“ ” ” A utho r o f Narcissus The Su rem e Gift et , p , c.
Ne w York a nd London Cbe Rnichetbochct p ress 1 9 1 0
E! WA R! HU BBA R! ! ITCHF IE ! !
THE A RGUME N T
HE subject-matter is furnished by the sto r y
a s E dda . of Baldur , told in the Prose
A s a r d o ds In g , the city of the g , are assembled
Sc an di n avian Odin the chief deities , with , their
kin father and g, who from his throne over looking space ca tches occasional disturbing
o f e glimpses Muspell , the final Heaven , wh nce , upon the J udgment Day o f the gods ! Ragna r ok! is to come the annihilation of the exist
. th e ing hierarchy Baldur , sometimes termed ’ — o f n e ' Apollo the North , o of Odin s sons the
- ZEsir is o f o r . , the god light and love , perfection
He is warned in dreams of impending peril , and Odin endeavours to save him by deputing his
to of uni mother , Frigga , demand an oath the
t e verse that nothing will do him harm . All ak The A rgum ent
x this oath e cept the mistletoe , exempted by it Frigga on account of s weakness . By means his of the mistletoe , therefore , Baldur meets death , through the knavery of Loki , the de
a s structive principle , better known the God f o Fire . Consternation immediately prevails .
Valhalla being sacred to those slain in battle , ’ Baldur s soul goes perforce to Hel , and Hermod , ’ o f ZEsir o n another the , mounted Odin s won d e r ful - to eight legged horse , is sent thither beg ’ his brother s ransom .
After a terrible journey , bravely endured , i Hermod reaches Hel . He there obtains from ts ’ e queen , Hela , Loki s abhorrent daughter , promis ’ o f o f the surrender Baldur s soul , upon the con dition that everything throughout the worlds shall first weep his death . If a single creature
its is withhold tears , Baldur to remain in Hel , fo r perfect beauty and goodness are to be wo n only through perfect love and unanimous desire . vi The A rgu m ent
Her mod returns to Asgard with renewed hope . Odi n issues imperative command that all shall
fo r weep Baldur , and an unprecedented lamen i ui ta tio n . d a s follows Loki only , sg sed the hag ’
Th auk t . , stubbornly refuses to mourn Hela s i ’ condition being thereby v olated , Baldur s soul must remain unredeemed till Ragnarok . Upon
a s di that future day , foreseen by O n alone , a di battle will be fought in which , after incre ble di marvels , all the gods , including O n himself , will be slain . The universe will then be purified
m i c o nfla r atio n by an overwhel ng g , and there will be created a new Earth and a new Heaven ,
to f wherein Baldur is live o r ever . Ragnarok being , however , still far distant , the world , bereft meanwhile of all that Baldur represents , its continues unconcerned on way .
CONTENTS
THE A RGUME N T
THE ! E A TH OF BA ! ! UR
THE J OU RN E Y TO HE !
RA GN A ROK
THE DEATH OF BA ! ! UR
THE DEATH OF BA ! ! UR
ae was ONG ons past , ere yet count of time ,
At Asgard , silver city of the gods ,
- ui Bright b lt , midway among the blazing suns , ’ By Urdar Fount , neath mighty Yggdrasil ,
- The Ash tree Yggdrasil , whose branches stretch
as a s As high Heaven , whose roots strike deep
Hel ,
The Bsir held their court .
There , on a throne - hi hi Set gher than the ghest leap of thought ,
di A ll- o f Was O n , the Father , king gods
‘ Whence , at a glance , his vast omniscient eye ,
o ve r swe t Midgard , the realm of mortals , p ’ A s t were a graven tablet at his feet ; 3 Baldur the Beautiful
’ Thence , too , from Heaven s most southern edge , betimes
Caught the swift flash , intolerably bright , ’ Gim li s Of a flaming falchion , where , by Hall ,
- Sur tur Gold roofed , , the Mighty , patient sat ,
Guardian of Muspell , ageless Land of Light
Muspell , the supreme Heaven , whence at the last
Should flow the devastating fires of death .
- And Odin , the All Father , inly sighed , o By that fell gleam foreseeing Ragnar k ,
- The Dusk Day of the gods .
A Space below , ZEsir His sons , the lesser gods , the , sat ; t First Thor , the Thunderer , wi h belt unloosed , His giant mallet like a feather weight his N OI‘ d Reclined across knee ; him following , J , Who held the master secret of the seas l And drove the winds in eash ; intrepid Tyr , ’ ’ Who lost his bold right hand twixt Fen r ir s jaws ; t Hermod the Swift , whose foo no dart outsped ; The Death of Baldur
- wh o se s o use Bragi the Silver Mouthed , p , Idun , Stored the gold apples whereof fed the gods ’ o erto o k When hoary Age them , to renew
o f The lustre their Spring ; Silent Vidar , o Sandalled with noiselessness ; H dur the Blind ,
Stronger than seven ; Frey , the god of Peace , hi And Heimdall the W te God , the Vigilant ,
o f G allar Warder Heaven and of the j Horn ,
- Who heard the grass blade Split the buried seed ,
And saw by night , a score of leagues away ,
a s Clear by noon ; there , too , dread God of Fire ,
o f Loki , the false of tongue , falser heart , — The fair- faced sire of monsters o f the wolf
orm un ar d Fenrir , of Hela and of J g ;
o f And there , best , brightest , wisest , them all
The dearest loved , amid his brother gods
Baldur the Beautiful , surnamed the Good ,
Moved , dazzling , like a flame .
