Pat er upphaf pessar sogu at Baldr inn goda dreymdi drauma stora ok
haettliga um lif sitt. En er hann sagdi Asunum draumana pa baru peir
saman rad sin, ok var pat gert at beida grida Baldri fyrir alls-konar
haska, ok Frigg tok svardaga til pess at eira skyldu Baldri eldr ok
vatn, jarn ok alls-konar malmr, steinar, jordin, vidirnir, sottirnar,
dyrin, fuglarnir, eitr, ormar. En er petta var gert ok vitat, pa var
pat skemtun Baldrs ok Asanna at hann skyldii standa upp a pingum en
allir adrir skyldu sumir skjota a hann, sumir hoggva til, sumir berja
grjoti. En hvat sem at var gert, sakadi hann ekki, ok potti petta gllum
mikill frami. En er petta sa Loki Laufeyjarson pa likadi honum illa er
Baldr sakadi ekki. Hann gekk til Fensalar til Friggjar ok bra ser i konu
liki. Pa spyrr Frigg ef su kona vissi hvat Esir hgfdusk at a pinginu. Hon
sagdi at allir skutu at Baldri, ok pat at hann sakadi ekki. Pa maelir Frigg:
"Eigi munu vapn eda vidir granda Baldri. Eida hefi ek pegit at gllum peim."
'Pa spyrr konan: "Hafa allir hlutir eida unnit at eira Baldri?"
'Pa svarar Frigg: "Vex vidarteinungr einn fyrir vestan Valholl. Sa er
mistilteinn kalladr. Sa potti mer ungr at krefja eidsins."
'Pvi naest hvarf konan a braut. En Loki tok mistiltein ok sleit upp ok gekk
til pings. En Hodr stod utarliga i mannhringinum pvi at hann var blindr. Pa
maelir Loki vid Hann:
"Hvi skytr pu ekki at Baldri?"
'Hvann svarar: "Pviat ek se eigi hvar Baldr er, ok pat annat at ek em
vapnlauss."
'Pa maelir Loki: "Gerdu po i liking annara manna ok veit Baldri soemd sem
adrir menn. Ek mun visa per til hvar hann stendr. Skjot at honum vendi
pessum."
"Hodr tok mistiltein ok skaut at Baldri at tilvisun Loka. Flaug skotit i
gognum hann ok fell hann daudr til jadar, ok hefir pat mest ohapp verit unnit
med godum ok monnum. Pa er Baldr var fallinn pa fellusk glumm Asum ortodok ok
sva hendr at taka til hans, ok a hverr til annars, ok varu allir med einum
hug til pess er unnit hafdi verkit. En engi matti hefna, par var sva mikill
gridastadr. En pa er Esirnir freis tudu at maela pa var hitt po fyrr at
gratrinn kom upp sva at engi matti gdrum segja med ordunum fra sinum harmi.
En Odinn bar peim mun verst penna skada sem hann kunni mesta skynn hversu
mikil aftaka ok missa Asunum med Asum er eignask viildi allar astir hennar
ok hylli ok vili hann rida a Helveg Baldr heim i Asgard. En sa er nefndr
Hermodr inn hvati, sveinn Odins, er til peirar farar vard. Pa var tekinn
Sleipnir, hestr Odins, ok leiddr fram, ok steig Hermodr a pann hest ok
hleypti braut.
----------------------------------------------------------
And the beginning of this story is that Baldr the good dreamed great
dreams boding peril to his life. And when he told the Aesir of the
dreams they took council together and it was decided to request immunity for Baldr from all kinds of danger, and Frigg received solemn promises so that Baldr should not be harmed by fire and water, iron and all kinds of metal, stones, the earth, trees, diseases, the animals, birds, poisons, snakes. And when this was done and confirmed it then became entertainment for Baldr and the Aesir that he should stand up at a**emblies and all others should shoot at him or strike him or throw stones at him. But whatever they did he remained unharmed, and they all thought this a great glory. But when Loki Laufeyiarson saw this he was not pleased that Baldr war unharmed. He went to Fensalir to Frigg and changed his appearance to that of a woman. Then Frigg asked this woman
if she knew what the Aesir were doing at the a**embly. She said that everyone was shooting at Baldr, and moreover that he was unarmed. Then said Frigg:
"Weapons and wood will not hurt Baldr. I have received oaths from them all."
