Snorri tells the tall of Baldr's death this way. One night Baldr had terrible dreams of his death. He told the Aesir about these dreams and council was held as to what should be done. Balder's mother, Frigg, decided that she would ask that everything that could remotely harm him give an oath to never cause him harm. So she asked iron, stones and all manner of things that they give an oath to never harm him. Fire, water and all manner of plants she asked and from them all she received an oath to not harm them. So it was that the Aesir took great sport in doing things to Baldr at the Thing (3), that would kill anyone else normally. They threw great stones at him. They struck at him with swords and other weapons but none so much as harmed one hair on his head. Now Loki saw that nothing would harm Baldr and took the form of a woman and went to Frigg's abode at Fensalir. Frigg saw her and asked how things went at the Thing. The woman told her how everyone made sport of striking at Baldr to show how nothing could harm him and asked Frigg if there was really nothing left that would harm him. Frigg said that she had gotten oaths from everything that they would never harm Baldr. The woman asked again, there is not one thing left? Frigg said that there was one thing she had not gotten an oath from because it was such a harmless thing it could never harm anyone. So she had not asked the oath of mistletoe. Loki left straight away after finding this out and obtained some mistletoe and fashioned a dart from it. When he returned to the thing he saw that Hothr did not take part in the amusements and went up to him to ask him why. Hothr said that he could not because he was blind and could not see where to aim and that besides he had no weapon. Loki offered to aim for him so he placed the dart he had fashioned in Hothr's hand and aimed it for him. Hothr threw the dart and it passed through Baldr and he died. Everyone froze and could not believe what they had seen. When they realized that Baldr had died a great mourning went up throughout the land. But none grieved more than Othinn and Frigg. It is said that Vali when he was one day old avenged his brother Baldr by killing Hothr. The full story of Vali I will save for another time.

 Baldr had a wonderful boat called Hringhorni and they placed his body along with his belongings on it. They took his horse also and laid it to rest on the boat. Othinn came close and laid the ring, Draupnir, that was so special it dropped out eight more rings just like it every ninth night, on Baldr and whispered something in his ear. What it is that he whispered are known only to Othinn and Baldr himself. It is said that Nanna, Baldr's wife, died of a broken heart and she was placed there on the ship as well. It is said that many tribes from many lands sent representatives to that funeral. Freyja, Freyr, Heimdallr and all the Aesir and Vanir came. Even Hill Giants and Ice Giants came to pay their respects. When they tried to move the boat no one could move it to cast it off. Finally a giantess called Hyrrokkin was called. She came riding on a great wolf using snakes for reigns. Othinn had Berserkers watch the wolf but the only way they could control it was by knocking it down and holding it there. When Thorr saw the giantess he raised his hammer to bash her head in but the Aesir kept him from killing her. So they lit the ship afire and Hyrrokkin gave a mighty shove and the ship was launched out to sea. There was a Dwarf named Litr who was before Thorr and in his anger Thorr kicked the dwarf so that he landed in the fire and was burned up.

 Now after Baldr's funeral, Frigg asked who would fare to Hel and ransome for Baldr. Immediately, Hermothr spoke up and said that he would go. So Othinn gave him Sleipnir, his eight legged horse, to take on the ride. So Hermothr left right away and it took him nine nights and nine days to get to Hel. Once there he was met by the bridge kepper, a woman called Gjoll. Gjoll looked at Hermothr and asked him what he was doing there as he appeared to have a healthy hue about him and did not appear dead at all. Hermothr said that he was there to talk with Hel. Hermothr was allowed to pass and he rode to Hel's abode and dismounted to enter her hall. There he saw Baldr sitting in the high seat and spent the night in Hell's hall. In the morning Hermothr arose and pleaded with Hel that Baldr might be allowed to return with him. Hel said that she would allow him to return only if it was proved that Baldr was as beloved as everyone said. If everything weeped for him then she would let him return but if one thing refused to weep, then he would stay in Hel. So Baldr accompanied Hermothr to the gate and gave him Draupnir to give back to his father Othinn and Nanna gave gifts for Frigg and Fulla.

 So Hermothr rode back and gave the Aesir the news of his journey. They sent out messengers far and wide and bade that all weep for Baldr so that he might return from Hel. And everything quick and dead did weep for Baldr until the messengers came upon a giantess in a certain cave named Hlokk. She refused to weep for Baldr and therefore Baldr was not allowed to leave Hel. It was said by some that Hlokk was actually Loki in disguise.

 Now when Loki perceived the anger over his role in Baldr's death he left and built a house on a mountain that had four doors, one facing in each direction so that he could look in any direction and see if the Aesir were coming after him. He would some times turn himself into a salmon and swim in a certain waterfall pool nearby. When he was not swimming he weaved the first net. So it is that Loki invented the net. So one day he saw that the Aesir were coming for him because Othinn had seen him from his high seat Hlithskjalf, from which he could see anywhere in the nine worlds. When he saw them coming for him, he quickly threw the net in the fire and jumped in the waterfall pool. Kvasir, the wisest of all men, had come with the Aesir and he saw the pattern of the ashes from the burnt fish net. From that he deduced how to make a fish net and had one made. They came back with the net and cast it in an attempt to try to catch Loki. But Loki swam down between two rocks and the net passed over him. So the Aesir took the net and attached a heavy stone to it so that nothing could pass under it. When they cast the net, they moved closer and closer to the sea. Loki saw that he was being forced closer and closer to the sea and knew it would be very dangerous for him to be in the sea so he jumped the net and hid among the falls. Next the Aesir did as before except this time Thorr got behind them in mid-stream. So they began to as before and once again Loki found himself being forced closer and closer to the sea. He had two choices. One was to allow himself to be forced into the sea but he knew that the danger would be too great. So he took the second choice and jumped over the net again. But this time Thorr was ready and he caught him. Loki slipped out of Thorr's hand but he was able to grab him by his tail before he got away gain and so Loki was caught.

 They took Loki to a certain cave and took three great stones and turned them on their end and drilled a hole in each one. They called Loki's sons, Vali and Narfi to the cave and turned Vali into a wolf so that he killed his brother Narfi. They took the entrails of Narfi and used them to bind Loki to the three stones. Skathi took a venomous serpent and fastened above Loki so that it dripped venom down upon his face. His wife Sigyn stands with a bowl catching the venom but every so often she must empty the bowl and when she does some times a drop of venom will fall on Loki's face and he writhes with such force that the earth shakes and it is said that this is the origin of earthquakes.

 This poem that is left out of most versions of the Poetic Edda is undoubtedly the most enigmatic piece of lore we have. There have been some scholars who have argued, erroneously, that it is a forgery and a fake. Basically due to the opinion of a Christian apologist, Bugge, it has since been left out of most versions of the Poetic Edda. Thorpe was the last person to include it and it can be found at the Northvegr Félag web site. The poem seems to be about Idunn who has been abducted and held in Hel after she had fallen from the world tree to the underworld. Three gods are then sent to arrange for her return, Bragi, Heimdallr and Loki. They are unsuccessful and the poem ends with the blowing of the Gjallarhorn after which Ragnarok comes. This poem seems to also be about Ragnarok and the attempt to avert it. In this view it is very interesting to note that Loki and the person he is said to be mortal enemies with, Heimdallr are together here on a common mission. It has been put forth that Loki here is actually working with Heimdallr and Braggi to prevent the oncoming of Ragnarok or find a way to do so.


ENDNOTES
3. The Thing was a legal assembly where all the people in an area would gather together to conduct business and try cases of law. Many times entertainment, contests and feasts were a part of the festivities that were conducted during this time. Back