What favoured tongue ,
to Wonted godly measures , should avail 5
The Death of Baldur
And there , the convocation at an end ,
- Supine beneath deep branching Yggdrasil , to Content they hearkened , while , pleasure them , Baldur the Beautiful sang songs more sweet h T an his who moved the stones of Thebes in line ,
Or his whose loftier lyre built lofty Troy . — Of middays Baldur sang o f hot noontides Thrilled through with pulsing gold ; o f silver streams Set thick with diamonds that mocked the sun ; Of ivory blossoms gleami ng mid the green Like drifted summer snow ; of marshalled
’ The sunset s standard bearers ; of white gulls Like jewelled arrows shot across the blue ; Of stars ; of mellow moons ; of all things bright
sir And warm and glad . Entranced the ZE heard ; And as a hummingbird above the bloom
o n Light poised murmuring wing , with accurate thrust Baldur the Beautiful
Of rapier- beak straight to its luscious heart
so Gathers its one sweet drop , breath by breath
They drank the honey of each dul cet song .
o n Then , a day , there broke across the strain , di Marring its ecstasy , scordant notes
Of conflict and of darkness , that on ears
Used but to joy struck wonder , as when rain
Drops from an undimmed Sky . Thus Baldur sang
! A YBRE A K
! Arouse thee , O Day , and reconquer thy world ’ un Night s challenging banners , triumphant
furled ,
Float wide on the somnolent breeze .
The valleys lie muffled and misty in sleep .
- Grey Shadows , like dream ghosts , uncertainly creep ’ O er the face of the shuddering seas . Arouse thee ! Undo the enchantments of Night ! 8 The Death o f Baldur
ulsin s With tremulous p g and breathings of light ,
Pursue a s he fainting retires . Pluck the reddening rays from thi ne opaline quivers ! Slant them up at the last of the stars where it shivers
In the ash of its faltering fires .
cur tain in s . Unfasten thy g , fold upon fold
Set wider thy floodgates of bill owy gold .
fl tin ! o . u , the lark is awake He is g thy name From the quivering heights where the clouds are
aflam e ,
- Ere follow the full throated choirs . The t0ps of the listeni ng trees are athrill
With desire for the stir of thy step on the hill , For thy quickening glance o ’ er the hush of the
plain .
Come , crowned and engirdled with uttermost
splendour , Thy glorious soul undi smayed to surrender 9 Baldur the Beautiful
w fi In a breathless outburst of magni cent pain .
- Re kindle the worlds with thy limitless light .
Stand forth in unparalleled lustre and might ,
Every fear to dispel , every shadow to Slay , O invincible Day !
Then peerless Odin , bending from above , Asked whence those melancholy notes of dr ead ! And gloom came , darkling , to the canticle
And Baldur , all unwilling , yet compelled
By that vast eye that had his soul in bonds ,
Of i i haunting v s ons told that teased his rest ,
Dire dreams , foretelling peril even of life , Whispered by Elves of Darkness in the hours When Sleep unlocks the inner ear to sounds
o ver s e aks— Day p dreams ill beyond concept , Eclipsing the sweet light of all his noons
With hideous portents , laying malignant Spell
’ Athwart life s secret tides . Blood ebbed , breath failed The Death of Baldur
hi s Before menaced doom , though whence the
threat ,
Or what the unnatural skill Should compass it ,
He nothing knew .
[Esir er lext The , sore p p , A S Pondered the monstrous tale . when a wind
Strikes the calm sea , wrinkling its satin plane With casual ripples that confusedl y
l m i x ! uiver and cross , ti l met and inter t , In gradual waves the tangled lines press on ul Under one imp se goaded , each from each
r So gathe ing impetus that , at the last ,
ll to Grown into bi ows swollen giant strength , From shore to shore they plough the ocean ’ s heart
to fi Thus dread of boded harm Baldur , rst ’ thefE Sir s Uneasily senses stirred ,
x Then wa ed to full possession . Now again
S - pake Odin the All Father , king of gods ; I I Baldur the Beautiful And as through angry mutterings of storm
The solemn roll of thunder breaks afar ,
so Resolving all sounds else to silence , ’
to . His voice fell o er them , and they hushed hear
Thus he decreed ; that straightway should be had
From fire , air , water , ether , iron , stone From Earth and every o r e within her keep
o r flew— From all that crawled , or walked , from all
o n sea o r That being had land , in , air , In each and every star—from all wherein
sa — Flowed blood , stirred p, coursed ichor yea , from all
o r That moved moved not , breathed or breathed
wa s not , Or was not—oath that none would work him
harm , hi B aldur the Beautiful . Thus should s days I 2 The Death of Baldur
Be free from motived ill . And since of all ’ fashi o n in s Love s manifested g , motherhood
wa s Most unalloyed , most flawless , swiftest
do To see and , nor spare itself m doing , The mission this commandment to proclaim Accorded should be Frigga—her who bore
to his With gladsome throes Odin this son ,
Baldur , the best beloved . The E sif heard as Rejoicing , while , ice melts under noon ,
f . a s Their fear went rom them Then , fallen leaves
dr In ear dead ranks , whipped by a sudden gust , S e wirl from the ground instinct with wing d life ,
So to swept they forth on that behest , seek — The goddess in her dwelling Fensalir , ’ Built of red gold , roofed o er with silver shields ’ o er s r an Breathless p g the threshold , breathless told
she sat Their message where serene and still , I S
The Death o f Baldur
Though all the gods together sang of thee ,
The be st were still unsung .
The surge of myriad seas is in thy veins . Thy rhythm i c pul ses beat ’ Harmonious with Heaven s eternal strains . s It winds are in thy feet .
Ruthless a s Fate thou art ; a fierce typhoon When worlds thy path defy ; Yet tender as the touch of summer moon
Where Sleeping lilies lie .
a s Oh , love transcendent , vast breadth and length
Of Space beyond the Spheres , And mighty with the garnered grace and strength Of all the mingled years !
’ ’ A S o er the land twixt widest east and west
The wings of Day are Spread , I S Baldur the Beautiful
life lies folded to thine ample breast , o urish N e d and comforted .
