THE TWENTY-NINTH FABLE. Hermode's Journey to Hell. *BAL ALDER having thus perished, FRIGA GA, his mother, caused it to be published every where, that whofoever of the Gods would go to Hell in fearch of Balder, and offer DEATH fuch a tanfom as fhè would require for restoring him to life, would merit all her love. HERMODE, fura hamed the Nimble or Active, the fon of Odin; offered to take this commiffion upon him. With this view he took Odin's horfe, and mounting him, departed. For the fpace of nine days and as many nights, he travelled through deep vallies, fo dark, that he did not begin to fee whither he was going, till he arrived at the river of Giall, *In this, as well as the preceding chapter, the Latin Verfion of Goranfon differs exceedingly from the French of M. Mallet (which is here followed) owing, I fuppofe, to the great variations in the diffe rent copies, which they respectively adopted. T. that he paffed over a bridge, which was all covered with fhining gold. The keep ing of this bridge was committed to a damfel named Modguder, or Audacious War. When the faw Hermode, fhe demanded his name and family,, telling him that the preceding day the had feen pafs over the bridge five fquadrons of dead perfons, who all together did not make the bridge shake fo much as he alone; and befides, added fhe, you have not the colour of a dead corpfe: what brings you then to the infernal regions? Hermode anfwered; I go to feek Balder: Have not you feen him pafs this way? Balder, faid fhe, hath paffed over this bridge, but the road of the dead is there below, towards the north. Hermode then perfued his journey, till he came near to the entrance of Hell, which was defended by a large grate. Hermode now alighted, and girthed his faddle tighter; then mounting again, clapped both spurs to his horfe; who, immediately leaped over the grate, without touching it the leaft in the world with his feet. Entering in, he faw his brother Balder feated in the most diftinguished place in the palace; and there he paffed the night. The next morning he befought HELA (or DEATH) to fuffer Balder to return back with him, affuring her that the Gods had been all moft feverely afflicted afflicted for his death. But Hela told him, fhe would know whether it was true that Balder was fo much beloved by all things in the world, as he had reprefented: The required therefore that all beings, both animate and inanimate, fhould weep for his death; and in that cafe fhe would fend him back to the Gods: but on the other hand, he would keep him back, if one fingle thing fhould be found which refused to fhed tears. Upon this Hermode got up, and BALDER re-conducting him out of the palace, took off his ring of gold, and gave it to convey to Odin as a token of remembrance. NANNA alfo fent Frigga a golden Die, and many other prefents. Hermode then fet out back again for Afgard; and as foon as he got thither, faithfully reported to the Gods all he had seen and heard. The Gods, upon this, dispatched mef fengers throughout the world, begging of every thing to weep, in order to deliver Balder from Hell. All things willingly complied with this requeft, both men, and beafts, and ftones, and trees, and metals, and earth and when all thefe wept together, the effect was like as when there is a univerfal thaw. Then the meffengers returned, concluding they had effectually performed their commiffion; but as they L 4 were were travelling along, they found, in a cavern, an old witch, who called herfelf Thok; the meffengers having befought her. that he would be fo good as to fhed tears for the deliverance of Balder; fhe answered in verses to this effect, "Thok will weep "with dry eyes the funeral of Balder; Let all things living or dead weep if they will: But let Hela keep her prey." It was conjectured that this curfed witch muft have been LOKE himself, who never ceased to do evil to the other Gods. He was the caufe that Balder was flain; he was alfo the caufe that he could not be reftored to life. REMARK ON THE TWENTY-NINTH FABLE. Balder, not having the good fortune to be flain in battle, was obliged to go, like all those that died of difeafes, to the abode of DEATH. Saxo Grammaticus relates the fame adventure, with fome different circumftances, (L. III. p. 43.) Which feems to prove that there had paffed among the deified Afiatics, fome event, out of which the Poets had compofed the Fable we have been reading. LOKE and HELA play their part here very well. It is a cuftom, not yet Jaid afide among the penple of the Dutchy of Slefwick, if we will believe Arnkiel, to perfonify DEATH, and to give her the name of Hell or Hela. Thus, when they would fay that a contagion ragės in any place, they fay that Hela walks there, or Hela is come there; and that a man hath made up the matter with Hela, when' |