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Balder

   

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Pantheon: Nordic
Deity Of: joy, light, beauty, innocence, purity, and reconciliation
Gender: Male
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Description: Balder, (aka Baldr, Baldur) is called the "Good God" in Scandinavian mythology. Baldur is the God of joy, light, beauty, innocence, purity, and reconciliation. His parents are Odin and Frigg. Beloved by the Gods as well as by mankind, Baldur is friendly, wise and eloquent. Compared to other Scandinavian gods, Baldur is not considered to be a very powerful God, but he is certainly one of the most loved. Baldur is married to Nanna, and their son is Forseti (Fosite in Teutonic lore), the God of justice. (Nanna's father is the giant and star-hero Ivalde) Saxo Grammaticus wrote of Baldr as a warrior who contested with Hödhr to win Nanna. Warned by several walkyrige, Hödhr gets a magick sword to kill Baldr, as well as an arm-ring to bring him wealth. He meets up with several forest-maidens (the walkyrige) and convinces them to let him to taste the magical food they are preparing for Baldr. This food was the source of Baldr's strength. Now being of equal strength as Baldr, he defeated and mortally wounded him. In Saxo's story, Baldr has a dream where the Goddess Proserpine promises her love to him. Odin uses magick and trickery to get a son by Rindr, to get revenge on Hödhr. This son was called Bous, and he killed Hödhr, even though he was but one night old. The legends in the Edda tell us that: Loki hated everything that Baldur stood for and plotted his death. During this time, Baldur had a dream, which he confided to his mother, Frigg. Frigg then secured oaths from all things that they would not harm her beloved son... all things gave their oath, except the mistilteinn which Frigg thought too young to give an oath. Having secured the solemn oaths, Frigg was certain she had insured her beloved son's life. The other Gods amused themselves by throwing things at Balder. Nothing seemed to cause him harm. Unfortunately, Loki directed the hand of Baldur's blind (twin) brother, Hod, (Hödhr, Hother, Hoder) in throwing a mistilteinn dart (fig), which struck the beloved god in the heart. Baldur fell down dead and his wife, Nanna, died of a broken heart. Hod was killed by his and Baldur's half-brother, Vali, who was born to Odin and his mistress, the giant Rand, to avenge Baldur's death. Note: The legends say mistilteinn which was "pulled from the ground," not mistletoe, which is a parasitic plant which grows on trees. Mistletoe was certainly sacred to the ancient Druids and Norsemen; and perhaps it is because of this, that the yet unidentified mistilteinn was transformed into mistletoe.

  
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