Then the woman asked: "Have all things sworn oaths not to hurt Baldr?"
Then Frigg replied: "There grows a shoot of a tree to the west of
Val-hall. It is called mistletoe. It seemed young to me to demand an oath from."
Straight away the woman disappeared. And Loki the mistletoe and went to the a**embly. Hod was standing at the edge of the circle of people, for he was blind. Then Loki said to him: "Why are you not shooting at Baldr?"
He replied: "Because I cannot see where Baldr is and I have no weapon"
Then said Loki: " Follow other people's example and do Baldr much honour. I will direct you to where he is standing and you can shoot at him with this stick."
Hod took the mistletoe and shot at Baldr in Loki's direction. The
missile flew through him and he fell dead to the ground. And this was the unluckiest deed done among the gods and men. When Baldr had fallen all of the Aesir's tongues failed them as did their hands from lifting him up. And they all looked at each other and were all one mind toward the one who had done the deed. But none could take vengeance as Val-hall was a place of sanctuary. When the Aesir tried to speak, they were weeping so hard that no words came out. Son none could tell could tell another in words of his grief. But it was Odin who took this injury the hardest of all in that he had the best idea as to the amount of deprivation and loss the death of Baldr would cause the Aesir. When the gods came to themselves once more, Frigg spoke and asked who wished to
earn all her love and favour and was willing to ride the rode to Hel and seek Baldr and to offer Hel a ransom for Baldr to return to Asgard. Hermod the bold, Odins boy the name of the one who undertook the journey. Then Odins horse, Sleipnir was fetched and led forward. Hemod then mounted the horse and galloped away.
haettliga um lif sitt. En er hann sagdi Asunum draumana pa baru peir
saman rad sin, ok var pat gert at beida grida Baldri fyrir alls-konar
haska, ok Frigg tok svardaga til pess at eira skyldu Baldri eldr ok
vatn, jarn ok alls-konar malmr, steinar, jordin, vidirnir, sottirnar,
dyrin, fuglarnir, eitr, ormar. En er petta var gert ok vitat, pa var
pat skemtun Baldrs ok Asanna at hann skyldii standa upp a pingum en
allir adrir skyldu sumir skjota a hann, sumir hoggva til, sumir berja
grjoti. En hvat sem at var gert, sakadi hann ekki, ok potti petta gllum
mikill frami. En er petta sa Loki Laufeyjarson pa likadi honum illa er
Baldr sakadi ekki. Hann gekk til Fensalar til Friggjar ok bra ser i konu
liki. Pa spyrr Frigg ef su kona vissi hvat Esir hgfdusk at a pinginu. Hon
sagdi at allir skutu at Baldri, ok pat at hann sakadi ekki. Pa maelir Frigg:
"Eigi munu vapn eda vidir granda Baldri. Eida hefi ek pegit at gllum peim."
'Pa spyrr konan: "Hafa allir hlutir eida unnit at eira Baldri?"
'Pa svarar Frigg: "Vex vidarteinungr einn fyrir vestan Valholl. Sa er
mistilteinn kalladr. Sa potti mer ungr at krefja eidsins."
'Pvi naest hvarf konan a braut. En Loki tok mistiltein ok sleit upp ok gekk
til pings. En Hodr stod utarliga i mannhringinum pvi at hann var blindr. Pa
maelir Loki vid Hann:
"Hvi skytr pu ekki at Baldri?"
'Hvann svarar: "Pviat ek se eigi hvar Baldr er, ok pat annat at ek em
vapnlauss."
