How Loki's deceit led to Baldur's death and sent the gods' beloved son to Helheim.
Baldr, son of Odin and Frigg, was the most beloved of all the gods. He was fair-spoken, radiant, and wise, and even the plants and creatures of the earth seemed to love him. But one morning, Baldr began to suffer terrible dreams — visions of his own death. The gods grew afraid.
Frigg traveled through all the nine worlds and extracted oaths from every being and every thing — fire and water, iron and all metals, stones, earth, trees, birds, beasts, and serpents — that they would never harm her son. Only the mistletoe, small and seemingly harmless, was overlooked; she had thought it too young to bind.
When the gods learned nothing could harm Baldr, they made a game of hurling weapons at him and watching everything bounce harmlessly away. Loki, disguised as an old woman, visited Frigg and learned of the one exception: the mistletoe. He fashioned a dart from it.
At the next gathering, Loki guided the blind god Höðr's hand, placing the mistletoe dart in his grip and directing his aim. The dart flew straight and true and struck Baldr through the chest. He fell dead.
Grief unlike anything Asgard had known descended upon the gods. Odin whispered a secret into his dead son's ear. Frigg sent a messenger to Hel's realm to plead for Baldr's return. The goddess Hel agreed on one condition: every being in the nine worlds must weep for Baldr. Every rock, tree, and creature wept — all except one giantess named Thökk, believed to be Loki in disguise, who refused. Baldr remained in Hel's realm, waiting for the world's renewal after Ragnarök.
Frigg traveled through all the nine worlds and extracted oaths from every being and every thing — fire and water, iron and all metals, stones, earth, trees, birds, beasts, and serpents — that they would never harm her son. Only the mistletoe, small and seemingly harmless, was overlooked; she had thought it too young to bind.
When the gods learned nothing could harm Baldr, they made a game of hurling weapons at him and watching everything bounce harmlessly away. Loki, disguised as an old woman, visited Frigg and learned of the one exception: the mistletoe. He fashioned a dart from it.
At the next gathering, Loki guided the blind god Höðr's hand, placing the mistletoe dart in his grip and directing his aim. The dart flew straight and true and struck Baldr through the chest. He fell dead.
Grief unlike anything Asgard had known descended upon the gods. Odin whispered a secret into his dead son's ear. Frigg sent a messenger to Hel's realm to plead for Baldr's return. The goddess Hel agreed on one condition: every being in the nine worlds must weep for Baldr. Every rock, tree, and creature wept — all except one giantess named Thökk, believed to be Loki in disguise, who refused. Baldr remained in Hel's realm, waiting for the world's renewal after Ragnarök.
Beings in this myth
Artifacts
Ring / Jewellery
Draupne
Odin's gold ring — drips eight equally heavy gold rings every ninth night.