"I ride to Hel to find Baldur. Have you seen him on his way to that
place?"
"Baldur," answered she, "has passed over the bridge, but the way to Hel
is below to the north."
Hermod rode on till he came to the entrance of Hel, which was guarded by
a grate. He dismounted, looked to the girths of his saddle, mounted, and
clapping his spurs into the horse, cleared the grate easily. Then he
rode on to the hall and, dismounting, entered it. There he saw his
brother, Baldur, seated in the first place, and there Hermod stopped
the night.
In the morning he saw Hela, and begged her to let Baldur ride home with
him, telling her how much the gods had sorrowed over his death. Hela
told him she would test whether it were true that Baldur was so much
loved.
"If," said she, "all things weep for him, then he shall return to the
gods, but if any speak against him or refuse to weep, then he shall
remain in Hel."
Then Hermod rose to go, and Baldur, leading him out of the hall, gave
him the ring, Draupnir, which he wished Odin to have as a keepsake.
Nanna also sent Frigga a present, and a ring to Fulla.
Hermod rode back, and coming to Asgard related all he had seen and
heard. Then the gods sent messengers over all the world seeking to get
Baldur brought back again by weeping. All wept, men and living things,
earth, stones, trees, and metals, all weeping as they do when they are
subjected to heat after frost. Then the messengers came back again,
thinking they had done their errand well. On their way they came to a
cave wherein sat a hag named Thaukt. The messengers prayed her to assist
in weeping Baldur out of Hel.
"I will weep dry tears," answered she, "over Baldur's pyre. What gain I
by the son of man, be he live or dead? Let Hela hold what she has."
It was thought that this must have been Loki, Laufey's son, he who has
ever wrought such harm to the gods.