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Baldur the Beautiful “ ” ” 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 .
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