Nation Studies: Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, and Denmark)

Written by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Gerry Hoover. In the myth, Baldur begins to have ominous dreams that foretell his death. Concerned, his mother, Frigg, the queen of the gods, makes every object on Earth vow never to harm Baldur. However, she overlooks the mistletoe, considering it too small and insignificant to pose a threat. This oversight is exploited by Loki, the trickster god, who crafts a spear from the mistletoe and gives it to Baldur's blind brother, Höðr, who inadvertently kills Baldur with it. The gods are devastated, and the story explores the aftermath of Baldur's death and the attempts to bring him back from the underworld.