Description: This scene is from the 1902 edition of Hamilton
Wright
Mabie's retelling of The Death of Baldr
in Norse Stories: Retold from the
Eddas (1882). George
Hand
Wright's illustrations depicts
Baldr who
has been mortally wounded by an arrow made out of mistleoe shot
at him by his brother Hödr.
Source: Norse Stories: Retold from the Eddas
Folio or Page: 208
Medium: colour halftone reproduction
Date: 1902
Dimensions (mm): 95 x 155
Provenance:
This illustration is from Norse
Stories: Retold from the Eddas from the collection of
P.A. Baer
Rights:
This illustration from Norse Stories: Retold
from the Eddas is in the public domain.
Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
Early print review: "Norse Stories has for years past been considered
the best collection of Norse myths for school use. The events in the life of the
gods are all told, but one misses the glorious fierce movement, the simple
dramatic action of these human gods" (Thorne-Thomsen 330).Full text of the review.
Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Mabie, Hamilton
Wright. Norse Stories, Retold from the Eddas.
London: Grant Richards,
1902.
Secondary Sources
Thorne-Thomsen,
Gudrun
. Review of Norse Stories Retold from the
Eddas, by Hamilton
Wright
Mabie. The Elementary
School Teacher, vol. 3, no. 5, 1
Jan. 1903: 330. Web. August 2,
2021.
Dunn-Krahn,
Sage (en.)
b. 13th July 1999
Occupation: Research Assistant
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
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).
Victorian (en.)The
Victorian era began with the reign of Queen Victoria and ended with her
death (June 20, 1837 – January 22, 1901).
Mabie, Hamilton
Wright (en.)
b. 13th December 1846
d. 31st December 1916
Nationality: American
Occupation: author
Mabie was an author, essayist, critic, editor and lecturer.
Wright, George
Hand (en.)
b. 6th August 1872
d. 14th March 1951
Nationality: American
Occupation: illustrator, printmaker and painter
