Baldr

Annar sonur Óðins er Baldur, og er frá honum gott að segja. Hann er svá fagr álitum ok bjartr svá at lýsir af honum, ok eitt gras er svá hvítt at jafnat er til Baldrs brár. Þat er allra grasa hvítast, ok þar eptir máttu marka fegrð hans bæði á hár og á líki. Hann er vitrastr ása ok fegrst talaðr ok líknsamastr. En sú náttúra fylgir honum at engi má haldask dómr hans. Hann býr þar sem heita Breiðablik, þat er á himni. Í þeim stað má ekki vera óhreint
SNORRA-EDDA: GYLFAGINNING
TEXTI UPPSALABÓKAR : 17-21

The second son of Odin  is Baldr, and good things are to be said of him. He is best, and all praise him; he is so fair of feature, and so bright, that light shines from him. A certain herb is so white that it is likened to Baldr's brow; of all grasses it is whitest, and by it thou mayest judge his fairness, both in hair and in body. He is the wisest of the Aesir, and the fairest-spoken and most gracious; and that quality attends him, that none may gainsay his judgments. He dwells in the place called Breidablik, which is in heaven; in that place may nothing unclean be
Translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur [1916]

A future project....creating a labyrinth for Baldr

Stone labyrinth, Finland
from the book Labyrinths, by Virginia Westbury.

According to Westbury's  research, the Norse labyrinths--most numerous in the world--have multiple folkloric connections and purposes.  Some of these ancient stone labyrinths are located near places of execution and burial grounds, suggesting a connection to the underworld (Helheim, to the Norse) and rites of the Dead.  I've been nudged to create a labyrinth for Baldr, who remains in Helheim in spite of the tremendous effort exerted on His behalf .   Our labyrinth would not be of stone, but of banked, rounded earth,  in the traditional spiraling pattern as above.  The rounded banks would be planted with the "certain herb" mentioned in Brodeur's translation.  Baldr's Brow/ Baldrsbrâ,  aka scentless chamomile (Tripleurospermum inodorum).  There are several plants which could be contenders for the folk-name Baldr's Brow, but in my family's ancestral land, Sweden, the scentless chamomile is the traditional one.

The finished labyrinth would be a place for reflection, prayer, and stillness.  The labyrinth is a form that encourages and supports the internal search for peace, amid the clamor of daily living.

Caerdroia - the Journal of Mazes & Labyrinths  has a wonderful article on the labyrinths of ancient pre-Christian Sweden

Labyrinths in Pagan Sweden,  John Kraft
Appendix to the above
Catalogue of Labyrinths which were probably in Cult Use in the Pagan Community of Sweden

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