The weighty oath thus had and Baldur free ,
wa s . Once more joy in Asgard There , for sport
Meet for high mirth , yet more to honour him
‘ Naught now might harm , in laughter and in love
His set brother gods Baldur in their midst , ’ ! A mark against their weapons seasoned skill . “ ” “ Stretch forth thine arm , cried one , that I may speed
My lance between thy fingers . Stand
secure , f Another cried . This cunning stroke o mine
Shall lift yon lock from thy resplendent brow .
Hold fast cried yet a third . My sword shall cleave
The shadow from thy body . Thus they tried 1 6 The Death of Baldur
Their various worth , and where by chance they missed
Their purposed goal , the weapon fell on him
m l . Har ess as leaf on pool , or mist on flower
’ ’ And Bal dur s smile shone o er them like a star .
One onl y was there mid the jocund throng — al Who loved not B dur Loki , false of tongue ,
Falser of heart . Doth Night love Day ! Doth Hate Love Love ! Rage shook him as his sharpened blade
Shivered and brake against that shining breast , Nor left a scar to point how true the aim ;
And hurled he rock an Ajax might have doomed , It fell as light from ' that uplifted brow ’ As t were a shaken dewdrop . Blind with wrath
hi s That like red coals upon eyelids lay ,
o ff dl He hastened thence , put his go y form And tricked him as a woman bent with years 2 I 7 Baldur the Beautiful
80 sought out Fensalir where Frigga sat
Serene and still , with eyes that looked afar
And saw but what was good . ’ Kn o w st thou , he said , The E sir hold their concourse ! “ ! ” A y . What then
Asked Frigga , and her voice was like a chime
Of silver bells rung in the eventide .
Lo , this , he answered her . A prodigy . — Their darts they fling at Baldur nay , forsooth ,
’ Naught leave untried , whate er the weapon chance
i With v gour of the best , and varied aim , Yet harm him n o t
A a i y y , the goddess sa d
se a And her face lightened like the sunlit .
Nothing can harm him , for I have the oath .
! ” The oath cried Loki , and with careful ear 1 8 The Death of Baldur
! Waited her word . The oath Who then hath sworn ! ”
All things , quoth Frigga , saving one alone .
! n o t That one craved Loki , and breathed for thirst
Of coming knowledge . Prithee , name it me .
m o un tam fio r d Calm as the light of moon on ,
When summer Sleeps , relaxed , upon the hills , ’ “
. sh e Was Frigga s smile A little shrub , said , That grows beside Valhalla—mistletoe They call it And it dared withhold the oath
The deep eyes o f the goddess shone with love
Wide as the universe . So young it was — So pale and weak I spared its feebleness ” The waste of breath . I 9 Baldur the Beautiful
It was well done , avowed
The false of heart ; exultant sallied forth ,
Took back his birthright shape , and straight him hied Thither where by Valhalla faintly grew
The little shrub , scarce lifted from the root
to o to o to That gave it life , young , weak flower .
s Ruthles he brake it from its pliant stem ,
Close hid it in the hollow of his palm , And sped him where the E sir jubilant
Their sport pursued , Baldur its goal and crown
Baldur the perfect , fashioned all of love ,
Baldur the Beautiful , surnamed the Good .
’ sa d - as An arrow s flight away , browed , one
se t By Fate from common joyance apart , o H dur the Blind , stronger than seven , stood ,
His sinewy arms light crossed above his breast .
Him Loki swift discerned and swifter sought . 2 0 The Death o f Baldur
! ’ What dost thou here quoth he . Would st thou alone Spare Baldur meed of honour !
Nay , in truth ,
fo r Hodur made answer , I love him well
He is mine only day , and all my light .
But weapon have I none ; or had I such ,
How should these futile eyes find way to him , ” That see not their own path !
S . tay Loki urged .
Take thine allotted pleasure . Lo , this twig ’ i t s . Though small , somewhat , truly Here thou ’ hast t.
Thy pole star I . Put forth thy matchless strength
Thine uttermost . Accord him thus much grace .
o Thereat H dur the Blind , stronger than seven ,
His shadowed countenance relit and glad ,
in - o : to o Cried out voice new tuned to j y I , , 2 1
The Death o f Baldur
n And co fii e d in the darkness of the world . o di H dur , alone amid them un straught , him Still smiling soft , joy not yet gone from ,
Hearkened , anticipant , for answering Sign , Till suddenly the silence smote on him
As it had been a blow . Doubt , dread , despair
Gripped him and drave him fo rward . Thus he
came ,
Precipitate , with stumbling senseless feet ,
i On Baldur prostrate , bent down grop ng hands , And in the agony of knowledge gave
His being up , with clamorous groans that rang
Reverberant through the wide vaults of Heaven .
Then such a cry went out from all the gods
- As Shook the Hel bound root of Yggdrasil , And tore the embedded anchors of the skies “ From every mooring loose . Woe ! Woe !
they cried . Baldur the Beautiful ! Baldur the Good ! Baldur the Beautiful
! Baldur , our Brother And the universe
hi s Rocked like a leaf , while on lonely throne ,
- his Odin , the All Father , veiled stricken face .
Lo , then , like mariners on Northern seas , Who through the rift of storm -rent clouds behold
so E sir The midnight sun , were the ware
Of Frigga in their midst , stiller than death , Mantled in such di vini ty of grief That awe fell on them like a mailed hand
Compelling them to Silence , while her words So reached their consciousness as if to each
His own voice whispered to him in his soul . “ him That son most swift , most sure , let take steed
hi m ni And Spare not spur , nor stay day nor ght
For love nor hate , for life nor death , until
He slacken rein in Hel , and there demand
so Ransom for Baldur , he come again
To Asgard , that again the worlds have light , 2 4 Th e Death of Baldur
That Yggdrasil bear leaves , and Heaven ” Heaven .
i As lightning leaps amid the brood ng clouds , Out from the ZESir Hermod leapt forthwith
o utflew Hermod the Fleet , whose foot no wing And swore by Odi n ’ s puissant Scimitar
To sate nor thirst nor hunger , nor to seek ’ Sleep s intimate refreshment , ere in Hel ,
From Hela , odious ruler of the nine
wo n . Unhappy lands , he great Baldur back ’ And as at stir o f spring s awakening sap
Boughs bare as bones , flaming to sudden bloom Are wreathed halls for hidden choristers
so That fill the air with ecstasy , Hope ’ Flowed r e - creating through the E sir s veins ’ At Hermod s oath , and all their blood ran wine .
