Balder & Loki's Punishment
Balder was the favorite son of Odin and Frigga. He was greatly beloved by all living creatures; and all nature smiled upon him. He had passed a restless night. When he slept at all, he saw pale Hela beckoning to him from her dark abode. He rose early and went to Fensalir, where his mother, Frigga, was already at work, spinning gold threads to reward the diligence of men who tilled the soil. Frigga was distressed by her son's wan face and listless manner, even before he told her of the dream. Then, full of anxiety, she hastened to Odin, who tried to sooth her fears, saying that nothing would harm Balder, the Good, the Beautiful, the Beloved.
But Odin soon learned, from the frost giants, that Balder was really in danger. Anxious to know the exact truth, he mounted his eight-footed horse, and rode to the dark land of Hela.
In Hela's house, he found benches covered with tapestry and gold, and tables prepared for a feast.
He went on to the grave of Vala, a great prophetess, who had long been dead. He chanted three times the magic words, and traced the runes, that had the power to call back the dead. Suddenly Vala stood before him. He asked for whom Hela was making such preparations. She replied that Hela was expecting Balder, who would soon be sent to her by the hand of his twin brother, Hoder, the blind god of darkness.
Very sorrowful Odin returned to Frigga, with this sad news. He found her spinning as contentedly as ever; for she had been all through the world, and had taken an oath—from all things living, from things without life, from gods, men, animals, diseases, trees, plants, stones, and metals — that they would not hurt Balder. Balder was cheerful again. The gods were no longer fearful. Surprised and delighted, Odin ordered games and a great feast.
II. THE NEW GAME
In response to Odin's invitation, the gods met on the plain of Ida, where the games were usually played. Knowing that all metals had given an oath not to harm Balder, the gods rolled golden balls toward him. It was very amusing to see them stop just before they reached his feet. Soon they threw blunt weapons, which fell without touching the god. Then they shot arrows, hurled darts and spears, and laughed to see them fall to the ground, just short of the mark.
Frigga, alone, sat spinning at home. She was wondering what was the cause of the merriment, when an old beggar woman limped up to the door. Frigga asked what the gods were doing to make such a noise. The old woman said they were throwing all kinds of missiles at Balder, and that none of them touched him, no matter how well they were aimed.
Happy Frigga laughed outright. "I knew they would not hurt him," she said; "for I have the promise of everything in the world not to harm my son.
"You are indeed a careful mother," said the woman. "Did you leave nothing out?"
"Only one thing," answered Frigga, smiling. "I left nothing out, except" — and here the old woman listened eagerly—"except the mistletoe, that grows on the oak by the gate of Valhalla."
"Surely," replied the old woman, "you had no need to exact an oath from that. It is weak at best, and it thrives and bears fruit only in the winter darkness, when it would be impossible to hurt Balder."
III. THE MISTLETOE
Then the old beggar woman went straight to the gate of Valhalla. She chuckled, threw off her cloak, and Loki appeared. He touched the mistletoe with his staff. He drew a magic circle, and repeated magic words. The little mistletoe shot up, as strong and straight as an arrow. Loki tore it from the tree, and made it into a dart. He went back to the plain of Ida.
IV. DEATH OF BALDER
The gods were still hurling missiles at Balder; and shouts of laughter rang out over the plain, as the deadly weapons fell harmless to the ground. Blind Hoder, the god of darkness, Balder's twin brother, stood apart from the rest. Loki approached him, and said: "You do not honor your brother. Why do you not join the game?"
"I have no weapon," answered Hoder; "and, if I had, I could not see to throw it."
Loki said, "Take this, and let me direct your hand"; and he gave him the dart from the mistletoe. Hoder raised his hand. Loki pointed the dart at Balder's breast, and Hoder threw it.
Instead of laughter, there were cries of mourning; for Balder, the Good, the Beautiful, the Beloved, had fallen dead.
V. BALDER S FUNERAL
Odin was in despair. Frigga alone was hopeful. She hastened to the side of her dead son. "Who will go for me to the land of Hela?" she cried. "He shall ride Odin's horse, Sleipnir, and shall be best beloved of all the gods."
Hermod came forward, and offered to go.
As he mounted Sleipnir, and started on his perilous journey, the precious body of the dead Balder was tenderly raised, and carried to his home, Breidablik. His ship, Hringhorn, was drawn up on shore, to be prepared for the funeral pyre. The gods went into the forest, and cut down great pines, the trunks of which were laid on the deck, to receive the body of Balder. They were covered with rich silks and embroideries. Rare flowers and costly perfumes were brought, with gifts of gold and jewels. Every one brought some treasure, to show his love for Balder. When all was ready, the body was borne on the shoulders of his dearest friends, and placed on the funeral pyre. Balder's horse was slain and carried to the deck of the vessel.
