“Thus having spoken, the maiden wished to touch the beard of her sire, and oft outstretched her hands to no purpose, until at last she might touch it. Then her father assented with a smile, and said as he fondled her: ‘Have, child, whatever you ask of your own choice; but other yet greater gifts will your sire bestow. Thrice ten cities will I present to you, which shall not learn to honor any other god, but thee alone, and shall be called the cities of Artemis. And I will give thee many cities to measure out in common with other gods, on the continent and islands; in all shall be altars and sacred groves of Artemis, and thou shalt be guardian over ways and harbors.’” THE DEATH OF BALDER THE GOOD (_From the Norse Eddas_) This was an event which the asas deemed of great importance. Balder the Good having been tormented by terrible dreams, indicating that his life was in great peril, communicated them to the assembled gods, who, sorrow-stricken, resolved to conjure all things to avert from him the threatened danger. Then Frigg exacted an oath from fire and water, from iron and all other metals, as well as from stones, earths, diseases, beasts, birds, poisons, and creeping things, that none of them would do any harm to Balder. Still Odin feared that the prosperity of the gods had vanished. He saddled his steed Sleipner and rode down to Niflheim, where the dog from Hel met him; it was bloody on the breast and barked a long time at Odin. Odin advanced; the earth trembled beneath him, and he came to the high dwelling of Hel. East of the door he knew the grave of the vala was situated; thither he rode and sang magic songs (_kvao galdra_), until she unwillingly stood up and asked who disturbed her peace, after she had been lying so long covered with snow and wet with dew. Odin called himself Vegtam, a son of Valtam, and asked for whom the benches were strewn with rings and the couches were swimming in gold. She replied that the mead was brewed for Balder, but all the gods would despair. When Odin asked further who should be Balder’s bane, she answered that Höder would hurl the famous branch and become the bane of Odin’s son; but Rind should give birth to a son who, only one night old, should wield a sword, and would neither wash his hands nor comb his hair before he had avenged his brother. But recognizing Odin by an enigmatical question, she said: “You are not Vegtam, as I believed, but you are Odin, the old ruler.” Odin replied: “You are no vala, but the mother of three giants.” Then the vala told Odin to ride home and boast of his journey, but assured him that no one should again visit her thus before Loke should be loosed from his chains and the ruin of the gods had come.