Balder
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Baldr (also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, Baldr (Old Norse: [ˈbɑldz̠]) is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and he has many brothers, including Thor and Váli. In the wider Germanic mythology, the god was known as Bældæġ in Old English and as Balder in Old High German, ultimately tracing back to the Proto-Germanic theonym Balðraz ("hero" or "prince").
In the 12th century, his story was recorded in Danish accounts by Saxo Grammaticus and other Danish Latin chroniclers. The Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, written in the 13th century in Iceland but based on older Old Norse poetry, contain numerous references to Baldr’s death, which is both a great tragedy for the Æsir and a forewarning of Ragnarök.
According to Gylfaginning, a book in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, Baldr's wife is Nanna, and their son is Forseti. Baldr is said to have built the largest ship ever constructed, Hringhorni, and there is no place more beautiful than his hall, Breidablik.
The Name Baldr
The Old Norse theonym Baldr ("brave, defiant"; "lord, prince") and its various Germanic cognates—including Old English Bældæg and Old High German Balder (or Palter)—likely derive from the Proto-Germanic Balðraz ("hero, prince"; cf. Old Norse mann-baldr "great man," Old English bealdor "prince, hero"). This, in turn, is derived from balþaz, meaning "brave" (cf. Old Norse ballr "hard, stubborn," Gothic balþa "bold, frank," Old English beald "bold, courageous, confident," Old Saxon bald "brave, bold," Old High German bald "brave, bold").
This etymology was originally proposed by Jacob Grimm (1835), who also speculated about a comparison with the Lithuanian báltas ("white," also the name of a light god). This was based on the semantic development from "white" to "bright" and then to "strong." Linguist Vladimir Orel considered this linguistically plausible. Similarly, philologist Rudolf Simelk argued that Old English Bældæg should be interpreted as "bright day," derived from a Proto-Germanic root bēl- (cf. Old English bæl, Old Norse bál, "fire") attached to dæg ("day").
In Old Norse, the word is occasionally used as an honorary title, such as in baldur í brynju (Sæm. 272b) and herbaldr (Sæm. 218b), in general epithets for heroes. In Continental Saxon and Anglo-Saxon traditions, Woden’s son is called not Bealdor but Baldag (Saxon) and Bældæg or Beldeg (Anglo-Saxon), indicating an association with "day," possibly the personified day as a deity. As Jacob Grimm highlights, this aligns with the interpretation of "the shining one, the white one, a god," derived from the meaning of the Baltic baltas. He also cites the Slavic Belobog and the German Berhta in support of this view.
Evidence
Merseburg Incantations
One of the two Merseburg incantations mentions Baldere but also references a figure named Phol, considered an epithet for Baldr (similar to Falr, Fjalarr in Scandinavian, and Balderus: Fjallerus in Saxo's accounts).
Poetic Edda
Unlike the Prose Edda, Baldr's death is not recounted in detail in the Poetic Edda but is only hinted at. Baldr is mentioned in Völuspá and Lokasenna and is the central theme of the eddic poem Baldr’s Dreams.
In Völuspá, the seeress (Völva) describes visions of Baldr’s death. In stanza 32, she recounts seeing the fate of Baldr, "the bleeding god":
Henry Adams Bellows' translation:
I saw for Baldr, the bleeding god,
The son of Othin, his fate set:
Famed and fair in the lofty fields,
Full grown in strength, the mistletoe stood.
The following stanzas refer to Baldr’s murder, the birth of Váli for vengeance against Höðr, and Frigg’s grief:
Stanza 33:
A branch seemed harmless and fair,
But a fatal dart it soon became,
To be thrown by Höðr’s hand.
Yet, soon Baldr's brother was born,
And in one night he avenged the old one's son.
Stanza 34:
He washed not his hands, nor combed his hair,
Till Baldr’s foe he burned in flames.
But in Fensalir, Frigg wept bitterly,
For Valhalla’s sorrow. Would you know more?
In stanza 62, looking far into the future, the Völva predicts that Höðr and Baldr will return, representing a new age of peace:
When unsown fields shall yield ripe grain,
All evils improve, and Baldr comes back.
Höðr and Baldr dwell in Hropt's battle-hall,
With the mighty gods. Would you know more?
In Lokasenna, a poem depicting a quarrel among the gods and Loki, Baldr is mentioned twice. In the first reference, Frigg, Baldr's mother, warns Loki:
Jackson Crawford's translation:
If I had a son like Baldr
sitting here beside me
in Ægir’s hall,
before these gods,
you wouldn’t leave alive;
you’d die here instead.
