as Balder, who was destined to be slain by
Hodur, his brother, the blind god of darkness.

"Hodur will hither
His glorious brother send;
He of Balder will
The slayer be,
And Odin's son
Of life bereave.
By compulsion I have spoken;
Now I will be silent."

Saemund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.).

Despite the Vala's evident reluctance to speak further, Odin was not
yet satisfied, and he prevailed upon her to tell him who would avenge
the murdered god and call his slayer to account. For revenge and
retaliation were considered as a sacred duty by the races of the North.

Then the prophetess told him, as Rossthiof had already predicted,
that Rinda, the earth-goddess, would bear a son to Odin, and that
Vali, as this child would be named, would neither wash his face nor
comb his hair until he had avenged upon Hodur the death of Balder.

"In the caverns of the west,
By Odin's fierce embrace comprest,
A wondrous boy shall Rinda bear,
Who ne'er shall comb his raven hair,
Nor wash his visage in the stream,
Nor see the sun's departing beam,
Till he on Hoder's corse shall smile
Flaming on the fun'ral pile."

Descent of Odin (Gray).

When the reluctant Vala had thus spoken, Odin next asked: "Who would
refuse to weep at Balder's death?" This incautious question showed a
knowledge of the future which no mortal could possess, and immediately
revealed to the Vala the identity of her visitor. Therefore, refusing
to speak another word, she sank back into the silence of the tomb,
declaring that none would be able to lure her out again until the
end of the world was come.

"Hie thee hence, and boast at home,
That never shall inquirer come
To break my iron sleep again,
Till Lok has burst his tenfold chain;
Never, till substantial Night
Has reassum'd her ancient right:
Till wrapt in flames, in ruin hurl'd,
Sinks the fabric of the world."

Descent of Odin (Gray).

Odin having learned the decrees of Orlog (fate), which he knew could
not be set aside, now remounted his steed, and sadly wended his
way back to Asgard, thinking of the time, not far distant, when his
beloved son would no more be seen in the heavenly abodes, and when
the light of his presence would have vanished for ever.

On entering Glads-heim, however, Odin was somewhat reassured by
the intelligence, promptly conveyed to him b