Later, Balder's beloved, Nanna, sacrificed herself to save Balder from entrapment in marriage to Karnilla, and Balder was so distraught that he resolved never to speak of this incident or of her again. Odin prevented Balder from actually dying, but when he was finally restored to life, his hair had turned white as a result from his experiences in Hel. Loki, the god of mischief, learned of the prophecies and vulnerability, and tricked the blind god Hoder into firing an arrow tipped with mistletoe wood at Balder. įrigga cast spells that would protect Balder from harm by any living or inanimate thing while he was in the Asgardian dimension however, Balder remained vulnerable to mistletoe.

Seeing that Balder did not flinch, Odin was content that Balder was the bravest in all of Asgard and decided to grant him the invulnerability. Odin ordered his brothers Tyr and Honir to shoot arrows and throw lances at Balder, but the projectiles were stopped by an eagle and a plant. īefore he allowed her to cast the spells, however, he accused Balder of treason, because during a battle with the Storm Giants, he had deserted the fight to put a bird who had fallen from its nest, back with its mother. Due to prophecies that Balder's death would help trigger the coming of Ragnarok, the destruction of Asgard and its inhabitants, Odin, ruler of Asgard, commanded his wife Frigga to make Balder invulnerable to harm. Balder the Brave was one of the Asgardians, an extra-dimensional race of beings once worshiped by the Vikings and Germans, as well as half-brother and close friend to Thor.

First appearance of balder the brave