Loki responds, taunting her by revealing his role in Baldr's demise:
Do you really want me to say more, Frigg?
After all, it was I who made sure
that Baldr
never rides home again.
Baldr’s Dreams
The eddic poem Baldr’s Dreams begins with the gods convening to discuss Baldr’s troubling dreams:
Henry Adams Bellows' translation:
Once the gods were all together,
And the goddesses came to counsel too;
The far-famed sought to know the truth,
Why Baldr's dreams were filled with ill.
Odin rides to Helheim to seek answers from a Völva, reviving her with magic. She tells him that mead is being brewed for Baldr in her halls and hints at his fate:
Here mead is brewed for Baldr,
A shining draught, and a shield lies above;
But hope is gone from the mighty gods.
Unwillingly, I have spoken. Let me be silent.
When Odin presses her further, the Völva reveals that Höðr will kill Baldr using a branch, and that Váli will avenge his death in a single night. Again, she expresses her reluctance to speak:
Höðr bears the famed branch to strike Baldr down,
Robbing Othin's son of life.
Unwillingly, I have spoken. Let me be silent.
She then tells Odin that Váli, born of Rind in Vestrsalir, will not wash his hands or comb his hair until he avenges Baldr:
Rind gives birth to Váli in Vestrsalir,
In one night he avenges Othin's son.
He washes not his hands, nor combs his hair,
Till he casts Baldr's foe to the flames.
Unwillingly, I have spoken. Let me be silent.
The Völva eventually recognises Odin's true identity as Vegtam, and he acknowledges her as the mother of three giants. She warns him to ride home proudly, as she will speak no more until Loki breaks free from his bonds.
Prose Edda
Description of Baldr
In Gylfaginning, Baldr is described as follows:
Original Old Norse Text:
Annar sonur Óðins er Baldur, og er frá honum gott að segja. Hann er beztr, ok hann lofa allir. Hann er svá fagr álitum ok bjartr svá at lýsir af honum, ok eitt gras er svá hvítt at jafnat er til Baldrs brár. Þat er allra grasa hvítast, ok þar eptir máttu marka fegrð hans bæði á hár og á líki. Hann er vitrastr ása ok fegrst talaðr ok líknsamastr. En sú náttúra fylgir honum at engi má haldask dómr hans. Hann býr þar sem heita Breiðablik, þat er á himni. Í þeim stað má ekki vera óhreint.
Brodeur’s Translation:
The second son of Odin is Baldr, and good things are to be said of him. He is the best, and all praise him; he is so fair of feature and so bright that light shines from him. A certain herb is so white that it is likened to Baldr’s brow; it is the whitest of all plants, and by it, you may judge his beauty, both of hair and body. He is the wisest of the Æsir, the most beautifully spoken, and the most merciful; but such is his nature that none may withstand his judgment. He dwells in the place called Breidablik, which is in heaven; in that place, nothing unclean may be.
Baldr’s Death
Apart from his description, Baldr is best known for the story of his death, which marks the beginning of a series of events leading to the destruction of the gods at Ragnarök. According to Völuspá, Baldr will be reborn in the new world.
Baldr dreamed of his own death, and his mother Frigg had the same dream. Since dreams are often prophetic, this distressed them, prompting Frigg to make every object on earth swear never to harm Baldr. All objects took this oath, except for mistletoe—traditionally explained as being too insignificant to warrant asking. However, Merrill Kaplan suggests this reflects the idea that young entities, unable to swear oaths, could later become threats.
When Loki learned of this, he fashioned a magical spear (or, in some versions, an arrow) from mistletoe. Loki then brought the weapon to the gods' assembly, where they were amusing themselves by throwing objects at Baldr, all of which bounced off harmlessly. Loki gave the spear to Baldr’s blind brother, Höðr, who unknowingly killed Baldr with it. In other versions, Loki himself wielded the weapon.
To avenge this act, Odin and the goddess Rindr conceived Váli, who grew to adulthood within a day and slew Höðr.
Baldr’s Funeral
Baldr was burned on his ship Hringhorni, the largest of all ships. As he was placed on the ship, Odin whispered something into his ear—a secret meant to be an unsolvable riddle later referenced in Vafthrudnismál and the Hervarar Saga.
Thor threw the dwarf Litr into the funeral pyre, burning him alive. Baldr’s wife, Nanna, either died of grief or threw herself into the flames to await Ragnarök, when she would be reunited with her husband. Baldr’s horse, fully equipped, was also burned on the pyre. The ship was launched into the sea by the giantess Hyrrokin, who rode a wolf and gave the vessel such a shove that fire burst from the rollers and the earth quaked.
