The Road to Hel
The Story of Balder by Andreas Kornevall
Balder the beautiful was born from Odin and Frigg. Odin was the God of Poetry and Frigg, the Goddess of the Waters. Balder was the most loved of all the Gods, as his cheerful nature was believed to stop even Ragnarok itself, the end of the world.
Wherever he went the grief of the Gods would come to rest and his words would give comfort.
This was a golden time for the Gods and the nine worlds were in peace and contentment.
This was not to last, as Balder, in the middle of the night, would begin to have dreams of a grey world. A world filled with tragedy and dying, where compassion was replaced by anger, friendship by conflict.
He woke from his sleep in sweat.
These dreams tormented him. The Gods and Goddesses were worried and decided to hold a parliament to discuss this bad omen that had risen in the mind of Balder, the light in the world of the Gods, and to find out how this night-wraith could have entered their world. They gathered on the great flowering plains of Hela. The mighty discussed Balders dreams, and tried to see into the threads of fate and the runes for why Balder received such troubling dreams.
Frigg decided to go and wander the nine worlds and make all the minerals, plants, trees, seas, and fires, pledge to spare Balder, to never hurt or cause harm to him, and all living things agreed. This powerful magic from Frigg was entertaining to the Gods and they would throw a stone and observe how it would land before it hit Balder, they tried with spears and arrows, which would swerve or stop whenever they came near him, he was always left unharmed.
However, runes of sorrow had been weaved into the cloth of fate that Odin alone could see. He needed answers, the one-eyed saddled his horse.
Over the nine worlds he crossed on this eight legged steed, Sleipner, and his path was headed downwards to the misty land of Hel, the land of the dead and goblin-shrieks. When he finally arrived by the gates, he met the Hel-hound, guardian of the dreaded abyss, whose chest is covered in the blood of the dying. He barked at Odin, the Valfather, who continued and passed him, the hooves of his horse resounded as he galloped into the high road of Hel.
He rode up to the eastern gate where he knew of a grave mound. When he arrived, he took to his staff and hit the ground calling down into the grave whilst he started to sing old spell-songs; songs to stir the grave of a dead witch, the Volva. His incantations forced the spirit to rise from her sleep. Then she spoke: "Long I have been under the stones and grass, who is this stranger calling at my door, forcing me to wake from the long sleep of the dark?"
Odin replied: "I am only that of a simple wanderer who needs tidings from Hel. Please hear my question, for whom have you prepared the banquet of food and adorned the benches and crowned with gold?
The witch replied: "The mead and food is brewed and cooked for Balder. But I have no wish to rise into this living world, I wish to be undisturbed and return to my silence."
Odin replied and lifted his staff: "Do not be silent, tell me this, how will Balder meet his end in the world of the Gods?"
The witch replied: "That which is blind will strike Balder."
Odin said: "Who will avenge his death and bring justice?"
The witch replied: “Rind will give life to Vali in the halls of the West, where Sol sets, the son of Odin will fight when born, he will bring to the pyre the enemy, now let me rest under the stones."
Odin replied: "Do not rest yet, let me ask you one more question, who are the girls that will weep for love and who will throw their flower garlands up to the sky?"
The witch replied: "You are no simple wanderer, you are Odin, the one who receives sacrifices!"
Odin replied, "You are not the witch, nor a wise woman, you are the Mother of Death and Greed!”
She spat and yelled, "Ride home Odin, you have won great renown in the world, but time moves towards Hel and you will also return here in the half-light when the fetters of the world are broken asunder when the time of Ragnarok comes."
During the time when Odin was in misty Hel looking for answers, Loki was seized by a jealous fever. He hated the light of Balder as it shone and how the Gods adored him.
He concocted an insidious plan
He changed his shape to an old woman and walked towards the watery temples of Frigg. There Frigg unawares greeted the old woman amongst her vitreous lakes and shimmering dew ponds. Under her arched temple, the old woman spoke: "Dear Frigg, have you witnessed how they are all playing this game of attacking poor Balder and each time he is unharmed?"
Frigg responded: "No sword, spear or axe may hurt him, all have taken oaths to me to leave him free from harm." The old woman asked, "Is there really nothing at all that can hurt Balder, as it worries me so to see it?"
There is a plant that grows from the eastern slopes of Valhalla, it is named mistletoe, it was spared as it was too young, feeble, and tender to make the pledge."
The old woman turned away and left Frigg's water-temple.
Loki went out into the forest and to the hills west of Valhalla and there gathered the mistletoe plant and with his jealous fingers started to craft a sharp arrow from its stalk, devious and cunning runes were carved into the stalk of the mistletoe.
He waited for the time to be right, for the game to be played again and when the Gods gathered during a festive day, he brought his bow and arrow along with him. There one of the Gods launched a spear towards Balder and everyone laughed at how it flew crooked to avoid him, more arrows were fired, Balder didn't mind at all, it was only light-hearted fun, he was allowing their joy to be unhindered.
There up on the grass sat Balder's brother Hodr, who was blind. Loki went up to him and whispered, "You must feel rather sad not being able to join in the cheerfulness and not be given the opportunity to show Balder the honour of demonstrating his protective power."
