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Baldr or Baldur is the Norse god of beauty, naivety and light. He is one of the few gods who as descended into the realm of Hel and do not yet arise from it. His story is a difficult one to understand, very tragic for the Aesir tribe of gods, a story of mischief and sorrow.
In the Norse mythology, Baldr is the youngest son of Odin and Frigga, the most beautiful of thesky gods, the Aesir. His mere presence brought light and merriment to all the gods in Asgard, and from him, a very bright light came to everywhere he went.
Baldr married the Aesir goddess Nana who took care of the orchards of Asgard. They lived in the hall called Breidablik and in its surroundings nothing that was impure could ever live in such place, everything was naturally beautiful. They had a son called Forseti who would be later be known as the god of justice.
The saga of Baldr, Baldurs Draumar (Baldur’s Dream), tells us of the time when Baldr began to have strange dreams about his oncoming doom, death was approaching to cover in darkness the world of Aesir, light itself would be swallowed by it. Baldr told his parents about the dreams and his mother, Frigga, in a hurry, travelled throughout the nine realms asking every living thing not to harm her beloved son. Every living thing made this oath and when Frigga passed by the mistletoe, she thought that it was too young to make such an oath and she thought it to be harmless. Then she returned to Asgard and told to Baldr what she had done and that he was safe, nothing could harm him. Baldr made a game out of this, every god would throw weapons against him and every single object would bounce off.
Every great tragic story has vengeance in it, and this one isn't different. The god Loki was angry with the Aesir because they had murdered his wife Angrboda and imprisoned one of his sons, Fenrir, so Loki discovered the secret of Baldr's imunity to all things except the mistletoe, so he made a dart out of it and waited until the games of throwing weapons to Baldr began. Loki offered himself to help Hoder, the Blind brother of Baldr, so he could also participate in the games. Hoder agreed, and threw the mistletoe dart to Baldr, killing his own brother.
Meanwhile Loki fled and there was great mourning in Asgard. Many gods offered themselves to avenge Baldr's death, but Odin had other things in mind and none from his family was fit to do the task. So Odin raped the giant goddess Rind and she gave him a son called Váli, the god of vengeance. Váli didn't knew about the true story, all he knew is that his half brother Baldr had been killed by Hoder, and so he murdered the blind god.
Baldr was placed on his ship called Hringhorni and the funeral fire was started. Many were those who came to Baldr's funeral. Thor lost his self control because of the death of his younger brother, and in that rage he kicked a visiting dwarf right into the fire thus killing him. Baldr's wife, Nana, threw herself into the funeral pyre, thus commiting suicide to be with her beloved. Baldr's horse was also burnt along with everything that belonged to the god of light. When the time came to push the ship into the waters, it prove to be too heavy. All of a sudden a female giant called Hyrrokin, ridding a great wolf, came and gave the ship such a shove, that the earth itself trembled. It is said that this mysterious Hyrrokin was none other than Angrboda, Loki's wife, coming to witness her vengeance for the murder attempt on her, and for the kidnapping and later binding of her son Fenrir, and also her child Jormundgand, the great sea serpent.
In the meantime Odin and Frigga gave another task to one of Baldur's brothers, Hermod. He was to ride into Helheim and beg Hela to release Baldr. Hermod rode fro nine days till he finaly reached the Gates of Helheim and entered. He begged to Hela for his brother's life and she told him that she would only release him if every living thing in the nine worlds would weep for him. The Aesir went in all directions asking everyone they met to shed a tear for Baldr. All did so, except for an old female giant called Thokk and thus Baldr was lost forever. It is said that this Thokk figure was no other than Loki himself in disguise, making sure that Baldr stood with her daughter Hela.
There is much speculation in why such an event happened, why did Odin let all of this happen. In a foretelling, Odin knew that Baldr would be slain when Ragnarök started if Baldr was alive by then, on the other hand, being slain, Baldr would come to life after Ragnarök and rule in Asgard. It is said that Baldr's death was arranged by Odin and Loki to protect Baldr and send him to the safest place in the nine realms, the realm of the dead, so he might arise when the time comes and rule in Asgard.
The Saxons had another version of this story, in which Baldr and Hoder were two princes and both wanted the mortal princess Nana. Both fought and Hoder killed Baldr with a sword named Mistletoe and thus he married Nana.
