βALDR: God of Light and Purity

Welcome to our second swap of the year in the deities theme! For the next two weeks Baldr, a Norse God, will be our patron deity. For this swap you will send your partner 4 items related to the God in some way (it is up to you to interpret this as you will.) Please include a note explaining how the items relate to him. You must spend a minimum of 10$ but part of the items can be handmade if they are clean and something thoughtful. Now to the good part---

Baldr (also Baldur or Balder) is the God of light and purity, rebirth and reconciliation, goodness and forgiveness, and honour. He is loved by all and was said to be so beautiful and pure that he physically glowed with light. He is associated with chamomile and it's gift of "sweet sleep." Historians have deemed he was a symbol to the people that worshipped him of the guiding force behind beauty and nature and was well loved. He was the son of Odin and Frigg and most known for the story of his death. I chose him for January because of his connection to death/rebirth, reconciliation,and light (coming back into the world.)

Baldr's Death To the Norse Gods a dream was very prophetic. Both Frgg and Baldr had dreamt of his death, so Frigg made all living things vow to not harm him but Mistletoe was forgotten (they thought it was insignificant.) Loki (the trickster God) found out this information and fashioned an arrow made of mistletoe. He went to the place where all the Gods were making a game out of throwing things at Baldr (which just bounced off because nothing could harm him) and handed the arrow to Hod, Baldr's blind brother. He threw it at him and thus killed the God Baldr, which was the first event bringing about Ragnarok (the Norse final battle/end of time in which the Gods perish.) Hod was killed for his crime and Baldr was interred in a viking ceremony at sea with the knowledge that In the new world that rises after Ragnarok, Hod and Baldr will be reborn. After Baldr's death, Odin sent another of his sons to the underworld to speak to the goddess Hel and ask for Baldr to be reborn sooner. She agreed, but only if all living and dead things would weep for the dead God...and because of his status of being such a good, kind, beautiful God, all things did weep for him---EXCEPT one giantess (who later turned out to be Loki in disguise.) For the crime of killing Baldr, Loki was hunted down, tied to a bunch of rocks in a cave and forced to spend the rest of forever with a snake draping venom on him.

A description of Baldr from the Prose Edda The second son of Odin is Baldur, and good things are to be said of him. He is best, and all praise him; he is so fair of feature, and so bright, that light shines from him. A certain herb is so white that it is likened to Baldr's brow; of all grasses it is whitest, and by it thou mayest judge his fairness, both in hair and in body. He is the wisest of the Æsir, and the fairest-spoken and most gracious; and that quality attends him, that none may gainsay his judgments. He dwells in the place called Breidablik, which is in heaven; in that place may nothing unclean be[.] — Brodeur's translation

A really interesting side-note (for mythology fans like myself) is that Baldr is often likened to Jesus Christ...both were pristine, beautiful and unmarred by the word, killed only to be foretold they would be reborn after the end of the world :) This motif of the "pure soul" being killed and reborn arises in many mythologies across the world and pre-dates the theoretical Christian character, Jesus. The more you know!

Symbollism associated with Baldr that could be used for your Swap

Rebirth, Death, Winter, Mistletoe, Beauty, Purity, Norse mythology, Light, An association with the earth being dead only to rise in the spring, Ragnarok, Forgiveness, New Beginnings, Nature, Viking culture, Joy, Spring, Chamomile, Candles

A excerpt from northernpaganism.org "Historically, Baldur’s name may come from a root work meaning “prince” or one meaning “brave”, or another more likely one meaning “white”, but we are not sure. He is clearly one of the sacrificed solar gods who die and are reborn eventually, like the Vanic god Freyr – but unlike Freyr who dies and is reborn every year, Baldur dies once and we are still awaiting his return. On a spiritual level, Baldur is the Light in Darkness. Like the Egyptian Osiris, once he descended to the Underworld he took on a new sacred role. He is the Light that can be found when one is sunk on a dark place. While he is called on but rarely, he can give solace to those who are trapped in darkness in their lives.

The best offering for Baldur is to be kind to someone to whom it is difficult for you to show kindness. Then light a candle in the dark and call upon him for his aid."

I hope you are all enjoying these swaps as much as I am enjoying putting them together! Please feel free to message me if you have any questions, issues or input in future swaps! Thank you so much!