d Litur, ran before his feet, and Thor gave him a push, and threw
him into the fire, and he was burnt. Many kinds of people came to this
ceremony. With Odin came Frigga and the Valkyrjor with his ravens. Frey
drove in a car drawn by the boar, Gullinbursti or Slidrugtanni. Heimdall
rode the horse Gulltopp, and Freyja drove her cats. There were also many
of the forest-giants and mountain-giants there. On the pile Odin laid
the gold ring called Draupnir, giving it the property that every ninth
night it produces eight rings of equal weight. In the same pile was also
consumed Baldur's horse.

For nine nights and days Hermod rode through deep valleys, so dark that
he could see nothing. Then he came to the river Gjoell which he crossed
by the bridge which is covered with shining gold. The maid who keeps the
bridge is called Modgudur. She asked Hermod his name and family, and
told him that on the former day there had ridden over the bridge five
bands of dead men.

"They did not make my bridge ring as you do, and you have not the hue of
the dead. Why ride you thus on the way to Hel?"

He said--

"I ride to Hel to find Baldur. Have you seen him on his way to that
place?"

"Baldur," answered she, "has passed over the bridge, but the way to Hel
is below to the north."

Hermod rode on till he came to the entrance of Hel, which was guarded by
a grate. He dismounted, looked to the girths of his saddle, mounted, and
clapping his spurs into the horse, cleared the grate easily. Then he
rode on to the hall and, dismounting, entered it. There he saw his
brother, Baldur, seated in the first place, and there Hermod stopped
the night.

In the morning he saw Hela, and begged her to let Baldur ride home with
him, telling her how much the gods had sorrowed over his death. Hela
told him she would test whether it were true that Baldur was so much
loved.

"If," said she, "all things weep for him, then he shall return to the
gods, but if any speak against him or refuse to weep, then he shall
remain in Hel."

Then Hermod rose to go, and Baldur, leading him out of the hall, gave
him the ring, Draupnir, which he wished Odin to have as a keepsake.
Nanna also sent Frigga a present, and a ring to Fulla.

Hermod rode back, and coming to Asgard related all he had seen and
heard. Then the gods sent messengers over all the world seeking to get
Baldur brought back again by weeping. All wept, men and living things,
earth, stones, trees, and metals