How Hermod Made a Journey to the Underworld
_This is the tale which the Northmen tell of how
Hermod journeyed to the Underworld to bring
back Balder the Beautiful to Asgard._
Of all the Asa folk most fleet of foot was Hermod, but on that sad eve
when Balder was laid upon the funeral pyre his step was lagging and
slow as he went to his home by the city wall.
As he approached, there met him in the gloom a vague figure, that
walked with outstretched hands and faltering steps like one that is
blind. And Hermod knew it to be the form of Hoder of the sightless
eyes, brother to Balder and to him.
But when he would have spoken Hoder brushed past, murmuring in his
ear:
"Take Sleipnir, Hermod, and set forth with dawn
To Hela's kingdom, to ask Balder back;
and they shall be thy guides who have the power."
Hermod bowed his head and passed on; but poor blind Hoder,
heartbroken, went his way to his own house and shut the door upon his
grief.
When the first rosy fingers of dawn touched the clouds of morning
Hermod led out Sleipnir, the steed of Odin, from Valhalla, and rode
away. Sleipnir was not wont to permit any to mount him, or even to
touch his mane, save the All-Father himself; but he stood meekly as
Hermod mounted; for he knew upon what errand they were bound.
Nine long days and nine long nights rode Hermod towards the realms of
ice and snow; and on the tenth morn he drew near to the golden bridge
which spanned Giöll, the greatest river in the world.
A maiden of pale and downcast mien kept this bridge, with unsleeping
vigilance, and she now challenged Hermod as he approached:
"Who art thou on thy black and fiery horse,
Under whose hoofs the bridge o'er Giöll's stream
Rumbles and shakes? Tell me thy race and home.
But yestermorn, five troops of dead passed by,
Bound on their way below to Hela's realm,
Nor shook the bridge so much as thou alone.
And thou hast flesh and colour on thy cheeks,
Like men who live, and draw the vital air;
Nor look'st thou pale and wan, like men deceased,
Souls bound below, my daily passers here."
Then Hermod told his name and whence he came, and asked eagerly if
Balder had already crossed that bridge. And the maiden told him that
Balder had indeed passed that way along the road to Hela's kingdom.
So Hermod galloped over the golden bridge, and resumed his way through
a darksome tract of frozen country, and over fields of ice unlighted
save by dim stars that shone uncertainly through the mist. At length
further passage was barred by a high wall in which was a grate.
Without hesitation Hermod put Sleipnir to this obstacle, he surmounted
it with the ease and grace of a fawn, and they found themselves in
Hela's realm.
On passed Hermod, unheeding the murmuring shades that flocked around,
and he did not draw rein until, coming to Hela's hall, he saw there
Balder, his brother, and, near by, the awful goddess.
Leaping from Sleipnir, the young Asa knelt before Hela and besought
her that Balder might ride home with him, that the heavy hearts of all
in Asgard might be comforted.
But dark Hela shook her head, reminding him how Odin had cast her out
with her two brothers, the Serpent and the Fenris Wolf; why should she
grant the Asa folk this boon?
Then Hermod laid his hands upon her knees. "All things in heaven and
earth grieve for Balder, therefore restore him, good mother, and
darken not our lives for evermore," he answered.
The appeal in his mournful eyes, as well as in his words, somewhat
moved Hela, though her heart was still hardened against Odin, and she
said: "Come now, let us see if all things love Balder as you say,
"Show me through all the world the signs of grief!
Fails but one thing to grieve, here Balder stops!
Let all that lives and moves upon the earth
Weep him, and all that is without life weep:
Let gods, men, brutes, beweep him; plants and stones.
So shall I know the lost was dear indeed,
And bend my heart, and give him back to heaven."
Then Hermod was given permission to greet his brother, and Balder
answered him with faint voice. They spoke of Asgard, the beloved land
of living gods and heroes, and at parting Balder charged his brother
to carry the magic ring, Draupnir, back to Odin, and a kerchief and
other gifts to Frigga, as tokens of his love. And Hermod rode sadly
back along the weary road to Asgard.
All-Father Odin from his high seat saw his son returning, and he
hastened forth to receive him.
"And Hermod came, and leapt from Sleipnir down,
And in his father's hand put Sleipnir's rein
And greeted Odin and the gods."
Then all the Asa folk assembled in the Council Hall, at the root of
the Tree of Life, to hear the message that Hermod had brought from the
joyless realms; and he told them of Hela's reply to his request,
saying:
"... To your prayer she sends you this reply:
_Show her through all the world the signs of grief!
Fails but one thing to grieve, there Balder stops!
Let gods, men, brutes, beweep him; plants and stones;
So shall she know your loss was dear indeed,
And bend her heart, and give you Balder back._"
When Hermod had ceased speaking, All-Father Odin arose, and leaning on
his great staff he looked slowly around and commanded: "Go ye quickly
forth through all the world and pray all living and unliving things to
weep for Balder dead."
Then the gods arose willingly and went their way through all the
world, Thor in his goat chariot, and Freya in her carriage drawn by
white cats, but most of the others on swift horses. North, South,
East, and West, they rode, entreating all things to weep for Balder's
death.
"And all that lived, and all without life, wept."
Just as at the end of winter, before the springtime, when a warm
south-west wind blows over the land and melts the ice and snow,
"A dripping sound is heard
In all the forests....
And, in fields sloping to the south, dark plots
Of grass peep out amid surrounding snow,
And widen, and the peasant's heart is glad"--
so through the whole world was now heard the sound of falling tears,
as all things living and dead wept for Balder's sake.
Hermod rode with the Storm-god, Niörd, who knew all the creeks and
hidden bays of the coastline of the earth; and when the sea-creatures
and those that live on the borders of the ocean heard the message they
all added their tribute of tears to the common cause.
Now, as the Asas rode home together they came to a great wood upon the
borders of Giantland, where all the trees are of iron. And in the
midst of this wood was a cave, at the mouth of which sat an ancient
giantess, gnashing her teeth at all who passed by.
This seeming giantess was none other but wicked Loki in disguise, but
this Hermod did not know.
As the Asas came near, she greeted them with shrill laughter, and
asked them if it was dull in Asgard that they came thither to her iron
wood. But they answered that they came not for gibes but for tears,
that Balder might be saved. Then she laughed louder and cried:
"Is Balder dead? And do ye come for tears?
Weep him all other things, if weep they will:
I weep him not! let Hela keep her prey."
And with these mocking words she fled to the dark recesses of her
cave, repeating again and again:
"Neither in life, nor yet in death,
Gave he me gladness.
Let Hela keep her prey."
Heavy were the steps with which Hermod returned to Asgard, and when
they had heard the news of how one creature had refused her tears, the
eager faces of the Asa folk grew dark with woe, for they knew that
never more would they see Balder--Balder the Beautiful.
But the future days brought peace to the tormented soul of Hoder, the
innocent cause of all their grief.
For there was born to Odin a child who grew to his full size within a
few short hours. And on the first day that he arrived in Asgard he
fared forth with bow and arrow, and one of his shafts found mark in
the heart of Hoder.
And so, from henceforth, the blind god and his twin-brother are
together in the realms of Hela.