. But have you seen anything of Baldr on the Hel Road?”

‘She replied that Baldr had ridden across the Gjoll Bridge, “and down and to the north lies the Road to Hel.”

‘Hermod rode on until he came to the Gates of Hel. He dismounted from his horse and tightened the girth. Then he remounted and spurred the horse, which sprang forward, jumping with such force that it cleared the top of the gate without even coming near it. Then Hermod rode up to the hall. He dismounted and went inside. He saw that his brother Baldr was sitting in the seat of honour. He then stayed there through the night. In the morning Hermod asked Hel to let Baldr ride home with him, telling her of the deep sorrow and the wailing of the Æsir.

‘But Hel answered that a test would be made to see whether Baldr was as well loved as some say: “If all things in the world, alive or dead,⁵ weep for him, then he will be allowed to return to the Æsir. If anyone speaks against him or refuses to cry, then he will remain with Hel.”

‘Thereupon Hermod stood up. Baldr led him out of the hall, and, taking the ring Draupnir, he sent it to Odin as a token. Along with other gifts, Nanna sent to Frigg a linen robe. To Fulla she sent a gold finger ring. Hermod then retraced his path, riding into Asgard where he recounted all that had happened: what he had seen and heard.

‘Next the Æsir sent messengers throughout the world, asking that Baldr be wept out of Hel. All did so, people and animals, the earth, the stones, the trees and all metals in the way that you have seen these things weep when they come out of the freezing cold and into warmth. As the messengers, having accomplished their task, were returning home, they found a giantess sitting in a cave. She said her name was Thokk [Gratitude]. When they asked her to weep Baldr out of Hel, she said:

“Thokk will weep dry tears at Baldr’s funeral pyre. Alive or dead the old man’s [Odin’s] son gave me no joy. Let Hel hold what she has.”[^fn76]

‘People believe that the giantess was Loki, the son of Laufey, the one who did the most harm to the Æsir.’