ABSTRACT
Baldr, according to the Prose or Snorra Edda, was the son of Óòinn (st. 22), husband of Nanna, and father of Forsēti (st. 32). The skaldic poet Pjóflólfr of Hvin speaks of Pórr as Baldr’s brother in his Haustlong (st. 17); Voluspà (st. 33) and Lokasenna (st. 28) seem to indicate that Frigg is Baldr’s mother. The story of Baldr’s death and the gods’ failure to accomplish his return from Hel provide the pivotal catastrophe in the preparation for Ragnarpk in both Snorra Edda (chs. 49–50) and Vcluspà (sts. 31–33) (see Ciklamini 1978: 57). Other sources for Baldr include Baidrs draumar, where Óflinn leams from the vclva (“prophetess”) that Baldr has had bad dreams about his impending death; the Old High German Second Merseburg Charm, in which the magician Óòinn heals the hoof of Phol, Baldr’s horse, the injury also being prophetic ōf some future harm to come to Baldr; Hyndluljód (st. 29), where mention is made of revenge on Hpflr as Baldr’s murderer; Eirfksmāl (st. 3), which prophesies Baldr’s return to the new world after Ragnarpk. Quite another story emerges in Saxo’s Gesta Danorum, where Baldr becomes a heroic semideiry who is killed in his quest for the woman he loves (Book 3). Here, Baldr is stripped of all mythological significance.
