Note
[1] There is a curious Scandinavian legend extant, relative to this subject. The god Balder dreamt that his life, although made to be immortal, was threatened with an imminent danger. The gods agreed to exercise all the perils which might have the power of injuring Balder. The goddess Frigga, the mother of Balder, undertook this task; and she exacted an oath from fire, from water, from all the metals, from the stones, from land, from the fishes, from all the animals, and from all the vegetables, that they would do no harm to Balder. On the conclusion of this solemn compact, the deities, in one of their grand meetings, amused themselves with throwing at Balder, arrows, stones, lighted torches, and with striking him tremendous blows with the sword, his invulnerability protecting him from injury. Loke, an evil genius, and an enemy of the gods, in the disguise of an old woman, went to Frigga, and claimed her hospitality. The kind goddess related the story of her son to the impostor, who enquired whether everything in nature, without exception, had taken the required oath. Frigga replied, that there was only one small shrub, (the mistletoe,) from which she had exacted no promise, because, it being so feeble, she did not dread its power. Loke then departed, and, cutting the mistletoe, converted it into a sharp pointed arrow. He returned to the assembly of the gods, darted his weapon against Balder, and killed him. Everything in nature wept for Balder, and especially the trees, which were for a long time inconsolable.—Madame de Genlis.