60. "Meanwhile, Hermod was proceeding on his mission. For the space
of nine days, and as many nights, he rode through deep glens so dark
that he could not discern anything until he arrived at the river
Gjoll, which he passed over on a bridge covered with glittering gold.
Modgudur, the maiden who kept the bridge, asked him his name and
lineage, telling him that the day before five bands of dead persons
had ridden over the bridge, and did not shake it so much as he alone.
'But,' she added, 'thou hast not death's hue on thee, why then ridest
them here on the way to Hel?'
"'I ride to Hel,' answered Hermod, 'to seek Baldur. Hast thou
perchance seen him pass this way?'
"'Baldur,' she replied, 'hath ridden over Gjoll's bridge, but there
below, towards the north, lies the way to the abodes of death.'
"Hermod then pursued his journey until he came to the barred gates of
Hel. Here he alighted, girthed his saddle tighter, and remounting,
clapped both spurs to his horse, who cleared the gate by a tremendous
leap without touching it. Hermod then rode on to the palace, where he
found his brother Baldur occupying the most distinguished seat in the
hall, and passed the night in his company. The next morning he
besought Hela (Death) to let Baldur ride home with him, assuring her
that nothing but lamentations were to be heard among the gods. Hela
answered that it should now be tried whether Baldur was so beloved as
he was said to be.
"'If therefore,' she added, 'all things in the world, both living and
lifeless, weep for him, then shall he return to the Æsir, but if any
one thing speak against him or refuse to weep, he shall be kept in
Hel.'
"Hermod then rose, and Baldur led him out of the hall and gave him the
ring Draupnir, to present as a keepsake to Odin. Nanna also sent
Frigga a linen cassock and other gifts, and to Fulla a gold
finger-ring. Hermod then rode back to Asgard, and gave an account of
all he had heard and witnessed.
"The gods upon this dispatched messengers throughout the world, to beg
everything to weep, in order that Baldur might be delivered from Hel.
All things very willingly complied with this request, both men and
every other living being, as well as earths and stones, and trees and
metals, just as thou must have seen these things weep when they are
brought from a cold place into a hot one. As the messengers were
returning with the conviction that their mission had been quite
successful, they found an old hag named Thaukt sitting in a cavern,
and begged her to weep Baldur out of Hel.
"It was strongly suspected that this hag was no other than Loki
himself who never ceased to work evil among the Æsir."