The Death of Balder Part 15

HOTHER. Hold, Balder!

BALDER (he releases NANNA, and drawing his sword, hews at HOTHER with his utmost might, who seeks to parry the blow with his spear, retreating at the same time). Fall, presumptuous wretch!

HOTHER. Beware thee!

BALDER. Fall, nidding!

HOTHER. Ha, beware thee!

BALDER. Die!

[He stumbles, and runs the spear into his breast; whereupon he immediately drops his sword and sinks upon one knee.

HOTHER. Ha, Balder!

BALDER. Ha, Nanna!--Thor! I have deserv'd my fortune.

[He dies, and a mighty whirlwind pa.s.ses over the scene.

NANNA. Ye heavens!

HOTHER. He is dead, the mighty Balder!

A VOICE FAR AWAY IN THE FOREST. He is dead, the mighty Balder!

MANY VOICES, which answer one another amongst the rocks.

The mighty Balder is dead.

[It thunders; ODIN and FRIGGA appear upon a cloud in a very mournful att.i.tude. THOR and many of the ASER come forward from one side of the wood, and the three VALKYRIER from the other.

THOR (and his retinue). Odin, thy Balder is dead!

CHORUS. Thunders, burst your cloudy portals!

Heaven, earth, and ocean rave!

Weep ye G.o.ds, and mourn ye mortals, O'er the mighty Balder's grave!

THOR. G.o.ds of battle stern and gory, Weep ye o'er the hero slain!

Balder, thou the Aser's glory!

Love, base love, has prov'd thy bane.

CHORUS. Balder, thou the Aser's glory, Love, base love, has prov'd thy bane.

ROTA. I of slaughter swift purveyor, Sorrow o'er the hero slain!

Balder, thou the Jotun-slayer, Loke's falsehood was thy bane.

CHORUS. Balder, thou the Jotun-slayer, Loke's falsehood was thy bane.

HOTHER. Hother's burning tears are flowing O'er the mighty Balder slain; Ah, thy heart with virtue glowing, n.o.ble Balder, was thy bane.

CHORUS. Ah, thy heart with virtue glowing, n.o.ble Balder, was thy bane.

NANNA. Nanna weeps with pallid feature O'er the mighty Balder slain: Friend of G.o.ds and every creature!

Fate alone has prov'd thy bane.

CHORUS. Friend of G.o.ds and every creature!

Fate alone has prov'd thy bane.

MANY VOICES answer one another among the rocks. The mighty Balder is dead!

CONCLUDING CHORUS. Thunders, burst your cloudy portals!

Heaven, earth, and ocean rave!

Weep and howl, ye G.o.ds and mortals, O'er the mighty Balder's grave.

EXPLANATION OF THE MYTHOLOGICAL WORDS AND NAMES.

ALLFATHER was one of Odin's surnames, but it signifies in this piece the highest being, who governs all things, and Odin himself.

ALF, a spirit; the same as Demon amongst the Greeks. There were good and bad Alf's or Elves, light and black, as the Edda calls them.

ASER, was one of Odin's surnames, and on that account the name of Aser was given to all the G.o.ds.

ASGARD, the castle or city of the G.o.ds, erected by Odin and his brothers.

THE FALL OF ASGARD. At the end of the world the heavens were to burst, and the castle of the G.o.ds to fall.

BALDER, son of Odin and Frigga, the best and most beautiful amongst the Aser. His death and the circ.u.mstances which caused it in this piece--that is, the whole plot--are taken partly from the Edda (43rd, 44th and 45th falle), partly from the third book of Saxo, and something is, according to poetic license, added or altered.

FENRI'S wolf, was begot by Loke with the giantess Angerbode. This wolf in the conflict of Surtur with the G.o.ds was to swallow Odin, who on account of this prophecy kept him in chains.

FIGHT AND DEATH OF G.o.dS. At the destruction of the world, Odin and the other G.o.ds were to fight with Surtur and his train, and all to perish in this conflict. This period is termed, in the Edda, Ragnarokr, the "twilight of the G.o.ds."

FIND, a Trold or Demon of this name.

FREYA, the most exalted of the G.o.ddesses next to Frigga. She was the protectress of the human race in general, but particularly of lovers.

FRIGGA, the wife of Odin and the mother of Balder; the most exalted of all the G.o.ddesses.

GELDER, king of the Saxons (according to Saxo, in the life of Hother). He is presumed here to have been killed by Hother, who is therefore called "the bane of Gelder."

GEVAR, according to Saxo, a spaeman or prophet, the father of Nanna and the foster-father of Hother. He makes him likewise king of Norway; but Giver is not so in this piece.

HAEL or HAELA, the G.o.ddess of death. She was the daughter of Loke and the giantess Angerbode, and was hurled down by Odin to her horrible habitation.

HAELHEIM, Hael's dwelling. In the Edda it is called Helim, that is, h.e.l.l; but as the word h.e.l.l has now a different signification, it was necessary to invent here a word to express Hael's dwelling.