Attempt to Rescue Baldr
Frigg, through the messenger Hermóðr, pleaded with Hel to release Baldr. Hel agreed to free him if every living and dead thing wept for Baldr. All did so, except for a giantess named Þökk, often thought to be Loki in disguise, who refused to mourn. Thus, Baldr remained in the underworld, destined to return only after Ragnarök, when he and his reconciled brother Höðr would rule the new earth alongside Thor’s sons.
Connection to Anglo-Saxon Beldeg
In the Prose Edda’s prologue, an explicit connection is drawn between Baldr and the Anglo-Saxon figure Beldeg. This reflects the shared mythological roots of Norse and Anglo-Saxon traditions.
Gesta Danorum
Baldr’s Story by Saxo Grammaticus
The Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus, writing in the late 12th century, recounts the story of Baldr (recorded as Balderus) in a narrative presented as historical. According to Saxo, Balderus and Høtherus were rival suitors for the hand of Nanna, the daughter of Gewar, the king of Norway. Balderus, a demigod, possessed a sacred body impervious to ordinary steel.
The two rivals clashed in a fierce battle. Despite the support of Odin, Thor, and other gods, Balderus was defeated and fled, leaving Høtherus to marry the princess.
Balderus later mustered his courage and faced Høtherus again in combat, but his fortune worsened. Høtherus inflicted a fatal wound with a magical sword named Mistel, a weapon he had obtained from Mimir, the forest satyr. Balderus suffered for three days before succumbing to his injury and was buried with royal honours in a burial mound.
Chronicon Lethrense and Annales Lundenses
Two lesser-known Danish Latin chronicles, Chronicon Lethrense and Annales Lundenses (the latter included in the former), offer a different account of Baldr’s death at the hands of Höðr.
These sources describe Höther as a Saxon king, the son of Hothbrodd and Hadding. Höther first killed Odin’s son Baldr in battle and then pursued both Odin and Thor. Eventually, Odin’s son Both killed Höther. The narrative concludes by stating that Höther, Baldr, Odin, and Thor were mistakenly regarded as gods.
Utrecht Inscription
A Latin votive inscription from Utrecht, dated to the 3rd or 4th century CE, reportedly contains the dative form Baldruo. This has been interpreted to derive from a Latin nominative singular Baldruus, which some scholars associate with the Norse/Germanic god Baldr. However, both the reading and this interpretation remain contested.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Baldr is listed as an ancestor of the royal dynasties of Kent, Bernicia, Deira, and Wessex through his supposed son, Brond.
Epithets
Plants
As noted in Gylfaginning, in Sweden and Norway, both the scentless mayweed (Matricaria perforata) and the similar sea mayweed (Matricaria maritima) are referred to as baldursbrá ("Baldr’s brow"). In northern England, the plant is regionally known as baldeyebrow. Iceland has only baldrian (valerian), which is similarly named in Germany. Variants influenced by Phol include Faltrian (Upper Austria), Villumfallum (Salzburg), and Fildron/Faldron (Tyrol).
Place Names
Several Scandinavian place names contain Baldr’s name. The most notable and certain is the former parish name Balleshol in Hedmark, Norway, recorded as “a Balldrshole” in 1356 (where hóll means “hill” or “mound”). Other potential names include Baldrsberg in Vestfold, Baldrsheimr in Hordaland, Baldrsnes in Sør-Trøndelag, and possibly Balsfjorden and the municipality of Balsfjord in Troms.
In Denmark, Copenhagen has a Baldersgade ("Baldr’s Street"). Similarly, Reykjavík has Baldursgata, and Stockholm has Baldersgatan. Other Swedish names include Baldersnäs ("Baldr’s Isthmus"), Baldersvik ("Baldr’s Bay"), Baldersudde ("Baldr’s Point"), and Baldersberg ("Baldr’s Hill").
In Popular Culture
Comics
Balder the Brave is a fictional character based on Baldr. He appears in Marvel Comics as Thor’s half-brother and the son of Odin, ruler of the gods.
Video Games
- Age of Mythology (2002): Baldr (spelled Baldur) is one of nine Norse minor gods whom players can worship.
- God of War (2018): Baldr (spelled Baldur) is the main antagonist, depicted as far more aggressive and rugged than in Norse writings or traditional art.
Role-Playing Games
- In BioWare’s Bhaalspawn Saga and Dark Alliance (1998), Balduran is a legendary sailor who founded the city of Baldur’s Gate, lending his name to the iconic role-playing game series.