'Pa maelir Loki: "Gerdu po i liking annara manna ok veit Baldri soemd sem
adrir menn. Ek mun visa per til hvar hann stendr. Skjot at honum vendi
pessum."
"Hodr tok mistiltein ok skaut at Baldri at tilvisun Loka. Flaug skotit i
gognum hann ok fell hann daudr til jadar, ok hefir pat mest ohapp verit unnit
med godum ok monnum. Pa er Baldr var fallinn pa fellusk glumm Asum ortodok ok
sva hendr at taka til hans, ok a hverr til annars, ok varu allir med einum
hug til pess er unnit hafdi verkit. En engi matti hefna, par var sva mikill
gridastadr. En pa er Esirnir freis tudu at maela pa var hitt po fyrr at
gratrinn kom upp sva at engi matti gdrum segja med ordunum fra sinum harmi.
En Odinn bar peim mun verst penna skada sem hann kunni mesta skynn hversu
mikil aftaka ok missa Asunum med Asum er eignask viildi allar astir hennar
ok hylli ok vili hann rida a Helveg Baldr heim i Asgard. En sa er nefndr
Hermodr inn hvati, sveinn Odins, er til peirar farar vard. Pa var tekinn
Sleipnir, hestr Odins, ok leiddr fram, ok steig Hermodr a pann hest ok
hleypti braut.
----------------------------------------------------------
And the beginning of this story is that Baldr the good dreamed great
dreams boding peril to his life. And when he told the Aesir of the
dreams they took council together and it was decided to request immunity for Baldr from all kinds of danger, and Frigg received solemn promises so that Baldr should not be harmed by fire and water, iron and all kinds of metal, stones, the earth, trees, diseases, the animals, birds, poisons, snakes. And when this was done and confirmed it then became entertainment for Baldr and the Aesir that he should stand up at a**emblies and all others should shoot at him or strike him or throw stones at him. But whatever they did he remained unharmed, and they all thought this a great glory. But when Loki Laufeyiarson saw this he was not pleased that Baldr war unharmed. He went to Fensalir to Frigg and changed his appearance to that of a woman. Then Frigg asked this woman
if she knew what the Aesir were doing at the a**embly. She said that everyone was shooting at Baldr, and moreover that he was unarmed. Then said Frigg:
"Weapons and wood will not hurt Baldr. I have received oaths from them all."
Then the woman asked: "Have all things sworn oaths not to hurt Baldr?"
Then Frigg replied: "There grows a shoot of a tree to the west of
Val-hall. It is called mistletoe. It seemed young to me to demand an oath from."
Straight away the woman disappeared. And Loki the mistletoe and went to the a**embly. Hod was standing at the edge of the circle of people, for he was blind. Then Loki said to him: "Why are you not shooting at Baldr?"
He replied: "Because I cannot see where Baldr is and I have no weapon"
Then said Loki: " Follow other people's example and do Baldr much honour. I will direct you to where he is standing and you can shoot at him with this stick."
Hod took the mistletoe and shot at Baldr in Loki's direction. The
missile flew through him and he fell dead to the ground. And this was the unluckiest deed done among the gods and men. When Baldr had fallen all of the Aesir's tongues failed them as did their hands from lifting him up. And they all looked at each other and were all one mind toward the one who had done the deed. But none could take vengeance as Val-hall was a place of sanctuary. When the Aesir tried to speak, they were weeping so hard that no words came out. Son none could tell could tell another in words of his grief. But it was Odin who took this injury the hardest of all in that he had the best idea as to the amount of deprivation and loss the death of Baldr would cause the Aesir. When the gods came to themselves once more, Frigg spoke and asked who wished to
earn all her love and favour and was willing to ride the rode to Hel and seek Baldr and to offer Hel a ransom for Baldr to return to Asgard. Hermod the bold, Odins boy the name of the one who undertook the journey. Then Odins horse, Sleipnir was fetched and led forward. Hemod then mounted the horse and galloped away.