From Odin ’ s throne imperious command
ash - Then came that grey Sleipnir , first of steeds , 2 5 Baldur the Beautiful
For Frigga ’ s envoy Should accoutred be
et Sleipnir , whom none but Odin y bestrode
- Sleipnir the marvellous , the double limbed , ’ Who trod the ether a s t were pastured earth
The swift beyond compare , each leap a flight
Immeasurable , each breath a molten flame . J oyous Sprang Hermod to the massive back ; t ’ , b e a , in So for a pulse _ his brothers Sight
Stood imaged , straight as fir on mountain top ,
While to the goddess suppliant eyes he bent ,
Mutely petitioning a signalled grace . Then by the look She gave him panoplied
’ Against aught ill , he spake in Sleipnir s ear ,
Dropped the loose line upon his stormy mane , w Struck Spur , and vanished like a meteor , hilst ’ The [Esir s shout still thundered down the dark .
2 6
II
THE J OURN E Y TO HE !
’ THE ZESIR S CHORU S Fast ! Ride fast ! Storm rides with thee ! The shrieking blast
Thy bugle be , The long slant rain Of the hurricane
Thy javelin . The race begin ! Be the swiftest star Thy chariot wheel ; The lightning ’ s bar Step for thy heel ; 2 9
The Journey to He l
N o more was than a smoking shadow ; Midgard
A pallor sketched against the dimness . On
And on rushed Sleipnir , every beat of hoof
A lightning flash , a whirlwind every breath
him as And high upon , straight masted pine ,
Hermod , with brow that bent nor right nor left , f il And proud eyes una frighted , wh e the stars ,
o ff Told like milestones , measured one by one
His course through space . No w wa s the outmost Sphere Onl y a golden memory di ssolved Hi ’ In nothingness . s eye where e er it fell
ni —a Found black , bleak , bitter ght darkness
fierce ,
Defiant , treacherous , before advance
Retreating as a wave retreats , to close In after with an all - en gul fin g rush — And drown resistance darkness horrible , Massed here and yon in denser blurt ings vague 3 1 Baldur the Beautiful
Colossal shapings supernatural , — Ungodly and unhuman ambushed fiends ,
Plotting enormities .
More swift and more ,
Fleeter than wind , than time , than thought
itself , Sleipnir with Hermod raced adown the dark Nine timeless days fled down the frozen deep
no sun Nine days wherein was , midnights all ,
Where was no moon , nor any glint of star ,
in f l N e o d more bitter grown each sequent hour . Caparisoned in sheeted ice the horse Congealed to opals every geyser breath
his And on back Hermod , a marble god
- e White as the wind whipped foam , his plum d head
Held high as light on beacon tower , his eyes
Flinging their challenge fearless on to Hel . — Nine days he rode a measureless time of dread 3 2 The Journey to H el
Unfathomable . Then faintly gleamed at last
Across the blotted darkness , like a thread ’ G Oll Swung from a Spider s loom , the Bridge of j , ’ Spanni ng Death s turbid river in an arch
Of tenuous gold ; there , twenty leagues below ,
The mad black billows , torn with ghastly pangs ,
Flow whence none know nor whither , flinging far
Their jetty spume upon the quavering air .
’ Straight o e r the slender scintillating line
Flew Sleipnir , and each hoofbeat on the gold
Crashed like a falling tower . At the noise
Mo d ur dur Up rose the warder maiden , g ,
Unmatchedforcomelinessandstrength . Amazed ,
sh e saw hi m Hermod , and called to with voice
Like rush of mingling waters . Who art thou
ridest That living sole upon the Bridge ,
hi e W ch , yester , five score d ad men serried
crossed , And shook it less than thou ! N o r right nor left 33 Baldur the Beautiful
Looked Hermod, nor drew rein , but dropped a word
se a - As gulls , soaring , drop a loosened plume . “ ’ For Baldur s sake I , Hermod , ride the Way ” Of Death . Hast seen him pass !
Yea , verily . ” s It wa as Heaven had lightened in my face .
What way went he! w She signed ith lifted arm , ’ - a s White gleaming , twixt flying clouds by night
. o r thwa rd Shimmers the Milky Way N , to
Hel .
- Yet tarry thou , I prithee . Honey sweet
And warm her breath stole through the gloom . But left
N o r . right looked Hermod , nor drew rein And
o n
Swept Sleipnir , fronting a blast whereto all winds 34 The Jo urney to Hel
dl That yet had blown were but an i e draught ,
s Till , on the farther verge of that abys
Whose bottom is the space beyond the stars , l hi Loomed up , immense , appal ing , mountain gh , And barbed with poisoned swords that foul ed the
air ,
- ! . The hideous , bra en , thrice barred gates of Hel
r an d Down flung him He mod , tightened girth
bit ,
Laughed out , sprang reckless up , once and again ’ as Cried Baldur s name ; then , an eagle soars
so ni And swoops , Sleip r with gigantic vault
Cleared the vast pile , nor grazed the topmost
blade , And rooted stood within the dr ear domain
Of Death , each strong limb quaking . Down from his back
i Leapt Hermod , with tr umphant shout that ere His foot attained the so d was cut in twain 35 Baldur the Beautiful
sn a t - r Like a p harp st ing . Silent then and dumb
Beside his sweating , palpitating horse
nk He stood at gaze , u nowing what he saw ,
And for a space the semblance felt of fear .
