Before going into detail about this Nordic god with a fascinating history, we will recall some essentials. When we speak of Baldur, we also speak of "Baldr" or "Balder" according to the spellings and pronunciations of the Scandinavian peoples.
This god is not just anyone, because he is one of the sons ofOdin the god of gods and his wife Frigg. With such important and known parents, you can imagine that Baldur will not occupy a secondary role in Norse mythology.
He is given a lot of quality, often described as extremely beautiful and radiant, he will be given several titles like "the god of beauty" or "god of light". However, his official title remains god of strength and sovereignty.
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Mentally, he is described as very wise and measured, a deity who gives good advice, who knows how to listen and give of his kindness. So much so that he is considered the calmest and most peaceful of the Aesir (the inhabitants of Asgard).
Baldur's powers
The protection of Frigg
Baldur being the child of the goddess Frigg, you can imagine that he will have some unusual characteristics. And it is to his mother that we must say thank you. Indeed, Frigg having the gift of seeing the future, she will detect in her mind visions showing a tragic destiny for her son Baldur.
This 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 Iron Coast who is said to be invincible too.
She will even go further by making a pact with all the plants that will make her promise never to sting or poison Baldur.
Invulnerable physically, but not mentally
Baldur's specificity was a curiosity that the Nordic gods found amusing, so he was regularly targeted. The gods had fun attacking him with different types of objects and weapons to test his invulnerability. Imagine being able to pierce someone with a spear without anything happening.
However, this was a form of harassment and Baldur was not insensitive to it. It is said that his kindness and goodness comes from the fact that he understands and knows the pain of feeling alone and different.
Baldur's death
The Cunning of Loki
While the gods were attacking Baldur, laughing at their weapons bouncing off his body, Loki was looking for a way around Baldur's power.
He then began to look for a plant that would not have been sworn to Frigg, and he eventually found Mistletoe, a new plant that was too unknown at Baldur's birth to be sworn to. An oversight that would cost Baldur dearly.
Loki manipulated the god Hodhr to attack Baldur with a branch of Mistletoe. This rather banal blow was fatal for 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 at the side of Hel the goddess of death. The circumstances of Baldur's death were so horrific that the Aesir gods begged the goddess Hel to free Baldur and bring her back to the world of the living.
The ceremony for Baldur was magnificent, it was ahuge funeral like one rarely sees. Buffets, boats, magical outfits. The death of his wife Nanna added to the drama, she could not bear her grief and let herself die to join her husband.
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.
This was the case, everyone mourned the god, even Heimdall at the foot of his Bifröst. Except for an old lady named Thökk who was actually the god of cunning and perfidy again, Loki.
By doing this, Loki had just condemned Baldur. This will make the Aesir so angry that Loki will suffer the same fate as Baldur. He will be tied to three rocks with a snake on his head.
The end of Baldur is tragic, the gods will 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 that means BRAVE.
It should also be noted that in Islendais it also means AUDACIOUS.
An evil twin
Baldur was called the god of light while his twin brother Hod is called the god of darkness.
Hringhorni the largest ship in the world
Baldur was responsible for the construction of the largest ship ever built, the famous Hringhorni.
The Kings of Asgard
After the Ragnarok, Odin will be killed by the giant wolf Fenrir. The twin brothers Baldur and Hod will then rule Asgard.
