his
wife), an imposter, Mid Odin, possibly Loke in disguise, usurped his
place at Upsala, instituted special drink-offerings, fled to Finland on
Woden's return, and was slain by the Fins and laid in barrow. But
the barrow smote all that approached it with death, till the body was
unearthed, beheaded, and impaled, a well-known process for stopping the
haunting of an obnoxious or dangerous ghost.

Woden had a son Balder, rival of Hother for the love of Nanna, daughter
of King Gewar. Woden and Thor his son fought for him against Hother,
but in vain, for Hother won the laity and put Balder to shameful flight;
however, Balder, half-frenzied by his dreams of Nanna, in turn drove him
into exile (winning the lady); finally Hother, befriended hy luck and
the Wood Maidens, to whom he owed his early successes and his magic
coat, belt, and girdle (there is obvious confusion here in the text), at
last met Balder and stabbed him in the side. Of this wound Balder died
in three days, as was foretold by the awful dream in which Proserpina
(Hela) appeared to him. Balder's grand burial, his barrow, and the magic
flood which burst from it when one Harald tried to break into it, and
terrified the robbers, are described.

The death of Balder led Woden to seek revenge. Hrossthiof the wizard,
whom he consulted, told him he must beget a son by "Wrinda" (Rinda,
daughter of the King of the Ruthenians), who should avenge his
half-brother.

Woden's wooing is the best part of this story, half spoilt, however,
by euhemeristic tone and lack of epic dignity. He woos as a victorious
warrior, and receives a cuff; as a generous goldsmith, and gets a
buffet; as a handsome soldier, earning a heavy knock-down blow; but in
the garb of a women as Wecha (Wakr), skilled in leechcraft, he won his
way by trickery; and ("Wale") "Bous" was born, who, after some years,
slew Hother in battle, and died himself of his wounds. Bous' barrow
in Bohusland, Balder's haven, Balder's well, are named as local
attestations of the legend, which is in a late form, as it seems.

The story of Woden's being banished for misbehaviour, and especially
for sorcery and for having worn woman's attire to trick Wrinda, his
replacement by "Wuldor" ("Oller"), a high priest who assumed Woden's
name and flourished for ten years, but was ultimately expelled by the
returning Woden, and killed by the Danes in Sweden, is in the same
style. But Wuldor's bone vessel is an old bit of genuine tradi