Cavernous gloom , like midnight filtering
Through hollowed ice , cloaked all the desolate place
In mystery of impenetrable shade ,
i sun Chill w th a cankered damp unpurged by , ul A dark no dawn sho d morrow , in whose hold
Ambiguous and indeterminate , Lurked all imaginable chance of ill
A terror of suggestion half conceived . ’ And o er it , like the folded shroud on dead ul Stark breast , lay Silence awf , absolute ,
o f Empty of calm as fear is void peace , A stillness as of anguish- packt suspense
Before impending doom . While thus he stood 36 The Journey to H el
Tr an sfixe d , with widened eyes that naught
c em e d , Sudden the immensity of loneliness
o n hi m hi m Rushed , caught by the throat and held
’ As t were a thi ng alive and palpable ; And 10 ! from out the infinite vacancy
to hi s o wn —a un Came him ghost self known , Naked and importune confronting hi m They two alone in that vast emptiness ;
hi s ul And , awed , he looked bared so in the face
wa s a wa s hi And agh st , knowing it mself
He chiefest feared .
his As then sight undimmed ,
i i saw Far as the stra n ng eye could reach , he The torpid ether teem with shadowy soul s A s teems a shaft of sun with sliding motes
Myriads and myriads of ignoble souls ,
The miserably dead , unslain in fight ,
Thin outlined like a breath upon the air , 37
The Journey to Hel
i Of ageless Yggdras l he glorious stood ,
o f a hi God all be uty and all goodness , w ch
o n e hi s Eternally are , Splendour now
0 N more obscured by veiling flesh , ablaze
A s the full sun when clouds are overpast .
l a s LO , in that ight supernal , within
m i A holy womb , had been a racle
o f Of birth . Deep stirred , the root Yggdrasil ,
- The Ash tree Yggdrasil , branched forth anew ; Dead leaves at the imperious call revived ; Soft mosses creeping came with velvet tread ; Sweet sun - warmed scents and half-heard wood land sounds
sea - Indefinite as shell murmurings , Made all the air a trembling ravishment ;
- b Wan buds awoke , took back their laid y bloom And breathed out shaken raptures ; buried brooks
Broke their white tombs , flung their cold cere
o ff ments , 39 Baldur the Beautiful
Leapt laughing to the light , and sang aloud The wondrous resurrection song of Spring ;
And one by one , drawn helpless thitherward
sun - Like sucked mists , the shivering dead souls
Stretched out pale palms to the celestial gleam ,
And on its burning edge hung quiveringly ,
A nimbus round the flame ; while nigher still ,
Included wholly in its radiance , dl A Shape , diverse from these and go ier ,
Depended motionless , so subtly mixt With the enfolding light as scarce therefrom
Discernible , and Hermod knew the beam
’ H ur For Od s thrice blest soul .
Near by , in state
so ul Preposterous , befitting birth fo Sister to Fen rir and to J Orm un gar d ’ sat - Grim Hela , Hel s most ill favoured ! ueen , Ruler of all unslain on battlefield
The ingloriously , pitifully dead
’ Nor could even Baldur s brightness re -illume 40 The J o urney to H el
Her livid form to hue less horrible .
On Hermod full She bent her rancorous gaze , ’ And as the Gorgon s snake- encircled brow Transformed to stone wh o ventured glance
thereon ,
So blackened Hel at the bare sight of her .
dar e st n o How thou , unsummoned , with taint ! Of death upon thee , thus my realm invade The words clashed out like rudely crossing
swords . What here thy purpose ! Courteous he bent ’ The knee . At Frigga s hest , great ! ueen , I
come ,
to so Nor will delay leave thee , thou grant Baldur the Beautiful with me return
Baldur the Beautiful , our best beloved . Thus only shall the lamentations cease
In Asgard , where the gods die day by day 4 1 Baldur the Beautiful
hi m s sum Bewailing who make our of Heaven .
e Ther at laughed Hela , and upon the sound
A shudder tore through Hel . Lo , now ,
ff she sco ed ,
as And harsh her voice iron meeting iron , “ Shall I win proof if Baldur veril y
as Be loved thy unbridled speech proclaims . Bid everythi ng that draws the breath of life — i is Throughout the un verse nay , all that , ’ — Ev n an it breathe not bid all weep for him , Compelling his r e - birth with suppliant tears :
ZESir ll Then to the wi I him restore ,
That Asgard know again its vaunted Heaven ,
And every faded star Shine forth anew . But doth one onl y shed no saving drop One onl y of the seething mul titudes
—h e Refuse that bidden sign here remains ,
Unransomed , unredeemed , our flower of Hel .
“ ll ! Oh , grace unpara eled Oh , golden grief , 4 2 The Jo urney to Hel
Itself the ransom of the woe it weeps !
. i Cried Hermod , ravished O unbend ng ! ueen , The eternal love of all the gladdened worlds
Reward thy clemency . Baldur is our s ” Baldur once more is our s !
Nay , by the gods ,
is . Swore Hela , so soon it not fulfilled
Go . thou , for I have said , and it abides f Again sh e laughed . Again the floor o Hel
Shook , terrified .
Hermod on Baldur gazed , And Baldur smiled on hi m ; and with the smile
hi s ni Shut in heart , Hermod on Sleip r sprang , “ ’ Cried to him once For Baldur s sake thy best ! ”
’ o er le a t Nor needed second spur ; p the gates ,
And journeyed back the awful Way of Death . But 10 ! its nameless terrors were as naught ; N o r cold , nor dark , nor any thirst he knew ; And the long course of starless ni ghts and dawns 4 3 Baldur th e Beautiful
to A single perfect moment was him ,
So di d hope master time and circumstance .