Then all the gods came to look once more on the beautiful face of their dead comrade. Nanna, Balder's wife, came last: and when she saw the torch ready to light the pyre, her heart broke, and she fell down dead at Balder's feet. The gods placed her body beside that of her husband.
VI. HERMOD'S JOURNEY
Last of all came Odin, and laid the ring, Draupnir, upon the pyre, and whispered in the ear of his son. No one could hear the words he spoke, but the gods thought he named the name of the great unknown God, or perhaps the hope of the resurrection.
Now all was ready, but the ship was so heavy with tokens of love that it could not be moved by the united strength of the gods. Seeing the difficulty, one of the mountain giants said he knew a giantess, named Hyrrokin, who, unaided, could move a mountain. At the request of the gods, he went to ask her assistance. She came, riding a huge wolf, with serpents for reins. She put her shoulder to the ship. It moved so suddenly, that the earth trembled; and the shock was so great, that the gods could hardly stand, and the rollers under the ship took fire.
Thor stepped upon the ship, to consecrate it with his hammer. The fire leaped up; and, as the ship sailed away, it was wrapped in a sheet of flame. Loving eyes watched it until the last burning timber sank in the ocean.
Nine days and nine nights, Hermod traveled, across the rainbow bridge, down through the land of darkness and cold and ice. The tenth night, he came to the bridge, Giallar. Sleipnir's eight hoofs clattered noisily, and roused the keeper of the bridge.
"Why do you, a living being, ride over the river of death?" she asked. "Five companies of the dead passed yesterday, and made less noise than you.
Hermod asked who had passed over, and found that Balder and Nanna were among the last. He put spurs to his horse, and hurried on. The wall of Hela's domain rose before him. There was a gate; but he could not open it, and his call was not answered. He rode back a little way upon the smooth ice, dismounted, tightened the saddle girth, vaulted into the saddle, gave Sleipnir the rein, and leaped over the wall.
He entered a hall, and found Balder reclining on a couch, and Nanna by his side. Cups of mead stood, untasted, on a table before them. The wreaths of flowers in their hair were withered; and they were silent and dejected. But they were glad to see Hermod, and Balder begged him to take Nanna back with him;' but she said she could not go without her husband. She sent an embroidered carpet back to Frigga, and Balder returned the ring, Draupnir, to Odin. The three talked all night.
In the morning Hermod saw Hela. At first she refused to let Balder go; but, after Hermod had pleaded with her, and told her how the whole world mourned for the god of light, she said that if indeed the whole world mourned, as he had said, gods, men, beasts, birds, and creeping things, trees, plants, stones, and metals, he might go back. But if one thing should be found that did not weep for Balder, he must stay with her. Hermod rode back to Asgard. Frigga was delighted. Odin and all the gods began to hope; for who would refuse to shed a tear for Balder, whom all things loved? Messengers were sent who returned, saying: "All things weep for Balder." But at last one dark giantess, Throk, sitting at the entrance of a cave, said she should "weep dry tears" for Balder. Nothing could change her decision, and Hela kept Balder and Nanna until the Twilight of the Gods.
LOKI'S PUNISHMENT
I. AEGIR'S LAST FEAST
After the death of Balder, ^igir, the ruler of the sea, asked the gods of Asgard to dine with him in his coral caves. He thought that a visit to his beautiful home might cheer them in their loneliness, and turn their attention from their terrible loss.
The gods were very sad; for they could not, for a moment, forget Balder, the Beloved; but they thanked Aegir for his kind thoughtfulness, put on their best robes, tried to smile, as they did before Balder died, and drove to Aegir's halls.
The gods were all there except Balder, Thor, and Loki. They were seated around the festal board, and had just tasted the mead brewed in the great kettle, which Thor had taken from Hymir, when Loki appeared in the doorway. Loki was out of humor because he had been left behind; he scolded the gods, and made sport of them. He laughed at Frey because he had given away his magic sword, and at Tyr because he had lost his right hand; and he was beginning to say hateful things to Sif, when Thor suddenly stood before him, and shook Mjolnir in his face. Loki ran away to the mountains.