It is clear that behind this story we can see that the only thing that can prevail over the light, is darkness, the opposite. Hoder the blind god is darkness and he took the life of his brother, Baldr, the god of light. When darkness covers the land, death and sorrow comes to mortal men and it is in darkness that Ragnarök starts, when all light fades away. But after te darkness a new light comes forth and life sprouts once more. Baldr revives and will rule in the realm of the Sky Gods.
One thing is also certain, to Baldr was given another task and he became a different god with a new sacred task, he is now the god who gives light in dark places, this also means giving light to those who live a life in darkness, while their mind is, metaphorically speaking, in darkness. Sorrow, sadness, depression, living in hard times, Baldr gives light and a new awakening.
Note: The artwork to illustrate this post is a painting of Baldr made by me. If you have any questions for me or if you want to see my artistic works, check out my Facebook page and make a Like if you can by following this link --> http://www.facebook.com/ArithHarger
Odin had a son with the giantess Rind, his name is Váli, but he his also named Ali or Bous so people might not be confused with Vali the son of Loki with Sigyn to whom Odin drove him to madness after being turned into a wolf.
Váli the son of Odin is the god of vengeance like his half-brother Vidarr, but Váli was the first one to gain this title and his story is closely related with Baldur. When Hoder/Hodr the blind god was tricked by Loki into shooting and arrow towards his own brother Baldur ( an arrow made by the only thing Baldur wasn't imune to, mistletoe ) Odin decided that he needed another son to avenge the death of Baldur. Odin forced himself on the frost giantess Rind and she bore him a son, Váli.
In the myth, Váli grows to adulthood in a single day and made an oath, never to wash his face, combing his hair or do any other kind of personal hygiene until he slains his brother's killer, Hodur, who was also an half-brother to Baldur. It seems that Váli had little knowledge about the true facts and in truth he didn't care much about it, his objective was one only and as soon as he set eyes upon Hodur, he slained him, a blind half-brother of his, defenceless and innocent.
Váli's story is one difficult to understand, all about Baldur's death is, but probably this was Odin's plan all along, for Baldur went to Helheim and from there he as a different power and he will be a great ruler after Ragnarök if that comes, from there he is more then a god of beauty. Also Hodur was limited in his power while in Asgard, a god of shadows and dreams, of powers hidden inside one's mind, magical powers out of mere sight, he could do little in Asgard, and so by dying, somehow he was also set free and extended his powers and his field of expertise, and also help those in need, and be called upon in easier ways. If this is true or not, only Odin and Loki might know the truth. About Váli, it is strange that Odin needed a son so desperately just to kill another son of his, probably he had more plans for this child and probably for Váli, killing his own half-brother wasn't an easy task, he might had pondered about that for some time, but how would he if he grew to adulthood in one single day? Well.. those who know the goddess Rind, know that she works with time itself, and can go to and fro without being noticed, she can stop time, she can freezes that in a single place were one might live his life in a normal period of time, and other do the same outsider that place but each don't have the perception of time, and has one might live an entire life in a normal time frame, other's outsider the place choosen by Rind, live slowly second by second, so Váli had in truth plenty of time to grow and learn, and probably he did what he had to do because Odin asked him to and behind these actions, a greater good could be achieved, for Váli is now among the Aesir tribe and lives as a champion of Asgard.
We might learn with this story, that one might have the need to sacrifice what is dear to him/her, in order to achieve a greater good, or to turn the life of many into a better way of living, and this takes great courage. So in my point of view, Váli can be called upon ( as Odin also in this case ) not just for a simple vengeance, but also to take heart and courage to do what must be done, to sacrífice whatever needs to be sacrificed in order to build a better future, a better life, for us and those around us that we love so dearly.
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Billing the Master trader of the Vanir had a daughter called Rind who became a very powerful sorceress, she became very reserved and distante living at one of her father's dwellings in the cold mountain range of Jötunheim. Her powers are concentrated in the ability to work with weather, more with snow and frost to be accurate and she also knows how to move through time in many ways. This frost-giant and goddess of women's protection is little known among those who practice the northern traditional spiritual ways, and in the lore there are a few passages talking about her, has the one who bore one of Odin's son, Vali, after Baldr's death, to avange his brother. For all of those who don't know about this story, i will resume it for you.
