This is a story from a long, long time ago.

In the realm of Asgard there was a child born to Odin, chief of the gods, and his wife Frigg. The boy
was named Baldr and was the most cherished and loved child in all of Asgard. Named at the god of
light and beauty he was in fact very beautiful, kind and sweet. Baldr was a oy for anyone to be around
and was loved by all through out all his years of childhood and adulthood.
!et not all was well in the life of the young god. As he grew, dreams began to "lague him of his own
death. #nable to shake the nightly horrors, he eventually went to his mother and told her of his woes.
$oncerned for her son, Frigg traveled over the entire cosmos, gaining unbreakable oaths from every
single thing to never harm her son. %ocks, wea"ons, birds, beasts, and everyone "romised not to harm
the god, for they loved him so and could not stand the thought of harm coming to him.
Once finished in her &uest, she returned to Baldr and shared the good news with him and the rest of the
gods. 'verything, even enemies of Asgard, had done as she asked. There was no need to fear for Baldr(s
life any longer. )any gods "artied that the news that Baldr could not be harmed, even hurling
dangerous wea"ons at them and laughing when they bounced off harmlessly.
#nfortunately, Badlr(s dreams did not end. 'ven in the festivities he could feel the doom at hand.
To distract himself from the fear, Baldr took to traveling amongst humans in )idgard. It was there he
met the woman Nanna, a female of grace and beauty and daughter to a king. Baldr became entranced
by her, and yet she did not love him in the same way.
In her heart there was no room for him, for she had already given her heart to another man, *odur.
+,ear Baldr, while I love you as all others do, "lease know it is no more than any mortal would love a
god. It is not romance. -lease, you must leave me be,. she said whenever he came to call on her.
,es"ite many gifts and shows of affection, Nanna would not be swayed. /he "icked *odur as she said
she would, and on their wedding day, Baldr we"t bitterly.
+*ow can she not love me0. he asked the sky in his torment. +All love me. Am I not good enough for
her heart0.
1ith a sickness of misery growing in his heart, Baldr returned to Asgard. /eeing the change in the god
troubled his kinsmen dee"ly, but nothing they could say or do would change his o"inions. *e had lost
his love and no counsel or "arty would hel" him. *is misery and nightmares grew all the more horrible.
And Baldr died of a broken heart. Frigga had thought to ask all to s"are her son harm, save for her son
himself and in the end it was his own heart that killed him.
The shock and horror of the death of the god &uickly s"read, and in Asgard the gods &uickly scrambled
to find a way to bring him back. It was decided he must be brought back and that the kee"er of the
dead, *el, must be bargained with in order to retrieve the god of light.
,uring this time, Baldr had already come to the realm. It was cold and dark on the outside, but amongst
the snow and ice there was a great hall, and in the entrance, a woman stood. Black with the light
against her back, she beconned for him to come to her.
+$ome closer, Baldr. /on of Odin and the holder of the beauty and light of the world. $ome to me, and
be glad..
+2lad0. he asked. +1hat have I to be glad for0 I am tra""ed here..
+)y realm will heal you of all woes and "ain, beautiful Baldr,. she assured him and ste""ed out so he
could see her. Though she was slim and sick looking in a""erance, she stood strong and "roud looking,
and there was a smile on her face. /he held out a hand to him, and after hesitation she took it.
+All love you Baldr,. she said, carressing his cheek softly. +All, including me. I will care for you here.
!ou will be safe, and your heart will not ache if you allow me to heal it for you..
Baldr was hesitant, but decided to trust in her words and went with her to his new home. /he treated
him kindly and with honor, and as she "romised he soon forgot about his "ain and fear caused by
Nanna.
It was shortly after this that *ermod, another son of Odin, came to the gates of *el on the back of
/lei"nir with "leas to have Baldr back.
+1e mourn for him as we(ve mourned no other,. he imformed *el. +1e bring gifts to you so that you
may consider his release..
+I will not release him, for he is not im"risonned,. she retorted coldly. +Odin himself gave me this
"osition and duty to care for the dead. I will not turn my back on it to indulge him now. Baldr is fine
with me..
+Baldr needs to be alive. 1e love him..
+As do I. I will not let him go..
+Is your love for him more im"ortant than the world(s love0. *ermod asked, ho"ing to make her see
reason. +1e are diminished by the loss of him, as is everyone. All that is living long for his return..
This made *el "ause. /uch a thing had never been said to her before, and she was not so foolish as to
give it no creed.
+3ery well,. she said after some time. +If all things, alive and dead, wee" for Baldr then you may have
him back. All the realms must cry for him, or what you say is not true and therefor is of no
conse&uence. %est here for the night and then return to Odin with my offer..
,es"ite her words, *el was greatly saddened by her deal. /he loved Baldr, as all did, but she felt her
love was greater. /he cared for him dee"ly, but no matter how true her love was, it could not be
considered more im"ortant than the rest of the realms. /he would kee" her "romise, and she would
steel herself for the loss of her love, for who would not cry for Baldr0
!et there was one, a giantess in a cave who cared nothing for Baldr. /he refused to wee" for him, even
as the gods came to her and begged her to do so.
+1hat has Baldr ever done for me0. she asked them with a sneer. +Nothing. I know him not and I do
not care. 4et him stay in *el. 4et him rot. I will not cry at the news..
,eected, the gods left and Baldr was to remain in *el, and yet it was not alone or in "ain.
For Baldr had come to see *el as no one had seen her before, loyal and kind, much like him. *e knew
she would have let him go even if it meant "ain in her own heart. /he had housed him, clothed him and
loved him as Nanna never had. 'ven as he received the news, he could not find it in himself to feel
burdened by the news.
+$ome closer, *el. ,aughter of 4oki and the caretaker of the sick and troubled in this world. $ome to
me, and be glad..
+2lad0. she asked. +1hat have I to be glad for0 I have tra""ed you here..
+)y heart will heal you of all woes and "ain, beautiful *el,. he whis"ered before he kissed her. +I have
the love of all the world, but I cherish your(s above all else..
*el was gladdened by the news, and her heart o"ened even further for him. 1hile the gods mourned
their most cherished friend, he was still content and ha""y where he was. For he loved *el, and *el
loved him. For the two, it was more than enough.
They wed and awaited the day of %agnarok, where all fighting would end, and all citi5ens of *el would
rise to live again on the new world, where they would rule with the remaining gods, in "eace forever.