Balder was Odin and Frigg's second son. Everyone loved Balder, and in return he loved all things, beautiful and ugly, large and small. He was the fairest of the gods, and lived with his wife, Nanna, in Breidablik.
One day Balder had a dream that said he would die, and he told the other gods. Odin visited a Seeress, Volva, who said that Balder's blind brother would kill Balder. This Odin did not tell anyone. The Gods and Goddesses discussed how they could protect Balder, and Frigg decided that she would make every fire, water, orin, metal, stone, earth, tree, disease, beast, bird, Poison and serpent promise not to harm him. Everything loved him so much that they did. His brother made a game out of throwing things at him because they knew nothing would harm him.
Only Loki did not like this, and so went in disguise to Frigg. She told him that she had not made a little mistletoe promise because it was too young to be making oaths. When Loki left, he changed back into himself and made a spear out of the mistletoe. Loki then gave it to blind Hoder and directed his aim at Balder's heart. After Balder's death, Odin knew it was the beginning of the end.
When Balder's body was set alight in his longboat, his wife Nanna was so distressed that she flung herself into the flames to be burned with Balder. The Gods begged Hel, Goddess of Death, to release Balder. She said that if every living thing was willing to shed tears for Balder, then she would let him go. Everything cried for Balder, except a witch who was actually Loki in disgiuse, and so Balder remained in Hel's domain. After Ragnarok, Balder was one of the few gods to return.
