Cheered by this promise, Hermod turned to depart, but before he left he talked with Balder and with Nanna, his wife.  They told him that all honor which could be paid to any one in the realms of the dead was paid to them; that Balder was made the judge in disputes between the shades.  But despite that, the days were weary, hopeless; no joy was there, nothing substantial—­just days and nights of unvarying twilight, with never a gleam of real brightness.  Nor would Balder admit that there was cause for rejoicing in the promise of Hela.  “Well we know the family of Loki.  Were there not some trick, Hela would never have spoken that word.”

Nevertheless, it was with a heart lighter than at his coming that Hermod set out on his return journey.  And when he reached Asgard there was rejoicing among the gods.  For the first time since Balder’s death, there were the sounds of cheerful hurryings to and fro and of gods calling each to each as they set out upon their tasks; for all the gods wanted a part in the work of bringing Balder back to life.

In twos and threes they rode throughout all the world, and soon “all that lived, and all without life, wept.”  Trees, stones, flowers, metals joined willingly in grief for Balder the beautiful; and most of the gods speedily returned in joy.  But Hermod, as he rode, came to the mouth of a dark cave where sat an old hag named Thok.  Years long she had sat there, and the gods knew her well, for she always cried out mockingly to all who passed by; but Hermod could not know that to-day Loki had changed forms with the old hag, and that it was really that enemy of the gods who sat before him.  Dismounting, he besought the old woman to weep for Balder, as all things in heaven and earth had promised to do.  But in a shrill voice she cried: 

“With dry tears will Thok weep for Balder.  Let Hela keep her prey.”

And as she fled, with harsh laughter, to the cave’s depth, Hermod knew that it was Loki who had this second time stolen life from Balder.

Sadly he rode back to Asgard, and in silent grief the gods heard his tale; for they knew that brightness was gone forever from the abode of the gods—­that Balder the beautiful should return no more.

This story of Balder is one of those myths which were invented to explain natural happenings.  The ancient peoples, knowing nothing about science, could not account for such things as the rising and setting of the sun and the change from summer to winter; and they made up explanations which in time grew into interesting stories.

Some students believe that in this story the death of Balder (the sun) by the hand of Hoder (darkness) represents the going down of the sun at each day’s close.

Another explanation, and a more probable one, is that the death of Balder represents the close of the short northern summer and the coming on of the long winter.  That is, the dreary winter, with its darkness, is represented by Hoder, who had strength, but could not make use of it to aid men or gods; who could, however, with his blind strength, slay Balder, who stood for the blessed, life-giving qualities of the summer sun.