Balder

"Death of Balder"  by C. Eckersberg (1840).

Balder's Fall  

     "Odin, do you have any idea what this is about?" I asked.

     Odin peered around the hall, where most of the Aesir had gathered at Balder's summons.  "I don't know, Frigg.  Balder would not have called a council if it wasn't important."

     Murmuring voices suddenly quieted as our son stepped into the middle of the circle.  Balder, whose laughing blue eyes and ready smile always brightened Asgard, was a poor shadow of himself.  Worry and fear clouded his handsome features as he nervously brushed his blond hair out of his face.

     "My friends, I bear dark news.  The last few nights I've been tormented by bad dreams.  I thought nothing of them at first, but I think now that they may be omens.  I saw the Nine Worlds, usually so bright and full of life, covered in darkness and death.  Binding Loki's offspring didn't stop Ragnarok.  Our end still approaches."

     The hall filled with alarmed voices.  Balder raised a hand for silence.  "I fear that is not all I saw.  My dreams also revealed to me that...that I may not be with you much longer.  I saw that I will die."

     A flood of cries filled the hall.  Odin's face paled when he saw the resignation on his son's face.  "Are you certain?  When is this supposed to happen?" he asked.

     "I don't know the circumstances.  But the end result is clear; I won't be around to help you in the final battle," Balder replied, hanging his head.

     My heart skipped a beat.  "No...this cannot happen.  I won't let this happen!" I declared.

     Balder smiled sadly at me.  "Mother, there's nothing you can do.  Something or someone is going to kill me, and I don't know how it will happen.  How can you stop a killer who could be anywhere?  Anything?"

     I walked over to him and looked into his eyes.  "Have faith, son.  I will stop anything that could harm you.  Every single thing."

     The task was daunting.  I spent the next few days going to all the Nine Worlds, making everything I came across vow not to to harm Balder.  Any material that could be forged into a weapon, creatures large and small, all manner of sickness; fire, wind, and water; man and giant alike: all promised not to cause any harm to my son.  Well, all but one.  I could not find this tiny plant called a mistletoe.  It was a rare, frail plant, and I thought it unlikely that it would cause any problems.

     I felt sure that Balder would be safe, but Odin wasn't so sure.  He believed that Balder's visions would come true, and that the death of his son would signal the end of joy and peace in Asgard.  The fact that his foresight didn't reveal how his son would die also greatly disturbed him.  I tried to comfort him, telling him that we had finally cheated fate with the pledges for our son's safety.  I couldn't reassure him, so he decided to seek the counsel of a prophetess . . .

     Odin rode through the cold, gloomy halls of Niflheim, searching for the Vala's spirit.  He was greatly unnerved to find that some passages in Hel were decorated, as if ready to welcome a new arrival.  Finally finding the Vala's grave, he dismounted Sleipnir and began chanting a rune spell to call forth her spirit.  After a few moments, the eerie voice spoke.

     "Who disturbs me?  I have been asleep for generations; what mortal dares disrupt my rest?"

     "I am Vegtam," Odin lied, "I want to know why the halls of Niflheim are decorated.  Who is Hel waiting for?"

     "She waits for Balder," the coarse voice replied.  "Now leave me in peace!"

     "No!  You must tell me more!  How does he die!?" Odin roared.

     "Balder's days are numbered.  He will die at the hand of his brother, Hod."

     Those chilling words shot through Odin's spirit like wildfire.  His foresight awakened, and he saw visions of what was to happen.

     "Everyone will weep save one.  Who will not weep for Balder?"

     The Vala realized then that she was speaking to someone with foresight.  "You are no mortal, Lord Odin," she hissed.  "Go home.  See your son during his final days among the living.  I'll see him soon enough."

     "Guys!  Will you cut that out?"  Balder cried as yet another  javelin bounced off him.

     "You gotta admit, this is very cool,"  Frey laughed, hurling a metal dart at him.  It hit Balder full in the chest before bouncing harmlessly to the ground.

     Balder was half-turned to leave when a battle-axe ricocheted off his shoulder.

     "Huh.  You really are immune," Thor observed.  Tyr shrugged, looking embarrassed.

At the back of the crowd, a flame-haired man was watching, unobserved.

     "What a convenient little power.  A power I don't have," Loki mused, watching as Balder deflected an arrow.  "Nope, this will never do."

     The Aesir were so preoccupied with their little game that no one noticed Loki leave.

     I paused in my spinning when the door opened.  Odin was still gone on his visit to the prophetess, and with my son safe, I was taking a few moments to relax.

    An old woman shuffled to my seat and attempted to curtsy.  "Mistress, forgive me for disturbing you."

     "It's alright.  What brings you here?" I asked.

     "Lady Frigg, it's absurd!  Do you know what the other Aesir are doing?!  They are standing out there throwing all manner of weapons at your son!  And they just - bounce off him!  He must be cursed!"

     I laughed.  "Madame, he is not cursed.  Everything in the Nine Worlds has sworn not to harm him."

     The woman backed up a step, her eyes wide.  "He is impervious to all harm?  It is amazing that everything would give such a pledge!"

     "Yes, everything swore oaths.  Well...to be honest, all but one.  I didn't waste my time with the mistletoe plant. It's frail and hard to find anyway."

     "Of course, Mistress.  I see there's nothing to worry about.  I'll leave you in peace."  The woman bowed, backing through the door.

     The heavy wooden door masked the sound of laughter.  The withered figure grew taller; the laughter, deeper.  Loki left the hall, a satisfied smile on his face . . .

To Be Continued...

 

Bibliography Information:

    Authors Note:  There are several things I adapted for this story.  First of all, Balder's story is LONG.  It is probably the most important part of the Ragnarok saga, however, so to do it justice I'm splitting it into two parts.

     Another thing I need to point out:  the narrator (and/or pink text) is Frigg speaking.  Think of her comments as a voiceover to the flashback stories.

     There were a few changes I made to the plot.  I added faces to some of the "crowd" moments in the story.  Obviously, the idiocy of throwing objects at Balder was expanded upon somewhat (hey, there had to be a bit of humor in this dark story.)

     The original Balder's story has an introduction that talks about the death (or retreat to Niflheim) of the goddess Idun and her husband Brage.  I felt that leaving her in the story would just confuse the readers and detract from the more important plotlines.  You can go here for a better explanation if you are interested.    

 

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