Balder

Balder
/bawl"deuhr/, n. Scand. Myth.
a god, a son of Odin and Frigg and the twin brother of Hod, by whom he was killed.
[ < ON Baldr, c. OE bealdor prince, lord; perh. akin to ON baldr brave]

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In Norse mythology, the just and beautiful son of Odin and Frigg.

He could be harmed by nothing except mistletoe. Knowing he was invulnerable, the gods amused themselves by throwing things at him. Deceived by Loki, the blind god Höd hurled mistletoe at Balder and killed him. The giantess Thökk, probably Loki in disguise, refused to weep the tears that would have released Balder from the underworld.

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▪ Norse mythology
Old Norse  Baldr 

      in Norse mythology, the son of the chief god Odin and his wife Frigg. Beautiful and just, he was the favourite of the gods. Most legends about him concern his death. Icelandic stories tell how the gods amused themselves by throwing objects at him, knowing that he was immune from harm. The blind god Höd, deceived by the evil Loki, killed Balder by hurling mistletoe, the only thing that could hurt him. After Balder's funeral, the giantess Thökk, probably Loki in disguise, refused to weep the tears that would release Balder from death.

      Some scholars believe that the passive, suffering figure of Balder was influenced by that of Christ. The Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1200), however, depicts him as a warrior engaged in a feud over the hand of a woman.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Balder — wird unter Lokis Anleitung von Hödur mit einem Mistelzweig getötet. Aus einer isländischen Handschrift des 18. Jahrhunderts Balder (altnordisch baldr, altenglisch, althochdeutsch Balder aus urgermanisch Nom.Sg. *balđraz ‚Herr, Held, Fürst‘[1] …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Balder — er i nordisk mytologi søn af Odin og Frigg. Han er gift med Nanna og har med hende sønnen Forsete. Balder er retfærdighedens gud og den smukkeste af alle aser. Da jætten Skade skal vælge sig en as til mand ønsker hun at vælge Balder, men da hun… …   Danske encyklopædi

  • Balder — m Swedish: from the name of an Old Norse god, meaning ‘prince’ or ‘ruler’, cognate with bold brave, strong. According to Norse mythology, this was the name of a son of Odin by his wife Frigg. According to some stories, Balder was the god of light …   First names dictionary

  • Balder — (altnord. Baldr), ein german. Gott, von dem jedoch nur die nordischen Quellen Ausführlicheres erzählen, während seine Verehrung in Deutschland nur durch den zweiten Merseburger Spruch bezeugt ist. Nach dem Berichte der Edden war B. ein Sohn Odins …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Balder — Bal der (b[add]l d[ e]r), prop. n. [Icel. Baldr, akin to E. bold.] (Scan. Myth.) The most beautiful and beloved of the gods; the god of peace; the son of Odin and Freya. [Written also {Baldur}.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Balder — (nord. Myth.), so v.w. Baldur …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Balder — Balder, s.v.w. Baldr …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Balder — [bôl′dər] n. [ON Baldr, lit., bold, dangerous] Norse Myth. the god of light, peace, virtue, and wisdom, son of Odin and Frigg: he is killed by the trickery of Loki: also sp. Baldr …   English World dictionary

  • Balder —    In Nordic myth the son of Odin and Frigg, the most beautiful of the Aesir. Possibly he was the twin brother of Hoder. He was the husband of Nanna and the father of Forseti. In Balder’s Dream it is told how, having been troubled with dreams of… …   Who’s Who in non-classical mythology

  • Balder — (dit le «Bon») Il fut le Dieu de la lumière, de la pureté, de la beauté, de l’innocence, de la réconciliation mais aussi celui de la fertilité et du printemps! Fils d’Odin et de Frigg, il fut aimé de tous les Dieux et hommes, considéré également… …   Mythologie nordique

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