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Baldur— son of All Father Odin [br]and Queen Frigg,

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husband of Nanna the Peaceful, [br]and God of truth and light—

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was the gentlest and most beloved being [br]in all of Asgard.

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In his great hall of Breidablik,

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Baldur’s soothing presence [br]eased his subject’s woes.

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But lately, he was plagued [br]by troubles of his own.

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Every night, Baldur had gruesome visions [br]foretelling his own imminent death.

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Determined to protect her son [br]from these grim prophecies,

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Queen Frigg travelled [br]across the nine realms,

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begging all living things [br]not to harm Baldur.

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Her grace moved each being [br]she encountered.

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Every animal and element, every plague [br]and plant, every blade and bug

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gladly gave their word.

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Frigg returned to Breidablik, [br]and threw a great feast to celebrate.

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Wine flowed freely, and soon the gods [br]took turns testing Baldur’s immunity.

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Lurking in the corner, [br]Loki rolled his eyes.

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The trickster god had never cared [br]for Baldur the Bright,

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and found his new gift [br]profoundly irritating.

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Surely there was a flaw in Frigg’s plan.

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Taking the form of an old woman,

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Loki crept to Frigg’s side [br]and feigned confusion.

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Why were the gods attacking sweet Baldur, [br]whom they all loved so dearly?

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Frigg told her of the oaths, [br]but the old woman pressed on.

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Surely you didn’t receive a vow [br]from everything, she asked.

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Frigg shrugged.

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The only being she hadn’t visited [br]was mistletoe.

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After all, what god could fear [br]a trifling weed?

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At this, Loki dashed outside [br]to find a sprig of mistletoe.

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When he returned, the festivities [br]had grown even rowdier.

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But not every god was enjoying the party.

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Baldur’s brother Hodur, who was blind [br]and weapon-less, sat dejected.

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Seeing his opportunity,

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the trickster slyly offered [br]Hodur a chance to participate.

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Loki armed him with mistletoe, [br]guided his aim towards his brother,

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and told Hodur to hurl with all his might.

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The mistletoe pierced Baldur’s chest [br]with deadly force.

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The god’s light quickly flickered out, [br]and despair swept over the crowd.

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Within moments, the impact [br]of Baldur’s death could be felt

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across the nine realms.

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But from the weeping masses, [br]Hermod the Brave stepped forward.

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The warrior god believed that with [br]the help of Odin’s mighty steed,

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there was no plane he could not reach.

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He would travel to halls of Hel herself, [br]and bring Baldur home.

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The god rode for nine days [br]and nine nights,

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past halls of corpses [br]and over paths paved with bone.

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When he finally reached [br]the Queen of the Underworld,

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Hermod begged her to return [br]Baldur to his family.

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Hel considered taking pity, but she wanted[br]to know the extent of the gods’ mourning.

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She agreed to relinquish Baldur’s soul—

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if Hermod could prove that every [br]living thing wept at Baldur’s death.

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Hermod shot back [br]to the land of the living.

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He met with every creature [br]that Frigg visited earlier—

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all of which cried for Baldur [br]and begged for his return.

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Meanwhile, Loki watched Hermod’s [br]mission with disdain.

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He would not let his work [br]be so easily undone,

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but if he interfered too boldly it might [br]reveal his hand in Baldur’s murder.

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Disguising himself as a ferocious giant, [br]he hid himself at Hermod’s final stop.

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When the warrior came,

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the howling wind and craggy rocks [br]each declared their love for Baldur.

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But the giant within spewed only contempt [br]for the deceased.

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No matter how much Hermod begged, [br]she would not shed a single tear.

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With his last hope dashed, the god began [br]to mourn Baldur a second time.

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But an echo from the cave [br]rang out above his sobs.

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Loki’s twisted cackle was well-known [br]to every Asgardian,

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and Hermod realized he’d been tricked.

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As he leapt to accost the trickster,

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Loki took the form of a salmon [br]and wriggled into the waterfall.

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His escape was guaranteed, [br]until Thor arrived at the scene.

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Dragging Loki back to the cave, the gods [br]bound him with a poisonous serpent.

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Here, Loki would remain chained [br]until the end of days—

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the serpent dripping venom [br]on his brow as punishment

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for dousing Asgard’s brightest light.