Myths of the Norsemen Part 31

Frigga alone cherished hope, and she watched anxiously for the return of her messenger, Hermod the swift, who, meanwhile, had ridden over the tremulous bridge, and along the dark Hel-way, until, on the tenth night, he had crossed the rus.h.i.+ng tide of the river Gioll. Here he was challenged by Modgud, who inquired why the Giallar-bridge trembled more beneath his horse's tread than when a whole army pa.s.sed, and asked why he, a living rider, was attempting to penetrate into the dreaded realm of Hel.

"Who art thou on thy black and fiery horse, Under whose hoofs the bridge o'er Giall's stream Rumbles and shakes? Tell me thy race and home.

But yestermorn five troops of dead pa.s.s'd by, Bound on their way below to Hela's realm, Nor shook the bridge so much as thou alone.

And thou hast flesh and colour on thy cheeks, Like men who live, and draw the vital air; Nor look'st thou pale and wan, like man deceased, Souls bound below, my daily pa.s.sers here."

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold).

Hermod explained to Modgud the reason of his coming, and, having ascertained that Balder and Nanna had ridden over the bridge before him, he hastened on, until he came to the gate, which rose forbiddingly before him.

Nothing daunted by this barrier, Hermod dismounted on the smooth ice, and tightening the girths of his saddle, remounted, and burying his spurs deep into Sleipnir's sleek sides, he put him to a prodigious leap, which landed them safely on the other side of Hel-gate.

"Thence on he journey'd o'er the fields of ice Still north, until he met a stretching wall Barring his way, and in the wall a grate.

Then he dismounted, and drew tight the girths, On the smooth ice, of Sleipnir, Odin's horse, And made him leap the grate, and came within."

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold).

Riding onward, Hermod came at last to Hel's banqueting-hall, where he found Balder, pale and dejected, lying upon a couch, his wife Nanna beside him, gazing fixedly at a beaker of mead, which apparently he had no heart to quaff.

The Condition of Balder's Release

In vain Hermod informed his brother that he had come to redeem him; Balder shook his head sadly, saying that he knew he must remain in his cheerless abode until the last day should come, but he implored Hermod to take Nanna back with him, as the home of the shades was no place for such a bright and beautiful creature. But when Nanna heard this request she clung more closely to her husband's side, vowing that nothing would ever induce her to part from him, and that she would stay with him for ever, even in Nifl-heim.

The long night was spent in close conversation, ere Hermod sought Hel and implored her to release Balder. The churlish G.o.ddess listened in silence to his request, and declared finally that she would allow her victim to depart provided that all things animate and inanimate would show their sorrow for his loss by shedding tears.

"Come then! if Balder was so dear beloved, And this is true, and such a loss is Heaven's-- Hear, how to Heaven may Balder be restored.

Show me through all the world the signs of grief!

Fails but one thing to grieve, here Balder stops!

Let all that lives and moves upon the earth Weep him, and all that is without life weep; Let G.o.ds, men, brutes, beweep him; plants and stones.

So shall I know the lost was dear indeed, And bend my heart, and give him back to Heaven."

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold).

This answer was full of encouragement, for all Nature mourned the loss of Balder, and surely there was nothing in all creation which would withhold the tribute of a tear. So Hermod cheerfully made his way out of Hel's dark realm, carrying with him the ring Draupnir, which Balder sent back to Odin, an embroidered carpet from Nanna for Frigga, and a ring for Fulla.

The Return of Hermod

The a.s.sembled G.o.ds crowded anxiously round Hermod as soon as he returned, and when he had delivered his messages and gifts, the aesir sent heralds to every part of the world to bid all things animate and inanimate weep for Balder.

"Go quickly forth through all the world, and pray All living and unliving things to weep Balder, if haply he may thus be won!"

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold).

North, South, East and West rode the heralds, and as they pa.s.sed tears fell from every plant and tree, so that the ground was saturated with moisture, and metals and stones, despite their hard hearts, wept too.

The way at last led back to Asgard, and by the road-side was a dark cave, in which the messengers saw, crouching, the form of a giantess named Thok, whom some mythologists suppose to have been Loki in disguise. When she was called upon to shed a tear, she mocked the heralds, and fleeing into the dark recesses of her cave, she declared that no tear should fall from her eyes, and that, for all she cared, Hel might retain her prey for ever.

"Thok she weepeth With dry tears For Balder's death-- Neither in life, nor yet in death, Gave he me gladness.

Let Hel keep her prey."

Elder Edda (Howitt's version).

As soon as the returning messengers arrived in Asgard, the G.o.ds crowded round them to learn the result of their mission; but their faces, all aglow with the joy of antic.i.p.ation, grew dark with despair when they heard that one creature had refused the tribute of tears, wherefore they would behold Balder in Asgard no more.

"Balder, the Beautiful, shall ne'er From Hel return to upper air!

Betrayed by Loki, twice betrayed, The prisoner of Death is made; Ne'er shall he 'scape the place of doom Till fatal Ragnarok be come!"

Valhalla (J. C. Jones).

Vali the Avenger

The decrees of fate had not yet been fully consummated, and the final act of the tragedy remains to be briefly stated.

We have already seen how Odin succeeded after many rebuffs in securing the consent of Rinda to their union, and that the son born of this marriage was destined to avenge the death of Balder. The advent of this wondrous infant now took place, and Vali the Avenger, as he was called, entered Asgard on the day of his birth, and on that very same day he slew Hodur with an arrow from a bundle which he seems to have carried for the purpose. Thus the murderer of Balder, unwitting instrument though he was, atoned for the crime with his blood, according to the code of the true Norseman.

The Signification of the Story

The physical explanation of this myth is to be found either in the daily setting of the sun (Balder), which sinks beneath the western waves, driven away by darkness (Hodur), or in the ending of the short Northern summer and the long reign of the winter season. "Balder represents the bright and clear summer, when twilight and daylight kiss each other and go hand in hand in these Northern lat.i.tudes."

"Balder's pyre, of the sun a mark, Holy hearth red staineth; Yet, soon dies its last faint spark, Darkly then Hoder reigneth."

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson).

"His death by Hodur is the victory of darkness over light, the darkness of winter over the light of summer; and the revenge by Vali is the breaking forth of new light after the wintry darkness."

Loki, the fire, is jealous of Balder, the pure light of heaven, who alone among the Northern G.o.ds never fought, but was always ready with words of conciliation and peace.

"But from thy lips, O Balder, night or day, Heard no one ever an injurious word To G.o.d or Hero, but thou keptest back The others, labouring to compose their brawls."