Ride, Hermod, Ride | Norse Mythology Song

When Baldr, the brightest of the gods, was killed by the mistletoe dart, his mother Frigg asked who among the gods would ride the road to Hel and offer a ransom to bring him home. Hermod the Bold, a son of Odin, took the task, and Odin lent him his own eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Hermod rode nine nights through deep dark valleys until he came to the river Gjoll and its bridge roofed with shining gold, where the maiden Modgud told him that five hosts of the dead had crossed the day before and the bridge rang louder under him alone, for he did not have the colour of the dead. He rode on, north and down, to the gates of Hel, and Sleipnir leapt clean over them. In the hall he found his brother in the seat of honour and stayed the night. Hel agreed to let Baldr go if everything in the world, living and dead, would weep for him. Hermod rode home with Baldr's ring for Odin, and the gods sent messengers everywhere: people, beasts, earth, stones, trees and every metal wept, as frost weeps when it thaws. But a giantess named Thokk, sitting in a cave, said she would weep dry tears, and let Hel keep what she had. Many believe Thokk was Loki in disguise, and so Baldr stayed below. A galloping folk ballad about the longest ride in the old stories. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:10 Verse 1 0:33 Pre-Chorus 0:44 Chorus 1:05 Verse 2 1:25 Verse 3 1:46 Verse 4 2:11 Bridge 2:32 Final Chorus 3:09 Verse 5 3:25 Verse 6 3:41 Final Chorus 2 4:00 Outro LYRICS (Hermod) The brightest god lay cold and still And the halls of the gods were grey Frigg cried out, "Who will ride to Hel And bring my son back to the day?" Hermod the Bold stood up alone Odin gave him his grey horse to ride Sleipnir, swift on his eight long legs Down to the dark on the other side Hermod, Hermod, ride through the night Nine nights down where the cold rivers flow Bring back Baldr, bring back the light Ride, Hermod, ride, and don't let go (Hermod) He came to a river wild and loud To a bridge with a roof of gold The maiden who guards the road of the dead Said, "Your face is not grey and cold" Down and north to the gates of Hel Where the wall rose dark and tall He spurred his horse and the grey steed leapt And he cleared the gate and wall In the hall he found his brother there In the high seat, pale and still All night long they sat and spoke Till the dawn came grey and chill "All the world is weeping," Hermod said "Let my brother ride home with me" The queen of the dead looked long at him "If all things weep, then he goes free Every stone and every tree But if one holds back, he stays with me" Hermod, Hermod, ride back home Tell the whole wide world to weep Every stone and every tree Weep for Baldr in his sleep (Hermod) So the whole world wept, the stones and trees Like the frost in the morning sun The iron wept and the beasts and birds They wept for him, every one But deep in a cave sat an old giantess And Thokk was the name she gave "I'll weep dry tears for Baldr," she laughed "Let Hel keep him in the grave" Hermod, Hermod, you rode so far Nine nights down where the cold rivers flow But one dry eye in a cave of stone Kept Baldr down below Hermod (Hermod) Story source: Gylfaginning 49 (Prose Edda); Baldr's death in Voluspa 31-33 and Baldrs draumar (Poetic Edda). Lyrics written for The Saga Bard. Made with AI: the music and singing voice were generated with Flow Music, the paintings with Nano Banana Pro and the moving scenes with Veo. #NorseMythology #MythologySong #FolkBallad