Norse fiction premise (2)
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aqueoustransmissionLike I mentioned in the previous post, there was another possible fate that was more optimistic for most of the characters, but we got the one in the myths because of meddling against it. So here's a summary of the battle for the end of the world that we could've gotten.
In this future, Balder doesn't die and Loki doesn't conspire against it. The immediate consequences: Odin doesn't conceive Vali. Hod is still alive. Nanna is still alive. Loki never gets tied up. Loki's sons with Sigyn aren't turned into a wolf and torn apart to use his intestines as ropes, respectively.
And Ragnarok takes a longer time, because less humans die from cold and lack of sunlight, so Hel's ship made of human fingernails gets done slower. But it does happen, eventually.
A lot of important people still die the same way. Odin still gets eaten by Fenrir. Thor still gets poisoned by Jormungard. Things are desperate. Suddenly Balder, Odin's oldest son with his wife Frigg, ends up inheriting not just his father's throne but also his war. Surtur is burning everything and he needs to act fast, but the fire giant is invincible. So he takes his twin Hod and consults old man Mimir's head at his well. He recommends Balder to summon and consult the Norns, because this is too serious to ask the spirit of a mere volva (witch) like his father used to do.
So he asks Skuld, the norn of the future. And she shows the twin brothers visions of what it has to be done. They don't like it, not one bit, but there's no other way. They go back to Mimir's well to ask for Odin's eye. (Now, I imagine here that Mimir demands a price, but I still haven't thought what they'd sacrifice for it. Maybe Hod's enhancement of the rest of his senses?) In any case, Mimir ends up accepting their request and gives the eye to Hod. Now one of his eyes is replaced by his father's, and he's gained half of his sight. In the way back, they find mistletoe and gather enough to make a wooden lance out of it. Hod's blind eye cries while he carves it. Balder is also tormented, preparing himself.
They ride back to the battlefield without talking to anyone else. Time is of essence. Balder removes his armor, which will be pointless anyway, and faces Surtur. The giant tries to burn the new king, but he can't. The flames don't even touch him. After all, his mother had made almost everything in creation take an oath to not to hurt Balder, and that included the concept of fire itself. Balder grabs Surtur's wrists to restrain him. It's just a temporary measure as part of the plan. His arms are not strong enough anyway to wrestle and stop him. As soon as he gets tired, he knows Surtur will win.
Hod takes a deep breath. With his new eye, he sees his brother and Surtur. It is time. He gets behind them, grabs the lance tight, and takes aim. He throws it with all his strength...
...and it goes through Balder.
Ignoring the pain, he looks down and sees the sharp tip going through his chest. He lets go off Surtur. They only have seconds to go through the plan, to fulfill destiny. Quickly, he pulls out the lance from his back. A large stream of blood flows from the wound. With no time to lose, he throws the lance's bloody tip at Surtur and embraces him as he fades out. Surtur writhes and screeches, his flames extinguish just like his rival's life.
Turns out that Surtur's only fatal point, the only thing that could kill this being of destruction, was the blood of the god of light. And the only thing that could kill Balder was mistletoe wood. Hod had always been cursed to murder his brother, and he needed a powerful sight, the sight of a war god, to aim perfectly without subconsciously failing. He falls on his knees and weeps when Balder's corpse drops to the ground, almost no blood pool since it evaporated with Surtur. He's smiling peacefully.
Then someone grabs his neck and yells at him. It was Nanna, who had seen everything and misunderstand. It breaks his heart even more, but Hod lets her know about the Norn's prophecy. She lets him go, seeing that he did it without a choice and he was suffering from guilt enough.
All she can think about is stopping Balder's death. Ahead of her, she sees Hel in the midst of battle. She makes a decision.
"Summarbrander," Hod whispers, remembering the last vision he had. He knows exactly what her sister-in-law has just decided.
