kill me!
Say that thou never wilt!

NANNA. Ah, I love Hother!
How can I?

BALDER. Perhaps thou only think'st thou lov'st him.
Can he deserve thee, Nanna? he, a mortal?

NANNA (incensed). He loveth virtue, Balder; he is valiant,
And great is he 'mongst kings; he ruleth over
The Danes!

BALDER. I'm more than any king, oh Nanna!

NANNA. Wert thou a god, I'd still have none but Hother!

BALDER (stretches his right hand despairingly towards heaven). Although
rejected--hear it all ye heavens--
Although rejected, I will love thee, Nanna!

[He has scarcely finished speaking when the Valkyrie ROTA appears. The
Bird of Death sits upon her shoulder. She averts her countenance,
touches his skull with her spear, and says:

To battle, friend! to wounds, and fall, and darkness!

[She immediately disappears, and as BALDER and NANNA have their backs
turned to her, and have both been too attentive to themselves to observe
any one else, she is neither seen nor heard but by the spectators.

BALDER (he springs up like a maniac, and holds his hand for some time
before his head). Ha! how I'm dreaming! how I waste my moments
In dastard sighs, bewailing like a woman!
And have I not a shield and sword? To battle!
To battle, Balder! Let thy broad sword glitter!
Lift high the sword, cleave down the haughty warrior,
And dip thy spear in blood, thou son of Odin!
Ha! din of shield 'gainst shield, and battle's bellow,
They, they shall gladden me--and deafen Nanna!
And I will cool this heart in blood of Kempions!

[He draws his sword, and runs away in madness.

NANNA (alone). Ye heavens! what did he mean? Alas, he rages!
Wretch that I am! he goes to slay my Hother!

My hopes ye annih'late,
Ye powers of the sky!
Who'll strengthen me, fainting,
Against the god's might?
Who'll heed my lamenting,
My sorrowful plight?
Ah! whom can I wend to?
Will earth e'er attend to
A powerless cry,
Which cruel gods smile at?
My hopes ye annih'late,
Ye powers of the sky!
Ha! ye have crush'd my heart! Oh Hother! Hother!
Where art thou? Ah! I can no more! I'm swooning!
O Death! O Freya!

[She supports herself, fainting, against a tree.

HOTHER, NANNA.

HOTHER (he rushes up to her in alarm). Dearest!

NANNA (looking stiffly upon him). Ah! my Hother!

HOTHER. So wild! so pale! Ah! would thy noble bosom
Was not so tender!

NANNA. Voice of my belov'd one!
Oh, speak again!