Baldur’s dreams

Baldur, one of Odin’s sons, was the most beloved of all the gods. There was nothing but good to say about him and everyone praised him. He was so beautiful to look at and so bright, that he seemed to glow. But Baldur had begun to be tormented by evil dreams. Every night he was haunted by visions of his own death. The dreams were so strong and terrifying that they could not be ignored.

The gods were worried and gathered to seek advice. Odin, decided to head to the underworld, Hel, to seek answers. He saddled his eight-legged horse Sleipnir and rode through dark valleys and down into the realm of death. There he found the grave of a völva, covered in frost and moss. Through spells he brought her back to life.

“Who disturbs my rest?” the völva asked, her voice like a cold wind from the past. “I am Odin,” he answered, “and I seek wisdom concerning my son’s fate.”

Reluctantly, the völva began to speak. She confirmed that great sorrow awaited Asgaard and that a place had already been prepared for Baldur in Hel and that he was expected to arrive there soon. Odin tried to ask more, but the völva fell back into his eternal sleep.

Odin returned to Asgaard with the message of grim fate. To prevent this tragedy, Frigg, Baldur’s mother, took matters into her own hands. She traveled through all the worlds asking every thing and creature to swear a sacred oath never to harm Baldur. Fire, water, stone, metals, plants, disease and animals; all promised not to harm Baldur because they all loved him. But Frigg overlooked a small mistletoe, which she considered too weak and insignificant to require an oath.

With Baldur’s safety assured, the gods began to feel relieved. Baldur was now invulnerable and they amused themselves by throwing spears, stones and other objects at him, only to see them bounce off without doing him any harm. 

But Loki, the master of deceit and cunning, could not stand Baldur’s joy. Disguised as an old woman, he went to Frigg and asked, “Is there really nothing that can harm Baldur?” Frigg answered without suspicion, “Nothing, except a small mistletoe that grows west of Valhalla. I thought it too young to demand an oath from.”

Loki smiled secretly and immediately set off to find the mistletoe. He plucked it and made an arrow from its branches. He then went to the place where the gods were playing and found Hodr, Baldur’s blind brother, standing by without taking part.

Loki said to him; Why don’t you shoot at Baluer? Hodr replied that he could not see where he was. “Besides, I’m unarmed.” “Shoot him with this arrow. I will help you”. With Loki’s help, Hodr shot the mistletoe arrow, which hit Baldur straight in the heart. Baldur immediately fell dead to the ground, and silence fell like a heavy mantle over Asgaard. Frigg screamed in despair, and everyone gathered around Baldur’s lifeless body, filled with grief and shock.

The gods brought Baldur’s body to his great ship, Ringhorne, to give him a dignified burial. The ship was so big and heavy that no one could push it into the lake, until the giantess Hyrrokkin was called there. She arrived riding a wolf and with snakes as reins and with one powerful stroke she pushed the ship into the sea.

When Baldur’s body was laid on the pyre, his wife Nanna’s heart broke, and she died of grief. Her body was laid next to Baldur’s, alongside his horse and many treasures. Odin placed his magic ring, Draupnir, on the pyre and whispered something in Baldur’s ear—words no one would ever know. As the ship was set on fire and sailed out to sea, the air was filled with flames of grief.

Even after Baldur’s death, the gods still did not give up hope. Odin sent his other son Hermod to Hel to negotiate Baldur’s return. For nine days and nine nights Hermod rode through dark deep valleys and he saw nothing until he came to the Gjöll river and rode over the Gjallarbru, the bridge that leads to the realm of the dead and is covered with shining gold.

After a long and perilous journey, Hermod reached the realm of the dead and begged Hel to let Baldur return. Hel agreed, but on one condition: that everything in the world, both living and dead, must weep for Balder.

And they did, all except an old giantess named Töck, who refused to shed a single tear and thus Baldur’s fate was sealed. It is said that Töck was actually Loki in disguise. So Baldur was condemned to stay in Hel until Ragnarok, when he would return to bring light to a new world.

And so ends the tale of Baldur’s Dreams – a tale of light and darkness, love and betrayal, and the relentless fate.