BOOK II
two forms of the myth, one of which left Baldur dead, like Sarpedon,
T T
— -^ ' another which brought him back from the unseen world, like
Memnon and Adonis.^
The dream of Baldur. But the essence of the myth lies in his death, the cause of which entitled Baldur's dream, a poem so beautiful and so true to the old myth that I may be forgiven for citing it in full.
The gods have hastened all to the assembly,
The goddesses gathered all to the council ;
The heavenly rulers take counsel together,
Why dreams of ill omen thus terrify Baldur.
Then uprose Odin the all-creator
And flung the saddle on Sleipnir's back,
And downwards rode he to Nebelheim,
Where a dog met him from the house of Ilel.
Spotted with blood on his front and chest,
Loudly he bayed at the father of song ;
But on rode Odin, the earth made moaning,
When he reached the lofty mansion of Hel.
But Odin rode on to its eastern portal,
Where well he knew was the Vola's mound ;
The seer's song of the wine-cup singing,
Till he forced her to rise, a foreboder of ill.
" What man among men, one whom I know not,
Causes me trouble and breaks my rest ?
The snow hath enwrapped me, the rain beat upon me,
The dews have drenched me, for I was long dead."
- ' Wegtam my name is, Waltam's son am I ;
Speak thou of the under world, I of the upper ;
For whom are these seats thus decked with rings,
These shining chains all covered with gold ? "
- ' The mead is prepared for Baldur here,
The gleaming draught covered o'er with the shield ;
There is no hope for the gods above ;
Compelled I have spoken, but now am I mute."
- ' Close not thy lips yet, I must ask further.
Till I know all things. And this will I know.
^^']lat man among men is the murderer of Baldur,
And bringeth their end upon Odin's heirs ? "
- ' Hiidur will strike down the Mighty, the Famed one,
He will become the murderer of Baldur,
And bring down their end on the heirs of Odin :
Compelled 1 have spoken, but now am I mute."
' The glory of Baldur is reflected in ]Fythology,'iC)%',zxA Popular Romanca the picture of Frilhjof. For the Frilhjof of the Middle Ages, yjz. Saga see lutrodia/ion to Comparative
