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Balder
Balder,
in Norse mythology, the god of light and joy, son of Odin
and Frigga, king and queen of the
gods.
Having
dreamed that Balder's life was threatened, Frigga extracted
an oath from the forces and objects in nature, animate and
inaminate, that they would not harm Balder, but she forgot
the mistletoe. The
gods, thinking Balder safe, cast darts and stones at him.
The malicious giant Loki put a twig
of mistletoe in the hands of Balder's twin, the blind Hoder,
god of darkness, and directed his aim against Balder, who
fell pierced to the heart.
After
the death of Balder, Odin sent another son, the messenger
Hermod, to the underworld to plead for Balder's return.
The god would be released only if everything in the world
would weep for him. Everything wept except one old woman
in a cave, and Balder could not return to life.
"Balder,"
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com
© 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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