Nothing could kill or injure Baldr/Baldur, with the exception of mistletoe, and Loki tricked Hoder the blind god, by "helping" him shooting an arrow made of mistletoe, just to practice, what Hoder didn't know, is that he was aiming towards his own brother Baldr, he killed him. This was a tragic day for all of the Aesir, and by force, Odin took Rind to bore him a son capable of avenging his other son by killing Hoder, thus Vali was born and within a day he grew old enough to kill Hoder. This story is a confusing one, a god born just with the purpose of killing his own brother, an horrible deed devised by Odin to be accomplished in such a hurry, killing one innocent helpless blind god and his death would solve nothing of the problem and the true responsible , the one to be blamed was Loki and everyone knew it. This story is also the link to an other story, of how Ullr came to sit on the throne of Asgard, because Odin did an horrible deed, by forcing Rind against her will, raping her, and the Aesir were so horrified by his act, of raping an innocent maiden, that they ousted him from the throne placing Ullr in his place. A tale that makes no sense, and no one knows why Odin, the god of wisdom and magic and also he who trys to bring harmony between worlds and races, did such a thing, a story that only the gods know why all of these deeds were done. Anyway.. going back to the main subject of this post, i had to bring this story, not only because of the horrible connection of Rind to it but also because since this happaning, Rind became the goddess of women's protection, especially to protect women who were raped or abused, to be free of such things and memories, to be able to stand on their feet and to continue their lives, to be strong, confident and fearless. Be aweae, that she only aids those who want to be helped and who want to get out from those horrible chains and suffering, because she has no patience with those who continue to be weak even if all the chances to be strong and get out from that, had been given to them. She can be called only when women know they are ready to break free, ready to work in becoming stronger.
As i have written, Rind is also a sorceress, a very powerful one, and she can work with time, how to stop it, how to move through it, this is why Odin chose her to bore a son that was fully grown in one day, that "day" may have been some several years.
Váli Blót
First of all, i would like to tell you who is the god Váli.
Vali, as it is told in the Skaldskaparmal, is the "son of Odin and Rind, stepson of Frigg, brother of the Æsir, Baldr's avenging As, enemy of Hod and his slayer, father's homestead-inhabiter."
Váli is also among the twelve Æsir seated as judges at Ægir's banquet. He is not only seen as a God of vengeance, but truly one of the Æsir, seated with the others at table and drink. He is referenced for his courage and his accuracy with the bow, and is one of the inheritors of Asgard after Ragnarok.
The Birth of Váli
The prophecy made by Rossthiof was duly fulfilled, for Rinda bore a son named Vali (Ali, Bous, or Beav), a personification of the lengthening days, who grew with such marvelous rapidity, that in the course of a single day he attained his full stature. Without even taking time to wash his face or comb his hair, this young God hastened off to Asgard with bow and arrow to avenge the death of Balder, God of light, by slaying his murderer, Hodur, the blind God of darkness.
Of course, metaphorically speaking, he hasn't born just for a single purpose, to avenge the death of Baldr, and he did not took a single day to grow and run to Asgard to kill Hodr, this tale is told, for us to have that perception that Váli was quickly trained to become a great warrior, an archer, and he grew with such skills, that he became a great god, and too soon he proved his abilities, his skills.
Also, there is a tale which says that de God Hoder (the Danish version of the god Hod / Hodr) was the lover of Nanna the princess of the Danes. Balder also desired Nanna and tried to woo her without success. Undeterred Balder raised an army of gods and attacked Hod with a fleet of ships. Hoder successfully held them off and even managed to break Thor's weapon ( apparently in this time, Thor did not owned his magic hammer Mjölnir ) Hoder eventually killed Balder using a magical sword. Odin's son Bo ( Váli ) later avenged Balder.
Why is it Váli's day at the same day as Valentine's Day ?
Vali is the God of eternal light, just as a beam of light was often called with arrows, he is always represented and worshiped as an archer. For that reason his month in Scandinavian an now in Neopaganism of Northern Beliefs calendars is designated by the sign of the bow, and is called Lios-beri, the light-bringing. As it falls between the middle of January and of February, the early Christians dedicated this month to St. Valentine, who was also a skillful archer, and was said, like Vali, to be the harbinger of brighter days, the awakener of tender sentiments, and the patron of all lovers.
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