The most beautiful of all the sons of Odin All-father was Balder the Beautiful. Wherever he went, there was gladness and light-hearted mirth, and blooming flowers, and singing birds, and murmuring waterfalls. Balder, too, was a hero of the noblest type. He dared to do right, and to stand up for the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Although Balder knew he was loved by everyone, at night he tossed and turned, dreaming that he was about to be killed. Nothing could cure him of these nightmares. Odin, concerned for his son, determined to find out why. He searched for the grave of Volva the Seeress, and woke her from her cold dark sleep.
"For age upon age I have drifted dreamless in my deathly sleep. What is it that you would ask ?" croaked the Seeress.
"Why are the Halls of Hel decked with silver and furs and laid out for a grand feast?" asked the All-father.
"It has been set for none other than Balder the Beautiful, the son of Odin."
"Who shall be the one to slay him?" asked Odin
"Hoder, the blind god shall be the one to strike the fateful blow." replied the Seeress
"Who shall grieve for him?" he trembled.
"You shall," replied Volva, "Ask no more of me."
And with that, Volva the Seeress returned to her dreamless sleep of death.
Alarmed at the prophecy, Frigg, wife to Odin and mother of Balder, set upon her quest to save her beautiful boy. She spoke to all the living creatures on the earth.
Sun, fire, water, earth, iron, every sort of metal, tree, disease, beast, bird, fungus, poison, serpent and even the very stones swore never to harm Balder. He was truly a well loved god.
Then, after all things had sworn, there was nothing that could harm Balder. When Balder's brothers discovered this they made it into a sport. At the feasts Balder would stand to one side as the others threw spears, stones and knifes, but whatever they threw at him was harmless.
But there was one who was not pleased, one who was jealous of Balder and that one was none other than Loki, the Mischief Maker. When he saw how all things loved and honoured Balder, his heart was filled with jealous hate, and
he sought all over the earth for some beast or bird or tree or lifeless thing, that had not taken the oath. But he could
find not one.
One day Loki turned up in Asgard in the disguise of an old woman. He spoke to Frigg.
"It seems to me that those youngsters are trying to kill Balder."
Frigg smiled gently at the old woman, "Oh no, they would never harm him." she said. "All things have sworn not to harm our dear boy."
"Are you meaning to tell me, my lady, that every single thing has sworn?"
"To be truthful," replied the trusting Frigg "All have sworn except that sprig of mistletoe behind the oak, for it is still to young for such oaths."
Thrilled that he had finally found something that could harm Balder, Loki quickly made his way west of Valhalla to the mistletoe and plucked a sharp stem and fastened it to the end of a spear where the iron point would normally go.
Loki approched the feasting and the rowdy crowd that was throwing things at Balder. He sidled up to the blind god Hoder.
"Why do you look so desolute?" inquired Loki with a sneer Hoder could not see.
"I can hear the feasting and the laughter of those who throw things at my brother but I cannot join in, for I cannot see and the other gods do not allow me to carry a weapon for fear I may hurt myself."
"Come now Hoder," said Loki with a laugh, "If it truly means so much to you, I shall lend you this spear I found and shall even guide your hand."
The unsuspecting Hoder accepted Loki's offer and let him guide his hand,. Hoder threw the spear and the misletoe struck Balder in the heart.
All laughter ceased. Silence fell !
Balder was dead. The golden god lay on the ground, one hand curled around a bloody spear. A terrible sobbing and wailing rang out around Asgard.
