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Happy Holidays from Lucid's Dream
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Category All / All
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As said above, 'twas the Norse god Baldur, beloved by almost everybody, yet none tells the tale for those who don't know.
Once, back in the mists of time, the Aesir and Vanir, the Norse gods to you and me, learned of a prophesy about the death of Odin and Frigga's son, Baldur. As he was the god of peace and light – and handsome, too – Baldur was quite the popular god. A plan was hatched. A promise would be exacted out of everybody and everything to not harm or hurt him in any way. With much frantic toing and froing, they succeeded, missing the insignificant-seeming missiletoe because, after all, what harm could such a little plant do?
Indeed, one wonders just how thorough their diplomats really were. But it's the poor, overlooked mistletoe the half-giant trickster god Loki exploited when he thought up his last prank.
Can we really be surprised the Norse gods took up throwing things at Baldur? Secure in the belief everything they chucked at him would veer away in time rather than break a sacred vow, the gods made a game out of tossing things at him. It's the sort of things we mere mortals might do.
Yet, not all the gods cheerfully joined in. Baldur's brother Hödur had the misfortune of being blind, so he couldn't actually see where Baldur might be. This suited Loki just fine. The trickster convinced Hödur that yes, he could indeed join the fun, Loki conveniently just had this arrow, and he was most happy to lend it to Hödur to cheer him up. Why, Loki would also be tickled pink to point Hödur at Baldur so he doesn't look silly. Won't the other gods be surprised!
Surprised they were, all right. As you no doubt guessed three paragraphs ago, that arrow was made of mistletoe, that little sprig nobody thought could be a problem. Nobody, but Loki, of course, who just couldn't resist yanking everyone's chain by using it in his latest gag. The short of it was that Baldur, he of peace and light, died.
Grieved, Odin sent a messenger to the underworld to beg for Baldur's return. The underworld's administrator, Hel, agreed to let Baldur be resurrected if the gods could prove that everybody – and she did mean everybody – missed him and wanted him back. Otherwise, the mountains of paperwork just wouldn't be worth it.
To that end, the Aesir, Vanir, and their subjects turned out in force, canvassing all across the lands touched by the world ash Yggsdrasil. Things went well until they encountered a bitter, old giantess who declared Baldur had done her no good, so why should she shed any tears for him? Thwarted, the gods returned to Asgard, sad in the knowledge that Baldur was going to stay dead. To that end, they turned their focus on the real perpetrator of the deed, Loki.
As it turned out, the irascible giantess was none other than Loki, going too far with his tricks, as pranksters are wont to do at times. The gods were not amused. They chained Loki to a rock and set a viper to drip poison upon him, not to escape until Ragnarok. Only Loki's own wife showed any pity, catching the poison in a cup until it overflowed, forcing her to let poison drip on Loki for a moment as she emptied it out. His throes of agony during those times create the earthquakes that occasionally shake the land.
But all is not lost, for Baldur's return has also been prophesied. When the battles of Ragnarok are over, Asgard in ruins, and the gods all dead, Baldur shall come back to reign over the renewed Midgard in a new age of peace and light.
Once, back in the mists of time, the Aesir and Vanir, the Norse gods to you and me, learned of a prophesy about the death of Odin and Frigga's son, Baldur. As he was the god of peace and light – and handsome, too – Baldur was quite the popular god. A plan was hatched. A promise would be exacted out of everybody and everything to not harm or hurt him in any way. With much frantic toing and froing, they succeeded, missing the insignificant-seeming missiletoe because, after all, what harm could such a little plant do?
Indeed, one wonders just how thorough their diplomats really were. But it's the poor, overlooked mistletoe the half-giant trickster god Loki exploited when he thought up his last prank.
Can we really be surprised the Norse gods took up throwing things at Baldur? Secure in the belief everything they chucked at him would veer away in time rather than break a sacred vow, the gods made a game out of tossing things at him. It's the sort of things we mere mortals might do.
Yet, not all the gods cheerfully joined in. Baldur's brother Hödur had the misfortune of being blind, so he couldn't actually see where Baldur might be. This suited Loki just fine. The trickster convinced Hödur that yes, he could indeed join the fun, Loki conveniently just had this arrow, and he was most happy to lend it to Hödur to cheer him up. Why, Loki would also be tickled pink to point Hödur at Baldur so he doesn't look silly. Won't the other gods be surprised!
Surprised they were, all right. As you no doubt guessed three paragraphs ago, that arrow was made of mistletoe, that little sprig nobody thought could be a problem. Nobody, but Loki, of course, who just couldn't resist yanking everyone's chain by using it in his latest gag. The short of it was that Baldur, he of peace and light, died.
Grieved, Odin sent a messenger to the underworld to beg for Baldur's return. The underworld's administrator, Hel, agreed to let Baldur be resurrected if the gods could prove that everybody – and she did mean everybody – missed him and wanted him back. Otherwise, the mountains of paperwork just wouldn't be worth it.
To that end, the Aesir, Vanir, and their subjects turned out in force, canvassing all across the lands touched by the world ash Yggsdrasil. Things went well until they encountered a bitter, old giantess who declared Baldur had done her no good, so why should she shed any tears for him? Thwarted, the gods returned to Asgard, sad in the knowledge that Baldur was going to stay dead. To that end, they turned their focus on the real perpetrator of the deed, Loki.
As it turned out, the irascible giantess was none other than Loki, going too far with his tricks, as pranksters are wont to do at times. The gods were not amused. They chained Loki to a rock and set a viper to drip poison upon him, not to escape until Ragnarok. Only Loki's own wife showed any pity, catching the poison in a cup until it overflowed, forcing her to let poison drip on Loki for a moment as she emptied it out. His throes of agony during those times create the earthquakes that occasionally shake the land.
But all is not lost, for Baldur's return has also been prophesied. When the battles of Ragnarok are over, Asgard in ruins, and the gods all dead, Baldur shall come back to reign over the renewed Midgard in a new age of peace and light.
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