She runs to Skirnir, Freyr's page. He's next to the body of his lord in sobs. If only he hadn't asked for his master's sword, he would still be alive. It pains Nanna, to see her love die, to see Hod lamenting in guilt, to see this man lamenting in guilt. But still, she touches Skirnir's shoulder and begs him to lend her Freyr's sword. He doesn't care anymore, so he gives it to her.
Nanna is an accomplished shield maiden by herself. She used to train to become a valkyrie and was top of her class, before she quit to pursue a less grim profession that suited her better. She became Idunn's bodyguard out of Balder's suggestion, back when she was suffering from PTSD after her kidnapping years before. She was one of the best warrior women in Asgard, physically much stronger and tougher than her husband. So with this amazing sword that could fight jotnar by itself, she was unstoppable. She got to Hel and they dueled.
It was a hard battle, but Nanna won. The summer blade melted the winter queen's flesh and soul. However, killing the goddess of death in combat would make you her successor, and that's what Nanna intends: to claim the land of the dead. The fury in her eyes from battle fades, and with sadness she glances at everyone before she disappears into nothing with her new powers.
When Balder's soul appears in the halls of Helheim, she finds his wife sitting on the throne. But he knew he'd find her there, from Skuld's vision, and they embrace.
"I'll bring you back to life now. Asgard needs you, needs a king."
"But I can't leave you here alone, Nanna!"
"I wish I could go with you. But I killed Hel and I want to own up. You know, I've been thinking about it while you came here. This place is so gloomy and cold. I've always disagreed with your father's system, how unfair it was to reward only the slain warriors. All the dead deserve a better afterlife. Here, I could change this realm into a warmer, happier place. Plant trees and crops and flowers! It's hard work, but I want to protect these souls now..."
Balder couldn't deny her that. He understood, he agreed. But he insisted to help her before returning to the living. After killing Surtur, Balder had gained the power of fire. After killing Hel, Nanna had gained the power of ice. When joined together, the weather in Helheim became mild, the ground became fertile, and life grew from the strength of their love.
He made a promise as he left, new vows of peace now as king and queen of their own kingdoms: he would return and spend half of the year with her as prince consort of Helheim. It didn't feel fair to him to be completely alive, to be an exception.
And so, during spring and summer, Balder is in Asgard ruling as king. Life wakes up as he returns, and the weather gets hotter the more he misses his loved one. During autumn and winter, he lives in Helheim, and his brother Hod is steward king in his stead. He's a fair, kind king as well, but he lacks the fire and light powers of his twin, so the worlds grow colder and darker as he misses him. And that's why there are seasons: it's genderswitch Hades and Persephone.
Also, he uses Surtur's fire to create a new sun. Hod creates a new moon, borrowing the light of the sun. They're the ones pulling the carriages the first few years, but Balder and Nanna have twin children after that extreme terraforming love-making and they become the new sun and moon deities when they grow up.
And where's Loki, you may ask?
Loki's sons with Sigyn decided to side with the Aesir during Ragnarok. His monster children were on Hel's side. He just couldn't choose a side. All of his children but Sleipnir were fated to die, according to the predictions of witches, so it was pointless. When the battle started, he escaped to Midgard and lived there among humans, far from gods and giants. He kept tricking everyone forever and ever. In any case, Asgard wasn't fun without Odin around anymore.
So, why did Loki kill Balder in RagnaBeta?
Because in the other future, at least one of his children (Hel) survives. He didn't know all the details, he was misinformed by third parties, and he thought he was helping when instead he was being manipulated. It wasn't personal against Balder, just necessary to make sure Nanna never killed his girl. But of course, it still backfired to him because that's a trickster's luck. Once he realized he was used, he got mad at the Aesir and started to legit hate them.
Who told him?
Odin, pretending to be drunk. Who had always known about the two futures. Who chose the worst one on purpose because the other one was cheesy, and he wanted the more epic ending. He wanted the kingdom he built to be destroyed along with him. It backfired at him because he ended up loving the son he had to get killed off, but it was too late to back away. He had been building an army for centuries. Personal feelings for the characters can't get between the story you want to tell.