A S to - thus he came Asgard , Silver built ,
- sun That erst shone in mid Heaven like a ,
Now dull and dim as an unlighted moon ,
The White God , Heimdall , watching from afar ,
G alla r Caught up the j Horn , and blew a blast
’ Surpassing ev n that seven- day trumpet blare ’ Laid Palestine s beleaguered city low ; ’ Twice valorously he blew ; and ere t was done
Re - ZEsir echoing mid the stars , the all
Bifr Ost ri Across , the burning Rainbow B dge , Came swift as meteors flung athwart the sky ’ ul From fiery hearted August s catap t . Scarce greater joy Laodamia showed ’ r e - Her risen lord , lent for three hours grace ,
Than they to Hermod . The famed Florentine On his high pilgrimage was not so sore Beset by starving shades for tale of friends 44 The Journey to H el
— dis air e d Long Since p , as now the god for word Of Baldur ; nor more swift those shadows plucked h The whole from scantiest beginnings , t an i The ZEs r wrested from him at a breath .
Then each , in tempered grief , as seers who hail
The desired end beyond a path of pain ,
Cried out aloud with meed of moistened lids , And struck their spears against their glassy shi elds Till all the air was rent with silver sounds While clear above the tempest of their cries ’ Rang forth the slow sa d strains of Frigga s di rge ,
Tender with longing inexpressible .
' l FRIGGA S DIRGE ! Weep , weep for Baldur dead ! For light , for beauty Sped For fairness from all fair things fled ! 4 5
The Journey to H el
Night swooni ng at her knee
’ N o more the sunbeam s glitte ring ball hi Rebounds from silver s eld and wall ,
’ ’ Gim li s Drops from the dome o er Hall ,
Or flashes from the sea . No more ! no more ! E vil hath laid its curse
Across our universe . i Lo st s the god whom we implore . Gloom and Despair ul ui Fo fr tage bear , And ice sheets cover
The stark worlds over . Unstarred our eves ; unsunned our noons Silent our skalds ; forgot our runes ;
ni o n Daytime and ght are e . Adown the desperate years a We c ll with steadfast tears . No bitter er Hel can be 47 Baldur the Beautiful
Than Heaven , missing thee , — Baldur our life ! our sun !
’ From highest heights now fell the All- Father s voice
Surcharged with lonely grief majestical , as Bidding the gods , light and life they loved , Speed forth whithersoever sun revolved
an d Or atom stirred , cast command abroad That all things to full measure of their love
For Baldur , now bewail him long and sore
- With free spent tears , if haply by such grace
Might Fate and Ra gn arOk forfended be .
o f And with the uttering that word of dread ,
Sl h On a slow g the great voice ebbed away , As sighs and ceases a receding wave ;
And silence held its breath for what Should come .
48 RAGNAROK
49
RAGNAROK
fle e ter O follows echo on the sound , Than sprang the gods at Odin ’ s
mons forth ,
Obedience and love conjoined , in speed
Outvying each hi s jealous brother god .
a - Comets race with comets , suns with suns ,
Less swift had traversed space , and in a breath
n Throughout the u iverse their word was told .
Grief hath been in the world Since time began , ’ Life s first and latest birthright ; every soul
Hides somewhere its unplumbed abyss of pain . But never yet was lamentation known
Like this for Baldur , nor through time to come 5 1 Baldur the Beautiful
’ In sorrow s annals shall again be writ .
0 N eye withheld the desired sign of dole . Not Dante did so weep for Beatrice ; Not Niobe bedewed her marble feet With bitterer tears for all her children slain ; Nor did forsaken Dido on her pyre
More plentiful a Show of sorrow make . Neither were hearts of human mould alone
Moved to complaint . Even the merciless
beasts ,
Missing their moons , most piteous mourned . The birds Re - tuned their chants to brooding threnodies Sad as were his wh o wept Eurydi ce ’ Yea , ev n the careless blundering things that
creep ,
Or whir , or swim , forgot their fretting wants
Before that greater want of all the worlds .
No farthest sun but Shed a glittering tear , k Bedewing arid Space with grief . The s y 52 Ragnarok
BifrO t Was all a sprinkle o f wet stars . s
Pellucid gleamed through veil of jewelled Spray .
- The heavy hearted clouds trailed low , and wept In dreary monotone Of melancholy ; Deucalion from Parnassus ’ sacred peak
ni Saw not so sa d a flow . The drooping ght
Shook moisture from her plumes . Each dew tipped leaf its ! uivered beneath load , and every flower
Treasured within its heart a fragrant tear .
- No grass blade but uphung the crystal Sign . No trembling tree but somewhere pricked its veins
And bled an amber drop . The rivers ran di Hoarse with long sobbing . The squiet winds Wailed out their heartache through the Si ghing
pines . The pale mists wavering pressed from bole to bole
di m o f Like the exhalation a prayer . 53
Ragnarok A quarried cell bewrayed by noisome stench
From rotting vines and oozing carrion heaps . di There , mid the zzy shadows and the drip Of moul dy walls where moist misshapen things
ul - Or crawled , or lurked in fo black crusted
webs , Squatted inert upon a loathsome mat
W sa t Th aukt Of oven snakes , her lurid eyes Twin torches lighting up the purple gloom With baleful fire that withered aught it
touched .
hi Bragi , amazed , in haste unhorsed mself ,
And bending his bright head , unhelmeted ,
o f To match the meaner compass the vault ,
so his Found way within , and contrived tale As best Shoul d wing it past a careless ear ’ ul Th aukt To the heart s f l conception . , hag
wh o sat ul She , squalid , on the p sing mat 55 Baldur the Beautiful Unmoved transfixed him with her cold bright
eye .
Naught , quick or dead , gain I by gift of tear ”
she . For Baldur slain , churlish answered him ’ ” Let Hela hold what s hers . “ dl Boun ess thy gain ,
’ a ul Br gi avowed , regaining Baldur s so d Light for thy murk , beauty and joy and goo ” For this thy misery and gracelessness .
ni To mole or bat the ght is fair as noon ,
S Th aukt. i i i s neered That wh ch by cho ce mine , as good
And beautiful already me beseems .
