und Hodur standing
apart by himself, for he was blind. Then said Loki to him--

"Why do you not throw at Baldur?"

"Because," said he, "I am blind and cannot see him, and besides I have
nothing to throw."

"Do as the others," said Loki, "and honour Baldur as the rest do. I will
direct your aim. Throw this shaft at him."

Hodur took the mistletoe and, Loki directing him, aimed at Baldur. The
aim was good. The shaft pierced him through, and Baldur fell dead upon
the earth. Surely never was there a greater misfortune either among gods
or men.

When the gods saw that Baldur was dead then they were silent, aghast,
and stood motionless. They looked on one another, and were all agreed as
to what he deserved who had done the deed, but out of respect to the
place none dared avenge Baldur's death. They broke the silence at length
with wailing, words failing them with which to express their sorrow.
Odin, as was right, was more sorrowful than any of the others, for he
best knew what a loss the gods had sustained.

At last when the gods had recovered themselves, Frigga asked--

"Who is there among the gods who will win my love and good-will? That
shall he have if he will ride to Hel, and seek Baldur, and offer Hela a
reward if she will let Baldur come home to Asgard."

Hermod the nimble, Odin's lad, said he would make the journey. So he
mounted Odin's horse, Sleipner, and went his way.

The gods took Baldur's body down to the sea-shore, where stood
Hringhorn, Baldur's vessel, the biggest in the world. When the gods
tried to launch it into the water, in order to make on it a funeral fire
for Baldur, the ship would not stir. Then they despatched one to
Jotunheim for the sorceress called Hyrrokin, who came riding on a wolf
with twisted serpents by way of reins. Odin called for four Berserkir to
hold the horse, but they could not secure it till they had thrown it to
the ground. Then Hyrrokin went to the stem of the ship, and set it
afloat with a single touch, the vessel going so fast that fire sprang
from the rollers, and the earth trembled. Then Thor was so angry that he
took his hammer and wanted to cast it at the woman's head, but the gods
pleaded for her and appeased him. The body of Baldur being placed on the
ship, Nanna, the daughter of Nep, Baldur's wife, seeing it, died of a
broken heart, so she was borne to the pile and thrown into the fire.

Thor stood up and consecrated the pile with Mjolnir. A little dwarf,
calle