At Balder's funeral, he kissed his son goodbye and whispered something in his ear.
"I'm sorry," Odin said, but not feeling that sorry.
The Ragnarok (Alpha)
In this future, Balder doesn't die and Loki doesn't conspire against it. The immediate consequences: Odin doesn't conceive Vali. Hod is still alive. Nanna is still alive. Loki never gets tied up. Loki's sons with Sigyn aren't turned into a wolf and torn apart to use his intestines as ropes, respectively.
And Ragnarok takes a longer time, because less humans die from cold and lack of sunlight, so Hel's ship made of human fingernails gets done slower. But it does happen, eventually.
A lot of important people still die the same way. Odin still gets eaten by Fenrir. Thor still gets poisoned by Jormungard. Things are desperate. Suddenly Balder, Odin's oldest son with his wife Frigg, ends up inheriting not just his father's throne but also his war. Surtur is burning everything and he needs to act fast, but the fire giant is invincible. So he takes his twin Hod and consults old man Mimir's head at his well. He recommends Balder to summon and consult the Norns, because this is too serious to ask the spirit of a mere volva (witch) like his father used to do.
So he asks Skuld, the norn of the future. And she shows the twin brothers visions of what it has to be done. They don't like it, not one bit, but there's no other way. They go back to Mimir's well to ask for Odin's eye. (Now, I imagine here that Mimir demands a price, but I still haven't thought what they'd sacrifice for it. Maybe Hod's enhancement of the rest of his senses?) In any case, Mimir ends up accepting their request and gives the eye to Hod. Now one of his eyes is replaced by his father's, and he's gained half of his sight. In the way back, they find mistletoe and gather enough to make a wooden lance out of it. Hod's blind eye cries while he carves it. Balder is also tormented, preparing himself.
They ride back to the battlefield without talking to anyone else. Time is of essence. Balder removes his armor, which will be pointless anyway, and faces Surtur. The giant tries to burn the new king, but he can't. The flames don't even touch him. After all, his mother had made almost everything in creation take an oath to not to hurt Balder, and that included the concept of fire itself. Balder grabs Surtur's wrists to restrain him. It's just a temporary measure as part of the plan. His arms are not strong enough anyway to wrestle and stop him. As soon as he gets tired, he knows Surtur will win.
Hod takes a deep breath. With his new eye, he sees his brother and Surtur. It is time. He gets behind them, grabs the lance tight, and takes aim. He throws it with all his strength...
...and it goes through Balder.
Ignoring the pain, he looks down and sees the sharp tip going through his chest. He lets go off Surtur. They only have seconds to go through the plan, to fulfill destiny. Quickly, he pulls out the lance from his back. A large stream of blood flows from the wound. With no time to lose, he throws the lance's bloody tip at Surtur and embraces him as he fades out. Surtur writhes and screeches, his flames extinguish just like his rival's life.
Turns out that Surtur's only fatal point, the only thing that could kill this being of destruction, was the blood of the god of light. And the only thing that could kill Balder was mistletoe wood. Hod had always been cursed to murder his brother, and he needed a powerful sight, the sight of a war god, to aim perfectly without subconsciously failing. He falls on his knees and weeps when Balder's corpse drops to the ground, almost no blood pool since it evaporated with Surtur. He's smiling peacefully.
Then someone grabs his neck and yells at him. It was Nanna, who had seen everything and misunderstand. It breaks his heart even more, but Hod lets her know about the Norn's prophecy. She lets him go, seeing that he did it without a choice and he was suffering from guilt enough.
All she can think about is stopping Balder's death. Ahead of her, she sees Hel in the midst of battle. She makes a decision.
"Summarbrander," Hod whispers, remembering the last vision he had. He knows exactly what her sister-in-law has just decided.
She runs to Skirnir, Freyr's page. He's next to the body of his lord in sobs. If only he hadn't asked for his master's sword, he would still be alive. It pains Nanna, to see her love die, to see Hod lamenting in guilt, to see this man lamenting in guilt. But still, she touches Skirnir's shoulder and begs him to lend her Freyr's sword. He doesn't care anymore, so he gives it to her.
