Balder The Beautiful

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 81, 29 December 1934, Page 17

Balder The Beautiful

A STORY OF THE MISTLETOE Balder was the brightest and most beautiful and most beloved of all the gods who dwelt in Asgard, and feasted in the great hall of Valhalla. He was the god of the sun, and a brightness always shone round his head, and Odin, the Father of the gods, loved him very dearly. The gods were not always very happy in Valhalla, but Balder always brought them joy. They could not think of heaven without him. So when he told them that he had been having terrible dreams, in which peril threatened his life, all the gods were alarmed, and Odin commanded that they should go to every living thing, every stick and stone, every plant and animal, every man, woman and child, and make all things promise not to harm Balder. And all things promised, and because Balder was safe, it used to be a special sport of the gods to throw weapons at him, and haek at him vyith their battle axes, and try to harm him. For nothing could harm him. He just stood there, gay and beautiful, and laughed at their play. Now there was a half-god, called Lok, who was the father of Hela, the queen of the dead. And he was the enemy of all the gods, and hated them all, and especially he hated Balder, because he was so bright and beautiful and full of life. As he looked on at the sport, the hate grew in his heart till he could hardly bear it, because nothing injured Balder. Now Lok was very cunning, and he disguised himself as an old woman, and went to visit Frigga, the mother of the gods. He managed to deceive Frigga, and found out that only one thing in the whole world had not promised to harm Balder. And that was the little mistletoe plant. “It looked so harmless and weak,” said Frigga. “I never even bothered to ask it to promise.” Then Lbk went off rejoicing, and he took a piece of mistletoe, and, in his own shape, he went back to the hall of the gods. When he got back they were engaged at their sport. Swords, axes, and darts lay strewn about the floor,, and in the midst Balder stood smiling and unhurt. And Lok whs very angry, and went quietly to the corner, where Hoder, the blind god, sat. “Look,” said Lok, gently, “would you not like to throw something in sport, to honour Balder? See take this, and I will guide your hand.” And he put the bough of mistletoe into the hand of the blind god. And Hoder never stopped to think, for he was glad to join with the others in their sport. So Lok guided his hand, and the mistlete bough flew through the air and pi erced Balder where he stood. Then Lok crept silently awav, and there among all the swords and axes and darts, in the midst of the stricken horrified -gods, Balder, the loved and the beautful Balder lay dead on the floor of Yaliialla, and all the gods mourned for him with a great crying and wailing. But after a time Odin, the Father of the gods, spoke to them. “There has been enough of wailing, O gods. If anyone should weep, surely it is I, his father. But weeping is not the way to speed so brave a god as Balder on his way to the kingdom of the dead. Come, let us get to work, and prepare his funeral. The gods saw that Odin spoke wisely, and they went sorrowfully away. . But Hoder, the blind god, who, all unknowing, had thrown the fatal mistletoe, was beside himself with grief. And he went to Frigga, the Mother of the gods, and asked her if there was nothing at all he could do to win Balder bacK. And Frigga shook her head. “You cannot expect that Hela, the Queen of the Dead, will give up her prey.” “But is there no way, Mother, no way at allr “One way there might be,” said Frigga, “but I fear it will not succeed. Lok and all his children were ever enemies of the gods in heaven. But it might be, it one of the gods took Odin’s horse and rode to the land of the dead, that he could make a bargain with Hela.” “Alas,” said Hoder, “what you suggest is not a mission for a god who is blind.” “No,” said Frigga, ‘yourself you cannot go, but the god whom first you meet, he shall go, and I will guide him “yself. So Hoder went away, and as he walked sadly back, he met Hermod, the messenger of the gods, and to him he gave the message. And Hermod saddled Sleipner, the mighty horse of Odin, and set off on his journey to the dead. But Hoder, blind in his heart with grief, as he was blind in his sightless eyes, went home, and fell on his sword and died, for he could not go back to the hall of the gods now that Balder was dead and his hand had slain him. Riser's Meantime all the gods and heroes went out and hewed wood for Balaei s pyre, and they piled the logs high on the deck of his ship, and poure< * * tine over them. Then they laid the body of the god on the logs, and set fire to them, and sent the ship out to sea. And all the gods assembled on the shore, watched as the blazing vessel went far out to sea. All night they watched it, ilk an eye of fire away in the darkness. And when they could no longer see it they knew that It had all burned away and fallen into the waters. Then they went sadly home, for it was thus that they buried the heroes in the olden days. But the fleet-footed Hermod hastened on his journey to the realm of the dead For many days he went by a dark and wintry way, and yhen at last he "■ot to the land he made his way through the pale shades to Hela s throne, and nsked if there were no way in which the gods might win Balder back. At first, Hela saidl there Twas no way, but when Hermod went on pleading, she said that if everything in the whole world, dead and alive would weep for Balder, then Sll Hermod set forth on his long journey back to heaven, but Odin had no faith promise Hela had made? The children of Lok are double-heartedi he said and the gifts they give are double too. But still he commanded the gods to go and beg all things to weep for Balder. And the gods went and aM thrngs went—an sticks and stones, and trees and flowers—everything in the w went for Balder till the whole earth was filled with the sound of tears. But Zok the enemy of the gods, took the form of an old woman and whim the cods came to her to beg for tears for Balder, she only laughed a ®’ cackling laugh. And they knew that once more Lok had won, and that Balder, whom they loved, must dwell in the land of the shades for ever.