II. LOKI'S NET
He knew the gods would be sure to find him. He built a house with four doors which always stood open, so that he could easily escape if they should come from any direction. He intended to throw himself into a mountain stream that flowed by the house, and change himself into a salmon when he saw them coming. He knew that he was wise enough to avoid a hook, if they fished for him, but feared a net. He knew that no one had a net except Ran, the wife of ALgir; and that she would not lend it. But he feared that somebody would make another net. He tried to make one himself, just to see whether it could be done. He was working on the net, when he was surprised by the arrival of three gods. He threw the net into the fire, and leaped into the water. He became a salmon, and lay between two stones.
One of the gods found the half-burned net in the fireplace. He guessed at once what it was, and what had become of Loki. "Let us make a net like this," he said, "and drag the river."
The net was soon finished. They drew it through the water, but it did not touch the bottom, and Loki lay still between the stones. Then they put weights into the net to make it drag upon the river bed; but Loki jumped over the net.
They tried the third time; and, when he jumped, Thor caught him in his hands. Loki tried to slip through his fingers; but Thor held him fast. Indeed, he came so near getting away that the Northern people say to this day that Thor's grasp gave the salmon its long, slender tail.
III. LOKI IS BOUND
Loki took his own form again, and the gods bound him fast in a rocky cavern. Skadi, the goddess of the mountain stream, placed a serpent directly over his head. The venom from the serpent's mouth fell upon his face. But his faithful wife, Sigyn, left her home in Asgard, and hastened to his side. She caught the poison in a cup, so that no drop touched him, except when she was compelled to turn aside to empty the full cup.
Then he suffered such intense agony, that in his struggle to break his fetters, he shook the whole world, and caused men to say that there was an earthquake.
Brandish, Sarah. Old Norse Stories. 1st ed. American Book Company, 1900. 105-17. eBook. Digitized by Google. Consult the course texts for other versions of this myth.
The gods were very sad; for they could not, for a moment, forget Balder, the Beloved; but they thanked Aegir for his kind thoughtfulness, put on their best robes, tried to smile, as they did before Balder died, and drove to Aegir's halls.
The gods were all there except Balder, Thor, and Loki. They were seated around the festal board, and had just tasted the mead brewed in the great kettle, which Thor had taken from Hymir, when Loki appeared in the doorway. Loki was out of humor because he had been left behind; he scolded the gods, and made sport of them. He laughed at Frey because he had given away his magic sword, and at Tyr because he had lost his right hand; and he was beginning to say hateful things to Sif, when Thor suddenly stood before him, and shook Mjolnir in his face. Loki ran away to the mountains.
II. LOKI'S NET
He knew the gods would be sure to find him. He built a house with four doors which always stood open, so that he could easily escape if they should come from any direction. He intended to throw himself into a mountain stream that flowed by the house, and change himself into a salmon when he saw them coming. He knew that he was wise enough to avoid a hook, if they fished for him, but feared a net. He knew that no one had a net except Ran, the wife of ALgir; and that she would not lend it. But he feared that somebody would make another net. He tried to make one himself, just to see whether it could be done. He was working on the net, when he was surprised by the arrival of three gods. He threw the net into the fire, and leaped into the water. He became a salmon, and lay between two stones.
One of the gods found the half-burned net in the fireplace. He guessed at once what it was, and what had become of Loki. "Let us make a net like this," he said, "and drag the river."
The net was soon finished. They drew it through the water, but it did not touch the bottom, and Loki lay still between the stones. Then they put weights into the net to make it drag upon the river bed; but Loki jumped over the net.
They tried the third time; and, when he jumped, Thor caught him in his hands. Loki tried to slip through his fingers; but Thor held him fast. Indeed, he came so near getting away that the Northern people say to this day that Thor's grasp gave the salmon its long, slender tail.
III. LOKI IS BOUND
Loki took his own form again, and the gods bound him fast in a rocky cavern. Skadi, the goddess of the mountain stream, placed a serpent directly over his head. The venom from the serpent's mouth fell upon his face. But his faithful wife, Sigyn, left her home in Asgard, and hastened to his side. She caught the poison in a cup, so that no drop touched him, except when she was compelled to turn aside to empty the full cup.
Then he suffered such intense agony, that in his struggle to break his fetters, he shook the whole world, and caused men to say that there was an earthquake.
Brandish, Sarah. Old Norse Stories. 1st ed. American Book Company, 1900. 105-17. eBook. Digitized by Google. Consult the course texts for other versions of this myth.
Last modified: Friday, February 17, 2012, 11:17 AM