Nanna is an accomplished shield maiden by herself. She used to train to become a valkyrie and was top of her class, before she quit to pursue a less grim profession that suited her better. She became Idunn's bodyguard out of Balder's suggestion, back when she was suffering from PTSD after her kidnapping years before. She was one of the best warrior women in Asgard, physically much stronger and tougher than her husband. So with this amazing sword that could fight jotnar by itself, she was unstoppable. She got to Hel and they dueled.
It was a hard battle, but Nanna won. The summer blade melted the winter queen's flesh and soul. However, killing the goddess of death in combat would make you her successor, and that's what Nanna intends: to claim the land of the dead. The fury in her eyes from battle fades, and with sadness she glances at everyone before she disappears into nothing with her new powers.
When Balder's soul appears in the halls of Helheim, she finds his wife sitting on the throne. But he knew he'd find her there, from Skuld's vision, and they embrace.
"I'll bring you back to life now. Asgard needs you, needs a king."
"But I can't leave you here alone, Nanna!"
"I wish I could go with you. But I killed Hel and I want to own up. You know, I've been thinking about it while you came here. This place is so gloomy and cold. I've always disagreed with your father's system, how unfair it was to reward only the slain warriors. All the dead deserve a better afterlife. Here, I could change this realm into a warmer, happier place. Plant trees and crops and flowers! It's hard work, but I want to protect these souls now..."
Balder couldn't deny her that. He understood, he agreed. But he insisted to help her before returning to the living. After killing Surtur, Balder had gained the power of fire. After killing Hel, Nanna had gained the power of ice. When joined together, the weather in Helheim became mild, the ground became fertile, and life grew from the strength of their love.
He made a promise as he left, new vows of peace now as king and queen of their own kingdoms: he would return and spend half of the year with her as prince consort of Helheim. It didn't feel fair to him to be completely alive, to be an exception.
And so, during spring and summer, Balder is in Asgard ruling as king. Life wakes up as he returns, and the weather gets hotter the more he misses his loved one. During autumn and winter, he lives in Helheim, and his brother Hod is steward king in his stead. He's a fair, kind king as well, but he lacks the fire and light powers of his twin, so the worlds grow colder and darker as he misses him. And that's why there are seasons: it's genderswitch Hades and Persephone.
Also, he uses Surtur's fire to create a new sun. Hod creates a new moon, borrowing the light of the sun. They're the ones pulling the carriages the first few years, but Balder and Nanna have twin children after that extreme terraforming love-making and they become the new sun and moon deities when they grow up.
And where's Loki, you may ask?
Loki's sons with Sigyn decided to side with the Aesir during Ragnarok. His monster children were on Hel's side. He just couldn't choose a side. All of his children but Sleipnir were fated to die, according to the predictions of witches, so it was pointless. When the battle started, he escaped to Midgard and lived there among humans, far from gods and giants. He kept tricking everyone forever and ever. In any case, Asgard wasn't fun without Odin around anymore.
So, why did Loki kill Balder in RagnaBeta?
Because in the other future, at least one of his children (Hel) survives. He didn't know all the details, he was misinformed by third parties, and he thought he was helping when instead he was being manipulated. It wasn't personal against Balder, just necessary to make sure Nanna never killed his girl. But of course, it still backfired to him because that's a trickster's luck. Once he realized he was used, he got mad at the Aesir and started to legit hate them.
Who told him?
Odin, pretending to be drunk. Who had always known about the two futures. Who chose the worst one on purpose because the other one was cheesy, and he wanted the more epic ending. He wanted the kingdom he built to be destroyed along with him. It backfired at him because he ended up loving the son he had to get killed off, but it was too late to back away. He had been building an army for centuries. Personal feelings for the characters can't get between the story you want to tell.
At Balder's funeral, he kissed his son goodbye and whispered something in his ear.
"I'm sorry," Odin said, but not feeling that sorry.