ore sensible than the others of the loss they had suffered, for
he foresaw what a detriment Baldur's death would be to the AEsir. When
the gods came to themselves, Frigga asked who among them wished to
gain all her love and good will; 'For this,' said she, 'shall he have
who will ride to Hel and try to find Baldur, and offer Hela a ransom
if she will let him return to Asgard;' whereupon Hermod, surnamed the
Nimble, the son of Odin, offered to undertake the journey. Odin's
horse Sleipnir was then led forth, on which Hermod mounted, and
galloped away on his mission.

59. "The AEsir then took the dead body and bore it to the seashore,
where stood Baldur's ship Hringhorn, which passed for the largest in
the world. But when they wanted to launch it in order to make Baldur's
funeral pile on it, they were unable to make it stir. In this
conjuncture they sent to Jotunheim for a certain giantess named
Hyrrokin, who came mounted on a wolf, having twisted serpents for a
bridle. As soon as she alighted, Odin ordered four Berserkir to hold
her steed fast, who were, however, obliged to throw the animal on the
ground ere they could effect their purpose. Hyrrokin then went to the
ship, and with a single push set it afloat, but the motion was so
violent that the fire sparkled from the rollers, and the earth shook
all around. Thor, enraged at the sight, grasped his mallet, and but
for the interference of the AEsir would have broken the woman's skull.
Baldur's body was then borne to the funeral pile on board the ship,
and this ceremony had such an effect on Nanna, the daughter of Nep,
that her heart broke with grief, and her body was burnt on the same
pile with her husband's. Thor then stood up and hallowed the pile with
Mjolnir, and during the ceremony kicked a dwarf named Litur, who was
running before his feet, into the fire. There was a vast concourse of
various kinds of people at Baldur's obsequies. First came Odin,
accompanied by Frigga, the Valkyrjor and his ravens; then Frey in his
car drawn by a boar named Gullinbursti or Slidrugtanni; Heimdall rode
his horse called Gulltopp, and Freyja drove in her chariot drawn by
cats. There were also a great many Frost-giants and giants of the
mountains present. Odin laid on the pile the gold ring called
Draupnir, which afterwards acquired the property of producing every
ninth night eight rings of equal weight. Baldur's horse was led to the
pile fully caparisoned, and consumed in the same flam