The gods took Baldur’s body down to the sea-shore, where stood Hringhorn, Baldur’s vessel, the biggest in the world.  When the gods tried to launch it into the water, in order to make on it a funeral fire for Baldur, the ship would not stir.  Then they despatched one to Jotunheim for the sorceress called Hyrrokin, who came riding on a wolf with twisted serpents by way of reins.  Odin called for four Berserkir to hold the horse, but they could not secure it till they had thrown it to the ground.  Then Hyrrokin went to the stem of the ship, and set it afloat with a single touch, the vessel going so fast that fire sprang from the rollers, and the earth trembled.  Then Thor was so angry that he took his hammer and wanted to cast it at the woman’s head, but the gods pleaded for her and appeased him.  The body of Baldur being placed on the ship, Nanna, the daughter of Nep, Baldur’s wife, seeing it, died of a broken heart, so she was borne to the pile and thrown into the fire.

Thor stood up and consecrated the pile with Mjolnir.  A little dwarf, called Litur, ran before his feet, and Thor gave him a push, and threw him into the fire, and he was burnt.  Many kinds of people came to this ceremony.  With Odin came Frigga and the Valkyrjor with his ravens.  Frey drove in a car drawn by the boar, Gullinbursti or Slidrugtanni.  Heimdall rode the horse Gulltopp, and Freyja drove her cats.  There were also many of the forest-giants and mountain-giants there.  On the pile Odin laid the gold ring called Draupnir, giving it the property that every ninth night it produces eight rings of equal weight.  In the same pile was also consumed Baldur’s horse.

For nine nights and days Hermod rode through deep valleys, so dark that he could see nothing.  Then he came to the river Gjoell which he crossed by the bridge which is covered with shining gold.  The maid who keeps the bridge is called Modgudur.  She asked Hermod his name and family, and told him that on the former day there had ridden over the bridge five bands of dead men.

“They did not make my bridge ring as you do, and you have not the hue of the dead.  Why ride you thus on the way to Hel?”

He said—­

“I ride to Hel to find Baldur.  Have you seen him on his way to that place?”

“Baldur,” answered she, “has passed over the bridge, but the way to Hel is below to the north.”

Hermod rode on till he came to the entrance of Hel, which was guarded by a grate.  He dismounted, looked to the girths of his saddle, mounted, and clapping his spurs into the horse, cleared the grate easily.  Then he rode on to the hall and, dismounting, entered it.  There he saw his brother, Baldur, seated in the first place, and there Hermod stopped the night.

In the morning he saw Hela, and begged her to let Baldur ride home with him, telling her how much the gods had sorrowed over his death.  Hela told him she would test whether it were true that Baldur was so much loved.