called Litur, ran before his feet, and Thor gave him a push, and threw
him into the fire, and he was burnt. Many kinds of people came to this
ceremony. With Odin came Frigga and the Valkyrjor with his ravens. Frey
drove in a car drawn by the boar, Gullinbursti or Slidrugtanni. Heimdall
rode the horse Gulltopp, and Freyja drove her cats. There were also many
of the forest-giants and mountain-giants there. On the pile Odin laid
the gold ring called Draupnir, giving it the property that every ninth
night it produces eight rings of equal weight. In the same pile was also
consumed Baldur's horse.

For nine nights and days Hermod rode through deep valleys, so dark that
he could see nothing. Then he came to the river Gjöll which he crossed
by the bridge which is covered with shining gold. The maid who keeps the
bridge is called Modgudur. She asked Hermod his name and family, and
told him that on the former day there had ridden over the bridge five
bands of dead men.

"They did not make my bridge ring as you do, and you have not the hue of
the dead. Why ride you thus on the way to Hel?"

He said--

"I ride to Hel to find Baldur. Have you seen him on his way to that
place?"

"Baldur," answered she, "has passed over the bridge, but the way to Hel
is below to the north."

Hermod rode on till he came to the entrance of Hel, which was guarded by
a grate. He dismounted, looked to the girths of his saddle, mounted, and