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The Death of Baldr

The Death of Baldr
  • Creator: W. G. Collingwood August 6, 1854 - 1932
  • Description: This illustration by W.G. Collingwood is from Olive Bray's translation of the Poetic Edda that was published in a dual language edition in 1908 as The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda. This scene is from the poem Baldrs Draumar. W. G. Collingwood's illustration depicts Loki who is about to guide Hoðr´s arm to throw a spear made of mistletoe at Baldr.
  • Source: The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda
  • Folio or Page: 239
  • Medium: Wood Engraving
  • Date: 1908
  • Dimensions (mm): 110 x 75
  • Provenance:
    This illustration is from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda from the collection of P. A. Baer.
  • Rights:
    This illustration from The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda is in the public domain.
  • Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
    1. Excerpt from an early print book review (1908): "Each poem is prefaced by two designs by Professor Collingwood. These at their best leave little to be desired. Several of them e.g. Graybeard and Thor, are altogether admirable. Others are valuable both from the artistic and the antiquarian standpoint, as the artist has woven into them motives from Pre-Norman crosses or hogbacks illustrating Eddaic subjects...." pg. 494. Full text of the review. Folklore Vol. 19, No. 4 (Dec. 30, 1908), pp. 493-496.
    2. Excerpt from an early print book review (1909): "The text is accompanied by thirty-three excellent illustrations, which have the comparatively rare merit of really helping the reader to vizualize [sic]the action and of suggesting the atmosphere of the poems." pg 97. Full text of the review. The Journal of American Folklore Vol. 22, No. 83 (Jan. - Mar., 1909), pp. 96-98.
  • Bibliography:

    Editions

    Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda. Translated by Olive Bray . London: Viking Club, 1908.

    Secondary Sources

    Major, Albany F. Review of The Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. Folklore, vol. 19, no. 4, 30 Dec. 1908: 493-496. Web. August 2,2021.
    Rankin, J. W.. Review of Elder or Poetic Edda: Commonly Known As Sæmund's Edda, translated by Olive Bray. The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 22, no. 83, Jan. - Mar. 1909: 96-98. Web. 26 July 2021.
  • Identity Number: EldEdd-1908-239-01
  • Download size: 3.2 MB
  • Source code of this document: [XML]
Bray, Olive   Collingwood, W. G.   Elder or Poetic Edda   Edwardian   Baldr, Balder   Loki   Höðr, Hod   Baldr's Dreams Myth   Death of Baldr Myth   mistilteinn, mistletoe  

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The MyNDIR Team

Dunn-Krahn, Sage (en.) b. 13th July 1999
Occupation: Research Assistant

Anomalies

Loki (non.)
Loki is counted among the gods but is a giant by birth.

Gods and Goddesses

Baldr (non.) Balder (en.) The god who was killed by his brother Höðr.
Höðr (non.) Hod (en.) The god who killed his brother Baldr with a weapon made of mistletoe. Depending on the source, the mistletoe projectile is a spear, an arrow, or a dart. In the Prose Edda, Höðr is blind and his aim is guided by Loki.

Myths

Baldr's Dreams Myth An eddic poem that is not in the collection of poems, known as the Poetic Edda, in the Codex Regius manuscript. Baldrs Draumar is the only extant poem that is focused on Baldr. The poem tells of the gods´ concerns in regard to Baldr's dreams foreseeing his own death. Óðinn travels, in disguise under the name Vegtamr, to consult a dead seeress at the edge of Hel. The seeress tells him that Baldr will be killed by his brother Höðr, and that his death will be avenged by an as yet unborn half-brother named Vali who will kill Höðr.
Death of Baldr Myth A myth concerning an accidental fratricide. It sometimes includes Loki as an instigator who dupes Baldr's brother, Höðr, into the act and actually guides his hand. In the Prose Edda, Snorri says that Höðr was blind.

Plants

mistilteinn (non.) mistletoe (en.) Of all the plants, Frigg failed to ask mistletoe not to harm Baldr. Loki found out and used mistletoe to make the weapon that Höðr threw at Baldr.

Nouns

Edwardian (en.)The Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 (January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July 1914).

Source Materials:

Elder or Poetic Edda (en.)A dual language editon of the Poetic Edda with illustrations by W. G. Collingwood.

Source Persons

Bray, Olive (en.) b. June 17, 1878
d. November 15, 1909
Nationality: English
Occupation: scholar, translator and editior
Residence: 17 The Boltons Kensington, London, England
Bray was one of the daughters of the high court judge Sir Reginald More Bray (1842-1923) and the novelist Emily Octavia Bray, of Shere Manor near Guildford. Little is known about Olive. She joined the Viking Society for Northern Research in 1902 and was a Vice-President in 1909. At the time of her death, she was living in the family home at 17 The Boltons Kensington. Her grave is in the Shere churchyard.
Collingwood, W. G. (en.) b. 6th August 1854
d. 1st October 1932
Nationality: English
Collingwood was an author, artist, and a professor at University College Reading.