Ra n ar I crave not Baldur back . Till g Ok ’ Let Hela hold what s hers
Nay , Bragi urged
- And as the wind , with age long griefs endued , b Falters and reaks and fails and grieves again ,
So . shook his voice , freighted with sympathy 56 Ragnarok
If not for thine own need , grant but a tear ” In pity for the need of all the worlds .
’ is t sh e What to me , flung athwart his Speech “ With snarling tongue , though craven dogs ni ght - long Bay hopeless at the moon! Pities the sea The shore its whi te lips suck ! Pities the storm The wheat its sickle slays ! Pities the flame The thing it feeds upon ! Pities the gale ui ! The leaf , the frost the flower , the worm the fr t Then wherefore I the grief that is not mine ! ”
! ” Not thine he challenged . Sure mine ear mistook !
n o t o n e r Of Is Spi it father the worlds , Thr ough heritage of whose informing breath ! A s All are akin rivers seek the main ,
its Merged evermore in immensity ,
! uickening currents of a common heart , 57 Baldur the Beautiful
So soul seeks soul , blending in brotherhood ,
Eternally interfused , eternally one A single pulse , athrob through myriad veins . ’ n o t How then shall another s woe be thine ,
His his ! pain thy pain , need thine inmost own
he . i so S s . Not , said My life alone mine
Leave me unvext .
Then he , incredulous That thing SO weak held power to uncreate
so A scheme potent , bared of patience , cried N0 life is his alone that lives it ! Each
Imports to all , and all import to each , Bound by the self- same law of fellowship
That links the suns each to his neighbour star . Who art thou that denie st brotherhood !
so How hast unlearnt love , forgot compassion , ’ Severed the time- old chain twixt thee and thine Who art thou ! 58 Ragnarok
“ th By y Showing , Hate am I , ” i - And Misery my chosen dwell ng place ,
Gibing She answered from the hissing snakes . “ ! Curse thee , begone Room is not in my breast ”
n o r . For love , nor pity , desire of good
Now by my sword that leaps within its
Sheath , Here will I slay thee in thy monster blood ! ”
Swore Bragi , fiercely gripped with sudden wrath .
a Then calmer sp ke , minded her yet to win . “ I err . Forgive . Hate slain were not love
shown .
Naught boots thy death . Flawless and perfect love
’ Alone may ransom Baldur s perfect soul . How win thee to that love ! How pity teach For need thou hast not known ! ”
s LO , as he cea ed ,
And silence fell between them for a space , 59 Baldur the Beautiful From Midgard rose the sorrowing peoples
A low sad plaint bewailed from star to star ,
And lost upon the void in shattered sounds .
THE CRY OF THE PEO! ! ES
Splendour of all the worlds , O Light
The brightest suns transcending , Vast as thy glory is our night
n star lit U and unending . Like wandering soul s a - craze with thirst
From waste savannas crying ,
By phantom oases accurst , hi Who dream they drink w le dying ,
SO li - - we , b nd eyed and terror bound ,
Groping through gloom supernal , Dream that o ur faltering feet have found
Source of thy Springs eternal .
o f Splendour all the unsunned Spheres , Shine down these desert Spaces ! 60 Ragnarok Strike from our souls the numbing fears
The horror from our faces .
Darkness entombs us as in stone ,
Heart sealed from heart for ever .
- n Each wind breath bears a smothered moa .
Hope lifts her beacon never .
Oh , though all else the Norns deny , Allow our last petition ! ! ! ! Light Light Give light , or grant we die — Death o r immortal vision !
Didst heed ! asked Bragi . Needs there aught beside ! Canst still withhold the succour of thy tears ! ”
“ ”
! . Avaunt She said , and Spat upon the ground ” Thou weariest me . And through grim lower ing lids
m Her fiery eyes burned knowledge in on hi .
“ ” Loki ! appalled he cried . Loki ! Loki ! 6 1
Ragnaro k
- ZE ir That all the homeward wending s heard .
Dismayed , quick scenting sorrow and defeat ,
They flung their chargers round , and straight and swift
A S Shredded clouds that fly before the gale , ’ o S ught out the sound , and at the cavern s mouth
- Formed crescent wise , a glistening company
Of Shining Shields , their lifted lances like
A Silver palisade , each splendid brow
In miserable suspicion sternly set .
There , at their hands , justly unmerciful ,
his Loki , as once Prometheus , met doom To three torn crags bound trebly fast with thongs
“ V From out his agonising itals wrought , ’ hi s While close suspended o er shuddering flesh , i A serpent drop by drop Spilled down ts gall . And a s the isles shook when Enceladus 63 Baldur the Beautiful
’ ZEtn a so Neath stirred , quaked the palsied world
At every throb o f hi s tormented frame .
0 Ragnarok ! O Twilight o f the gods ! O Day o f Odi n feared ! Till Ra gn a r Ok ’ o Shall Loki s doom endure . Till Ragnar k di di Shall Hel hold Baldur . O n , O n alone ,
- ea The great All Father , in his prescient h rt
Foresees its boded terrors . Bitter wo e Shall herald that late dawni ng ; horror and crime
al a Sh l walk the highway bare and un shamed , K inship forgotten in fierce greed Of gain . Then se asons o f unconquerable cold shall be ’ — as n o i Such land e er wintered glac al frosts ,
ul -e s Tum tuous sword dged wind , unhallowed
o f And snows from all four corners the world , 64 Ragnaro k
With flakes as linte d clouds . Then prodigies Vast and calamitous shall follow swift
sun Fenrir , the giant wolf , swallow the ,
Orm un a r d Hati devour the moon , and J g
Vomit envenomed floods , stars drop like rain ,
its as its Midgard scatter hills dust , seas
o ut a s . Toss bursting bubbles In that hour ,
After uncounted ages still to dawn ,
Shall Heaven itself be cleft in twain , and through
The immeasurable breach , from Muspell , Land
Of Light ,
Sur tur Shall all her sons come , at their head ,
Sur tur the Mighty , helmed and shod with flame ,
His sword the sun outshining . And beneath
The tread of that indomitable host , o Bifr st , the Rainbow Bridge , like shivered glass
Shall crack and splinter . Then Shall Heimdall seize G allar The j Horn , and blow a hideous blast
Of The cry ultimate fear , whose note of doom , 5 65 Baldur the Beautiful
Beating from frightened world to world , shall die E In utter wastes beyond . ven Yggdrasil Shall tremble through its branched and rooted
length . In that dread day of Ragn arOk shall naught
Be unpossessed of terror . athless led N ,
- By Odin the All Father , king of gods ,
Arrayed for death in timeless majesty , ’ E sir The , with Valhalla s warriors ,
Shall range them on the bewildering battlefield ,
Vigrid , the field of blood . There shall attend ’ ul Muspell s ref gent band , apart and still ,
- Proof clad in brightness unapproachable . ’ And there shall gather all Hel s followers , With Loki and his fearful progeny — th e Freed from their mammoth chains Fenrir ,
wolf , s e The stretch of whose vast jaw encloses Heav n , 66 Ragnarok
Orm un ar d And J g , the serpent , he whose tail its The round of Earth encircles in coil ,
And Garm , the dog , worst monster of the three .
