letoe, which grew on
the oak near Valhalla's gate, only excepted, and this was too small
and weak to be feared. This information was all that Loki wanted,
and bidding adieu to Frigga he hobbled off. As soon as he was safely
out of sight, however, he resumed his wonted form and hastened to
Valhalla, where, at the gate, he found the oak and mistletoe as
indicated by Frigga. Then by the exercise of magic arts he imparted
to the parasite a size and hardness quite unnatural to it.

From the wooden stem thus produced he deftly fashioned a shaft with
which he hastened back to Idavold, where the gods were still hurling
missiles at Balder, Hodur alone leaning mournfully against a tree the
while, and taking no part in the game. Carelessly Loki approached
the blind god, and assuming an appearance of interest, he inquired
the cause of his melancholy, at the same time artfully insinuating
that pride and indifference prevented him from participating in
the sport. In answer to these remarks, Hodur pleaded that only his
blindness deterred him from taking part in the new game, and when Loki
put the mistletoe-shaft in his hand, and led him into the midst of the
circle, indicating the direction of the novel target, Hodur threw his
shaft boldly. But to his dismay, instead of the loud laughter which
he expected, a shuddering cry of horror fell upon his ear, for Balder
the beautiful had fallen to the ground, pierced by the fatal mistletoe.

"So on the floor lay Balder dead; and round
Lay thickly strewn swords, axes, darts, and spears,
Which all the Gods in sport had idly thrown
At Balder, whom no weapon pierced or clove;
But in his breast stood fixed the fatal bough
Of mistletoe, which Lok, the Accuser, gave
To Hoder, and unwitting Hoder threw--
'Gainst that alone had Balder's life no charm."

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold).

In dire anxiety the gods crowded around their beloved companion,
but alas! life was quite extinct, and all their efforts to revive the
fallen sun-god were unavailing. Inconsolable at their loss, they now
turned angrily upon Hodur, whom they would there and then have slain
had they not been restrained by the law of the gods that no wilful
deed of violence should desecrate their peace-steads. The sound of
their loud lamentation brought the goddesses in hot haste to the
dreadful scene, and when Frigga saw that her darling was dead, she
passionately implored the gods to go