The New Student's Reference Work/Balder

Balder, the beautiful god of light in the Norse mythology. He was the son of Odin and Frigg and was beloved of gods, men and nature. Through a charm Balder was made incapable of injury from any object save the mistletoe. Loke, the god of fire, jealous of Balder, found out through deceit the one thing which could injure him, and persuaded the blind god Hoder to throw at him a weapon made of mistletoe. Balder was slain, and the twilight of the gods began. A messenger was sent to the lower world to beg for the return of Balder. The promise was given that he would be permitted to return if all things, both animate and inanimate, would weep for him. Loke, in the disguise of a giantess, refused to weep and so Balder remained in the lower world. See Anderson's Norse Mythology, and Bulfinch's Age of Fable.