The blind God agreed, but shrugged his shoulders, and said: "ah well, I do not see and I am also without a weapon."
"Here," said Loki, "stand up and I will guide you. I will stretch this great bow for you and point this arrow. Hod held the bow and Loki helped him steady himself, and he carefully placed the arrow above his hand where he could take aim, then he hunkered down and looked through the straight shaft which pointed straight to the chest of beautiful Balder. "Release!" Loki shouted.
The black stick flew in the air and it pierced Balder straight through his heart and he fell down lifeless, killed instantly.
When the Gods saw what had happened they tried to speak or yell, but only their crying could be heard as they bowed their heads. Frigg wept in her temple. Balder had been killed and strewn around him were weapons, swords, spears, and axes.
At Balder's funeral the whole mosaic of creation arrived, trolls stood next to elves, giants, tomtar, land wights, wardens and humans. Frigga was escorted by Odin, then all the valkyries followed behind, two ravens flew high in the skies above. The great love-God Frey arrived drawn on a chariot by the golden boar Gullinbursti; Heimdall rode on his mighty steed Gulltop, and Freya wore her great tiara and necklace, and was pulled by her cats. All approached and gave their offerings to Balder's ship Hringhorni, where his body was laid. It was a gathering the nine worlds had only seen at the ritual of reconciliations between the Aesir and Vanir. Odin offered his ring, Draupnir, to the ship that contained all the world's wealth and whispered a secret into Balder's ear.
There was also Balder’s wife, Nanna, her heart had broken of sorrow and she was laid next to Balder to burn with him in the roaring fire and follow him across the worlds.
The size of his ship was the largest ever built and gifts, torques, shields, spears, and jewels filled the ship up to the rim; all too heavy to push out to sea.
The cries and the laments rose in the air, a wild litany of words and songs, women’s tresses were cut, tears flowed towards the ship.
Odin called on his berserkers to step forward to push the ship out from the banks, but to no avail, it was anchored from its sheer weight of gifts on the beach.
Then a giantess stepped forward, named Hyrrokkin, she had arrived to grieve with the Gods riding on a wolf with reins made of serpents. She went to the prow and with only one hand pushed the ship, all the lands trembled as the ship left its banks and floated out to the sea. Thor blessed the ship with his hammer and during this blessing a dwarf called Litr ran by his feet and Thor kicked him into the keen flames of the ship.
There all the worlds were present watching the largest of all funeral fires, a bright flickering candle of the world under the sweep of sky, the flame faded as the ship was blown out towards the western horizon. All were distraught and chanting for Balder. They sang of his fairness and graciousness. The air itself sang a lament and black clouds seethed with lightning.
Frigg was unable to be comforted as she sang her grief. She called out to her brave son Hermod to come forward and begged him to take the long road to Hel as a living God, and to bring his brother Balder back from the land of the dead.
Hermod left the world of the Gods and for nine nights he rode into dark dales. He reached the river of Gjöll and found the golden tinged Gjöll-bridge that arches over the shadowy water. There stands the maiden Modgudr, who said, "You don't have the colour, nor the heart of a dead man, why are you riding into the Hel-way?"
He said: "I have been selected to find Balder the Beautiful. Have you seen him on this road?"
"Yes, he has ridden over the bridge to the other side." Hermod thanked Modgudr and rode on through lands where mountain passes were draped in threatening fog. Whirls of ghosts revealed themselves as he came closer to the large gate of the Hel. There he drove his steed forward, the sound of the hooves echoed and his spurs kicked to encourage a leap of faith over the gates and into the underworld. His horse took charge and passed it with a whisker.
Hermod entered large strange halls filled by moonlight, he dismounted from his horse and there met his beloved brother Balder, sitting on a high seat.
Hermod was invited as an honoured guest for the night.
The next morning he begged Hel, the Goddess of the dead, if he could bring Balder back to the living. Hel answered, "It would be impossible, but say to the Gods above: if all the living things who have learnt not to harm Balder can begin to grieve for him and their tears touch the soil or water. Then his light can return, but he must remain here if anyone's eye is dry.
Hermod rose and rode back to Valhalla and told the Gods what Hel had instructed.
The Gods sent tidings to all the four different quarters and all the plants, trees, metals, minerals and elves, trolls and humans - all heard the call and their holy water fell from the ground, all could weep for Balder.
One messenger came upon an old woman, just the same one that had visited Frigg's temple, observing him.
He called to her: "Who are you?" "I am Thökk", she said.
"I have a message from the Gods, they want you to grieve for Balder, in order for him to return to the worlds above."
She answered: "I will weep, yes, I will weep. But the tears will be dry, none will fall on the land, nor water. If he is living or dead, I don't care. Let Hel hold on to what she has in her halls!"
The messenger left.
The old woman shape-shifted back her form and there he stood, Loki, thinking about his crimes, but feeling no remorse.
From then on Loki was in exile from Asgard.
Commentary of this continues next week.
Upcoming course 6 weeks, starting next Thursday. And more announcements soon of an exciting collaboration with the School of Mytho-Poetics - stay tuned here at Northern Spirit House.