Talk:Baldr

Baldur's death: Past or Future?

Did the Germanic peoples consider the death of Baldur to be an event in their past, or in their future? The text doesn't make this clear. -- 84.57.73.92 20:53, 26 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Baldr and the Willow Tree

I've removed the section of the article which referenced a willow tree being cursed by Loki to be unable to weep for Baldr. This point did not cite any source and as far as I am aware the versions of Baldr's death in both the prose and poetic Edda do not mention any willow tree. I'm happy to be corrected if someone can provide a source. — Preceding unsigned comment added by GalbertofBruges (talk • contribs) 04:30, 10 March 2017 (UTC)

Baldr, god of... what?

What exactly is Baldr the god of? Michael May II (talk) 20:42, 3 August 2018 (UTC)

This [god] of [x] construction you're looking for is an extremely simplistic take on complex systems that developed over many years. This is particularly notable for Norse myth, where easy answers are particularly difficult to find. I suggest that you read the article. :bloodofox: (talk) 20:44, 3 August 2018 (UTC)

Váli in the Prose Edda

Does the Prose Edda mention Váli when the article states it does? I cannot find him in any translation there, and the reference itself does not include him. Váli killing Hod is attested in the Poetic Edda, but I don't think it is in the Prose Edda itself.Eladabudi (talk) 20:08, 6 April 2020 (UTC)

Source for Baldag?

The article claims that Baldr was known to some mainland Saxons as "Baldag", but the source for this claim leads to nothing but a quote. This claim should be removed unless someone can properly source it. Hurlebatte (talk) 15:31, 15 September 2021 (UTC)

How do we know Bældæg was Baldr?

Bældæg is listed as a son of Woden by some manuscripts. Baldr is said to be a son of Othin by some manuscripts. Their names are a bit similar. Is this really all we're basing the claim on that they're the same figure? This seems like incredibly weak evidence which no good scholar would ever leap to a conclusion from. Hurlebatte (talk) 15:33, 15 September 2021 (UTC)

This compound as a form of the deity name has been a common observation in scholarship since at least Grimm (who linked it with the expansive 'day' complex of theonyms and Germanic personal names, and proposed the Old High German cognate *Paltac). But it also occurred long before: It is acknowledged as an Old English form of Old Norse Baldr in the Prose Edda ("Beldeg, er vér kǫllum Baldr"). Another attested Old English form is Herebald (Beowulf), quite recently revisited for example by Lindow (2020). This article could use an expansion. :bloodofox: (talk) 18:14, 15 September 2021 (UTC)

That's much better evidence, I'll work it into the article some time. Hurlebatte (talk) 17:50, 8 October 2021 (UTC)