Baldr

The shining, best-loved god of the Æsir, whose return is foretold

Baldr is the shining god of the Æsir. Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning calls him the second son of Odin, husband of Nanna and father of Forseti. The old texts call him the wisest, fairest-spoken and most gracious of the gods, so bright that light seems to shine from him. His hall is Breidablik, where nothing unclean may enter.

Devotees turn to him for light, beauty, gentleness and fair judgement. His death by mistletoe is the gods' great sorrow and a sign of Ragnarök, and the seeress's prophecy in Völuspá foretells his return when the world is green again. Worship of him does not seem to have been widespread in ancient times. Today living Heathen and Ásatrú communities honour him, some at Midsummer.

See the gallery

The Death of Balder, 1817. Wikimedia Commons (public domain), Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg

How to recognise Baldr

Gentle face and light hairLook for a young man with an open, kindly face and long, light hair, following Gylfaginning's description, since no ancient portrait of him survives.
Soft radianceA warm, diffuse glow around his head and shoulders, like morning light, recalls the tales that light shines from him.
Baldr's brow flowerWhite, daisy-like flowers with yellow centres, held in his hand or woven into a small circlet, stand for the scentless mayweed called baldursbrá, 'Baldr's brow', in Sweden and Norway for its whiteness.
Plain tunic and cloakHe wears a simple long tunic and Norse-style cloak, with no armour or weapons, to show he is the gentle god.
Quiet sprig of mistletoeA small sprig with white berries, held peacefully or set beside him, recalls the slender plant that Völuspá says grew into the fatal shaft.
Breidablik and HringhorniIn the background, his hall Breidablik, where nothing unclean may enter, or his great ship Hringhorni resting calm on the water.

Names and titles

The Shining OneSnorri says he is so fair and bright that light shines from him
Baldr's BrowThe white mayweed flower is named after his brow
Fairest-Spoken of the ÆsirSnorri calls him the wisest, fairest-spoken and most gracious of the Æsir
Beloved of the GodsHe is the favourite of the gods and loved by all
Baldr Comes BackVöluspá foretells that he returns in the renewed, green world

Feast days

Midsummer21 June, every year (date to be confirmed)

In modern Heathen and Ásatrú practice, the summer solstice is a high feast of the sun at its peak. Some communities dedicate it to Baldr, whom they link with brightness and light. Others keep it for Sunna or Freyr, and some do not tie it to Baldr.
How it's celebrated. Communities usually hold an outdoor blót, often around a bonfire, with offerings of mead, bread or flowers. They may add sumbel toasts, a shared feast and songs. Some groups add fire-leaping or a maypole. Dates and focus vary. Some groups keep it on the solstice itself, and others hold it on a nearby weekend or in the days before 24 June.
Sources: Asatru Alliance: Feast Days and Days of Observance · Kindred Asatru: Midsummerblót (Summer Solstice) 2025 · Asatru Folk Assembly: Miðsumar