! ! ! Then da led , blinded , fren ied , shall the gods
Rush on their doom , foe leaping upon foe In such a conflict of inordi nate strengths
A s since Titanic times , when thunderbolts
Were arrows , hills were slingstones , hath not yet di Been known to story . O n with the wolf hi Shall furiously engage , nor bear mself Less resolute than did Olympian J ove f Contending with Typhoeus o r hi s throne .
But skill nor valour shall advantage him . For a s relentless Night upon the Day
Creeps step by step , beats back the radiant Shafts
With huge black bulk opposed , stretches agape Stupendous red-r immed jaws and inch by inch ’ O e rta kes its so and swallows up glory , , 67 Baldur the Beautiful
With o n e last straight- armed thrust Of flashing
spear ,
Shall Odin die . Then tenfold multiplied u Shall f ry animate the warring hosts . d ’ Fenrir , sore woun ed , Shall in Vidar s grip
i - Yield his foul breath . Thor , mag c gauntleted ,
Orm un ar d Shall Slaughter J g , and ere his foot
Hath pressed nine paces onward , shall lie prone , i St fle d with its black gall . Heimdall Shall leap
On Loki , and they twain , fire blent with fire ,
A blazing one , as one Shall fail and Sink ’ An extinguished flame . Ev n thus intrepid Tyr ,
With Garm in combat , Shall lie dead beside
His strangled foe . So each Shall seek his mate ,
Inexorably armed with equal rage .
So each Shall fall , victor by victim slain
One triumph , one reward , one death for all . i Alone the sons of Muspell , rad ant ll With lustre insupportable , Sha still 68 Ragnarok
! Aloof and silent stand , their da zling breath Outblown upon the wind like fiery flowers
That blossom as they perish .
Then , ah , then Sur tur the Mighty shall unfold the gates ! Of the far South Swift from the luminous land ,
Muspell , Shall pour an incandescent flood In mass and brilliance comparable to naught
The mind hath power to image , that shall sweep ni e From end to end of the wide u vers ,
Worlds , with their moons , for fuel piled on worlds ; Suns tossed on suns ; systems on systems heaped for dl Meteors sparks , comets for kin ing straws ;
to ash And at the last , the minutest ,
E x s tinction ab olute ; space cleansed and bare .
SO Shall the imperfect order of the Old as Be done away , Odin , king of gods , 69
Ragnarok
hi The garden of his thoughts . But in s soul
He shuts the vision close , and dwells apart ,
Disjoined by wisdom , from the multitude .
Thus still he Sits , majestic and remote , hi s di Upon sillusioned , darkened throne ,
Watching the moving worlds , aye and anon hi a Catc ng the gle m , intolerably bright , hi s From far Muspell ; then bows august head . “ ” And murmurs : RagnarOk !
And still doth Heimdall blow the Gjallar Horn ; And still the ZESir their whi te horses ride Across the Rainbow Bridge with idle Shield ’ A s ar d s And lowered lance ; still meet in g Halls , And under mighty Yggdrasil di scourse Of great deeds done and greater yet to do his w l Thor with mallet , Tyr ith hand ess wrist
Orm un a r d Reck not of Fenrir , nor of J g , 7I Baldur the Beautiful
Safe fettered both , with Garm , the monster do g;
’ Laugh when Earth trembles under Loki s throes ; ’ - Taste Of Idun s well guarded golden fruit ,
Ra n ar Ok And , young again , forget dread g
a s Somewhat , swift the centuries slip by , ’ Forget ev n Baldur .
But , from Fensalir
Where Frigga sits , who listens close may note
! a y following day , year following year , a Sigh t Upon the fainting breeze float sof ly past ,
see dr May a tear op with the dew , may catch A distant cry of love unutterable “ ! ! so n so n ! Baldur alas Baldur , my , my ” Baldur the Beautiful ! Alas ! Alas !
THE E N !
78 PRONUNCIATION
o wa h k e n g . g al ys ard , li g i j always lik e y in yard . th 6 always lik e o e in Go e e . ’ - j E sir A ser . ' - A s gard . ' -frOst Bifrost Bi . ' n - Fenrir Fe rer . ' — - a F ensalir F e n s ler. ' - - Gjallar C c yal lar . ' - Il GjOll GO yO .
‘ ’ -d Heim dall Hi m e all . ' - o Idun E do n . ’ - Yo r -m un r . J Orm un gard ga d ' - e ! o k i ! o k e .
' - Mid gard . ’ -e r Mim ir Mirn .
' - -d ur Mo d gur . ’ Mus -pell ' - d N jOr d N e yOr . ' Ra g -n a-r Ok ' - Sleipnir Slipe ner .
Tyr T eer . ' i r ee d Vigrid V g . ' - - il Ygg dra s .