Balder

[ bawl-der ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Scandinavian Mythology.

a god, a son of Odin and Frigg and the twin brother of Hod, by whom he was killed.

Balder

/ ˈbɔːldə /

Norse myth a god, son of Odin and Frigg, noted for his beauty and sweet nature. He was killed by a bough of mistletoe thrown by the blind god Höd, misled by the malicious Loki

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Origin of Balder¹

< Old Norse Baldr, cognate with Old English bealdor prince, lord; perhaps akin to Old Norse baldr brave

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But then, most likely thou wilt pity Balder, And with a hot, a precious tear bedew him!

Who knoweth but she merely has dissembled, And shown a fictious flame to prove thee, Balder!

Only for thee doth Balder sigh: My sad heart would a heaven disdain Which through dishonour it must gain.

Like Balder, Glooskap is a sun-god, as is well proved by the circumstance that when he dies he does not fail to revive.

The Balder joins the Tees at Cotherstone; it is a shady little river flowing through a deep ravine.

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