Baldr
In the Scandinavian Mythology, Baldr (Old Icelandic Baldr , Latin Balderus ) was one of the Ases, the son of Odin and Frigg. His wife is Nanna, and their son Forseti. It is described like “so beautiful appearance and so clearly that it is luminous, and there is a plant so white that she is named according to the lash of Baldr. It is whitest of all the plants, and that gives us an idea of his beauty, as well of hair as of body. It is wisest of the Ases the miséricordieux and most eloquent and, but it is one of its characteristics which none of its decisions is accomplished.” (Snorri Sturluson, Edda in prose 2:22.) Its field is Breidablik, which is in the skies (or in Sweden, according to the Ynglinga Saga ), in a region from where the evil is banished.
The prolog with the Edda in prose compares it to Bældæg, one of wire of Woden (= Odin), which reigned on the Westphalia and was the ancestor, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronique , of the royal houses of Wessex and Northumbrie.
The death of Baldr
The essential myth associated with Baldr is the account of its death, told in chapter 49 of the Gylfaginning .
Baldr started to make sinister dreams on its characteristic died, which frightened the Ases. Odin went in the Niflheim, to question the heart of a late prophetess (what the poem tells eddic Baldrsdraumar ), which revealed the fate of his/her son to him. Frigg then made swear all the elements, the minerals, the plants, the animals of the creation which they will never make of evil with Baldr, which became of this invulnerable fact. The Ases had fun to throw all kinds of projectiles towards Baldr and to strike it with all kinds of objects, and to see it always unscathed.
But Loki conceived resentment, and, taking the appearance of a woman, obtained Frigg of it the consent which she had forgotten to ask to the GUI to lend oath, so much this plant had the frail and young air. Loki took a stick of GUI, gave it to Höd, the blind god, and guided his arm so that it throws it on Baldr, which was transpierced and died at once.
The distress among the Ases was large, and Hermod went voluntary to go to the royame of Hel in order to obtain the return of Baldr against a ransom. Hermod assembled Sleipnir and got under way.
Meanwhile, the Ases celebrated the funeral of Baldr, which they wanted to incinerate on its ship Hringhorni. But the ship refused to leave the dry land. They made come from the Jötunheim a giant of the name of Hyrrokkin to move it, which reached that point so that the ground trembled and from the flames were born from the friction of the blocks, which put Thor in anger. It would have killed it if the Ases had not begged it to leave him the safe life. The body of Baldr was placed on the ship, and his wife Nanna died about it of sorrow. She was placed on the Bûcher at her sides. Thor devoted to rough-hew it with its hammer Mjöllnir, but a dwarf of the name of Lit ran in front of him, and Thor sent it in the flames of a kick.
Much was present at the incineration of Baldr, like says it the Gylfaginning : “firstly Odin, accompanied by Frigg, the Valkyrie S and her corbels; while Freyr drove a tank drawn by a wild boar called Gullinbursti or Slidrugtanni; Heimdall assembled a horse called Gulltopp, and Freyja its cats. A large troop of giants of the white frost and giants of the mountains were also present. Odin placed on roughing-hew it a bracelet called Draupnir which had, of this day, the property to produce eight of the same bracelets weight every nine nights. The horse of Baldr was led to roughing-hew, with all its harnessing.” (Snorri Sturluson, Edda in prose 2:49.)
On its side, Hermod overlapped nine nights and reaches the river Gioll, whose bridge, all out of gold, were kept by the virgin Modgud. This one enquit of its identity and its chalk-lining, and required of him what it came to do in Hel whereas it had not died. Hermod revealed to him that it had come to seek Baldr, and Modgud confirmed that it had passed well by the bridge.
Hermod overlapped towards Hel, jumped the doors assembled on Sleipnir and found from there its Baldr sitting in the place of honor. The following day, he begged Hel to make it possible Baldr to return with him. This one declared that it would accept if all in the world, living or not, would cry Baldr, but that if the least object refused to do it, it would keep it forever.
Then Baldr entrusted the bracelet Draupnir to Hermod, so that it returns it to Odin, and Nanna gave him a dress of flax and other gifts for Frigg, as well as a ring for Fulla. Hermod returned then to Ásgard.
Then the Ases sent messages to the four corners of the universe, requiring of each thing to cry Baldr, which did everything, except a giant called Thokk, which one supposes to have been disguised Loki. So Baldr remained in Hel.
Other Myths
-
When it had to choose a husband among the Ases, Skadi hoped to fall on Baldr, but it is Njörd which it obtained.
-
In the Gesta Danorum , Baldr is described like in love unhappy one and gotten rid of Nanna, jealous of her rival Hother (= Höd). Baldr was invulnerable, but Hother overcame it thanks to the only weapon which can kill it, the sword of Miming.
-
At the end of times, when the world reappears after the Ragnarök, Baldr will return from Hel to remain there. the Völuspa teaches us that Baldr will return with his/her brother Höd. The grass will reappear and all the wire and the girls of the surviving gods will take refuge around him on the Yggdrasil.
-
the Christians were based much on the resemblance of Baldr to Jesus Christ (two martyrs, pure, which will reappear after the apocalypse) in order to convert the Scandinavian people.
Sources
-
Völuspa 31-33, 62
- Sax Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum 3:2: 3-5, 9-12, 3:3: 2-7, 3:4: 13
- Snorri Sturluson, Edda in prose 1:10, 2:15, 2:22, 2:32, 2:49, 2:50, 2:53, 3:1, 3:2, 3:5, 3:12, 3:13, 3:16, 3:17, 3:19, 3:44, 3:56, 4:18, 4:22, 5:44.
- Snorri Sturluson, Heimskringla 1:5.
Simple: Baldur
| Random links: | Lisbourg | Icon of the Trinity | Location of the constellations/02 | Battle of Lutèce | Sandra (software) |