Baldur was the son of Friga, the Queen of the Norse gods. Baldur was the most beautiful of the gods, and he was also gentle, fair, and wise. Wherever he went, people were happy just at the sight of him. He was not only the favorite of his mother, but the favorite of all the other gods.
One night, Baldur dreamed three dreams. Each dream was more terrible than the one before it. In the third dream, he found himself in a dark, lonely place. He heard a sad voice cry, 'The sun is gone! The spring is gone! Joy is gone! For Baldur, the beautiful, dead!'
The young god was very upset. He told his lovely wife, Nanna, about these sad and terrifying dreams. Nanna ran weeping to Queen Friga saying, ' Oh, mother this must not come true!' Queen Friga was deeply frightened. But she spoke and said, 'Do not fear, Nanna. Baldur is so dear to all the world how could anything hurt him?'
But Queen Friga was firghtened. She thought of a plan. 'I will travel all the world and make each and everything promise not to hurt dear Baldur'. First she went to the gods themselves. From the trees and plants, from the stones, and the metals; from earth, air, fire and water, from sun, snow, wind and rain; and from all the diseases that men knew - every creature and every thing promised not to hurt Baldur.
At last, the weary and joyful Queen returned to Asgard, home of the gods. All the gods were relieved. One in fact, even suggested they play a game which would show how wrong the dreams had been. They would put Baldur at one end of a field, and all the guests at the other. They would each shoot object at Baldur to prove that every object had promised to not hurt dear Baldur.
They placed Baldur at one end of the field, and as he stood there in all his smiling beauty, unarmed, the other gods took turns firing arrows at him, hurling their arrows against him, throwing sticks and stones against him, and each fell harmless at Baldurs feet.
But among the crowd was one who did not smile. Loki, the crafy one, Loke the evil one. Loki did not laugh and cheer like the others. Lokie was filled with jealous anger and malice. Baldur had never done harm, yet Lokie hated hime; for Loki knew full well that no one in the world loved him they same way that they loved Baldur. An evil plan took shape in Loki's mind. Loki disguised himself as on old woman and made his way to Queen Friga. Upon encountering the Queen he asked ' Good day m'lay, what is all that noise and exictement in the field?'.
The Queen replied that is was a festival to prove the promise that ever creature and thing on earth had made to not hurt Baldur. Loki (as the old woman) pretened to be surprised and asked; 'Every creature and thing on earth?' Queen Friga replied; 'The only thing that hasn't promised is the littel misletoe. It is so small, that I did not bother to ask.'
Loki next approached Baldur's blind brother Hod. He had broken off a piece of small misletoe and whittled it down to a small, sharened arrow. He asked Hod, 'Why aren't you participating in this event to honour thy brother. If you cannot see, I will help you see. Just throw one small stick.' Hod replied this would be most acceptable if the old lady would help guide his throw. So Loki agreed and aimed the small arrow right for Baldur's heart, throwing the arrow and striking Baldur right in the hear. Baldur fell to the ground instantly......
Loki was the 13th guest....
