Happiness is a Choice: BALDER’S DEATH

Characters:

Balder (Baldur) - The most handsome of the gods was born to Frigg and Odin. He was named Balder (also known as Baldur). He was a god of truth and light. Balder was also knowledgeable in healing herbs and runes, which made him a favorite among the people of Midgard. Balder

Frigg- mother of Balder; wife of Odin

Odin- the king of the Norse gods

Loki- known as a trickster god. Sometimes he was mischievous, but he hadn't really been malicious.

Hod/ Hodur- Balder's blind brother; god of darkness

Hel- The goddess of death

Vali- slew his brother, the blind god Hod

Summary:

The most handsome of the gods was born to Frigg and Odin. He was named Balder (also known as Baldur). He was a god of truth and light. Balder was also knowledgeable in healing herbs and runes, which made him a favorite among the people of Midgard. Balder lived in a palace named Breidablik with his wife Nanna, a vegetation goddess. It was believed that no lie could pass through the walls of Breidablik, home of the god of truth, so when Balder started having frightening nightmares about his own demise, the other Aesir gods took them seriously. Unlike gods in other pantheons, the Norse gods were not immortal. They catalogued everything that might possibly because Balder harm, from weapons to diseases to creatures. With the list in hand, Balder'smother Frigg set out to exact assurances from everything in the nine worlds not to harm Balder. This wasn't hard because he was so universally loved.

Loki set off to the forest to get himself a branch of mistletoe. He then returned to the festivities at Gladsheim and sought out Balder's blind brother, Hod, god of darkness, who was in a corner because he couldn't aim and therefore couldn't participate in the test of Balder's invulnerability. Loki told Hod he would help him take aim and handed Hod a piece of apparently innocuous mistletoe to throw.

Hodur was grateful and accepted the offer, so Loki steered Hod's arm. Hod launched the branch, which caught Balder in the chest. Balder died instantly. The gods looked towards Hod and saw Loki beside him. Before they could do anything, Loki fled away.

Celebration turned to lamentation since the most beloved of the gods had died.

The goddess of death, Hel, promised that Balder could return to earth if every living creature shed tears of grief for Balder.

Loki disguised himself as the giantess Thok. As Thok, Loki was too indifferent to cry. And so, Balder could not return to the land of the living.