Before going into detail about this Norse god with a fascinating story, let's recall some essentials. When we talk about Baldur, we also refer to “Baldr” or “Balder” depending on the spellings and pronunciations of the Scandinavian peoples.
This god is no ordinary figure, as he is one of the sons of Odin, the god of gods, and his wife Frigg. With such important and well-known parents, you can imagine that Baldur will not play a secondary role in Norse mythology.
He is attributed many qualities, often described as extremely beautiful and radiant, and given several titles such as “the god of beauty” or “god of light”. However, his official title remains god of strength and sovereignty.
Mentality-wise, he is described as very wise and measured, a deity who offers good advice, knows how to listen, and shows kindness. To the point that he is considered the calmest and most peaceful of the Aesir (the inhabitants of Asgard).
34,90€
50,00€
The Powers of Baldur
Frigg’s Protection
Since Baldur is the child of the goddess Frigg, you can guess he has some extraordinary traits. And it is to his mother that thanks are due. Indeed, Frigg, having the gift of seeing the future, detected visions in her mind showing a tragic fate for her son Baldur.
That is why she decided to bless him and make him invulnerable to all weapons and objects. Baldur is then physically invincible; no one could hurt him. Perhaps this reminds some of you of the great Viking Bjorn Ironside, who is also said to be invincible.
She went even further by making a pact with all the plants, which promised never to prick or poison Baldur.
Physically invulnerable, but not mentally
Baldur’s uniqueness was a curiosity that the Norse gods found amusing, so he was regularly targeted. The gods amused themselves by attacking him with different types of objects and weapons to test his invulnerability power. Imagine being able to pierce someone with a spear and nothing happens.
However, it was a form of harassment, and Baldur was not insensitive to it all. It is said that his kindness and goodness come from the fact that he understands and knows the pain felt when one feels alone and different.
The Death of Baldur
Loki’s Trick
While the gods were attacking Baldur, laughing as their weapons bounced off his body, Loki was looking for a trick to bypass Baldur’s power.
He then searched for a plant that had not sworn an oath to Frigg, and he ended up finding mistletoe, a new plant that was too unknown at Baldur’s birth to have sworn an oath. A mistake that would cost Baldur dearly.
Loki manipulated the god Hodhr to attack Baldur with a mistletoe branch. This seemingly ordinary blow was fatal to Baldur, who was pierced by the branch as if it were a spear.
A Hope for the God of Light
As you know, when a god dies, but not on a battlefield, he resides alongside Hel, the goddess of death. The circumstances of Baldur’s death were so horrible that the Aesir gods begged the goddess Hel to release Baldur and bring him back to the world of the living.
The ceremony for Baldur was magnificent; it was an immense funeral rarely seen. Buffets, boats, magical outfits. The death of his wife Nanna added to the tragedy, as she could not bear her grief and let herself die to join her husband.
Baldur’s funeral
Seeing all this and hearing the prayers of the Aesir, Hel agreed to bring Baldur back to Asgard only if everyone sincerely mourned the death of the famous god of beauty Baldur.
That was the case; everyone wept for the god, even Heimdall at the foot of his Bifröst. Except for an old woman named Thökk, who was actually the god of cunning and deceit once again, Loki.
By doing this, Loki condemned Baldur. This enraged the Aesir so much that Loki suffered the same fate as Baldur. He was bound to three rocks with a serpent above his head.
Baldur’s end is tragic; the gods will only see him again on the day of Ragnarok.
Baldur’s Anecdotes
Baldur the Brave
As you know, the Vikings spoke “Old Norse,” which is composed of the runic alphabet Futhark. Baldur in Old Norse is a term meaning BRAVE.
It is also noted that in Icelandic it means BOLD.
An Evil Twin
Baldur was called the god of light while his twin brother, the god Hod, is called the god of darkness.
Hringhorni, the Largest Ship in the World
Baldur was behind the construction of the largest ship ever built, the famous Hringhorni.
The Kings of Asgard
After Ragnarok, Odin will be killed by the giant wolf Fenrir. The twin brothers Baldur and Hod will then reign over Asgard.
