Baldrs draumar ['Baldur's Dreams']

Full reading in Old Norse and English of the Old Norse poem Baldrs draumar ("Baldur's Dreams"), with expert commentary.
Dr. Jackson Crawford is Instructor of Nordic Studies and Nordic Program Coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder (formerly UC Berkeley and UCLA). He is a historical linguist and an experienced teacher and translator of Old Norse, Modern Icelandic, and Norwegian.
Visit JacksonWCrawford.com (includes a linked list of all videos).
Latest FAQs: • Video (updated Nov. 2018).
Music © I See Hawks in L.A., courtesy of the artist. Visit www.iseehawks.com/
Logos by Elizabeth Porter (snowbringer at gmail).
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[@natemarx4999]

The background view almost looks fake because of how ridiculously stunning it is.

[@markcash2]

my profile picture was taken about 20 feet to the left of where Dr Crawford filmed this video. And yes, it looks unreal in person also!

[@the_sad_wallet1553]

Probably the coolest and most interesting scholar of this century

[@GanjaaaBoy]

Balders draumar is also a great frisian metal band

[@michaelantipin5095]

Your videos, Dr Crawford, get better and better by the day. Thanks a lot!

[@straitmurph]

He wakes me up in my sleep for dialogue, no kidding. I have dashed the nine worlds, stood on the edge of the abyss, counseled by Odin. He has given life saving advice and I have been “interviewed” as it felt like. No way I’m the only one that has met Geri and Freki. These experiences occurred before I relearned anything about The Norse pantheon, and continue still. It took a couple years for me to figure who the figure was that was visible in my vivid dreams in my bedroom, talking to me, that has two wolves that were in the other room that I was encouraged to go meet and not be fearful of them. I got out of my bed (in my dream) walked into the other room and met them. Maybe these details are too private to share, first time I’ve put it out there. either way, I just love Odin so much (even if just an aspect of my ancestral tradition) Odin has changed me. No worship, he doesn’t want worship. They only sacrifice is of the self. I definitely feel gratitude.

[@jenniferperrier7563]

interesting. tell us about it

[@ASMProductions1997]

Another good video from dr Crawford on one of favorite Norse gods

[@tracieh215]

Just a passing note: sitting here in Florida - where the heat index is over 100 every day - that snow looks OH SO GOOD to me right now.

[@Ravynwulf]

What a rush! This is just what the Dr. ordered for me this morning. I truly wish I was there, instead of hot, humid low elevation Oklahoma, ugh..😔

[@faramund9865]

Continuation of my speculation (interpretation): Also note how we start in the east, when Wen (Oðinn) rides to the east door. Then Bald (Baldr) dies and we are in the west. (Sunrise, sunset) Literally Váli fights one whole night because after that the sun comes up again. Also note how he brings to the FIRE his enemy. The sun. Furthermore, I think 'halsa skautum' neck skates, are necklaces. And they throw up their necklaces into the sky after Baldr dies, the sun sets... Because it's night, and their necklaces are the stars. The ending, I think, is a reference to the three maidens of fate. That we also find in Voluspa 20. She is the mother of these fate maidens because she knows exactly what has happened, is happening and will happen.

[@sunshinesilverarrow5292]

Thank you! 🌞

[@nickverbree]

That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough! I'M GOING TO PATREON!

[@SolPhoebusApollo]

I really enjoyed this poem.

[@markcash2]

Oh man, you really wanted to make me homesick today, didn't ya?

[@ancientsurvival]

"I'm wishing you...Höðr best."

[@hi-bd4ls]

Norse mythology is so Interesting and cool

[@takingbackthehammer6527]

Another great video Dr.Crawford

[@miro.georgiev97]

Congratulations! You have published your 308th video today!

[@tyrg.9530]

You're the best!

[@yurdadsdad]

dont mean to be that guy... but i would LOVE to see a day in the life of Dr. Jackson Crawford video :)

[@tracieh215]

Oooh Dr Jackson "Hollywood" Crawford, with them - well, maybe not quite aviator shades, but nice ones. Sharp looking. Just messing with you a bit. Absolutely delicious video

[@seanboyd5242]

Love it

[@faramund9865]

Speculation time: So, say you think of Baldr as light. Say you think of his mead(hall) as the sun. The hall is in hell now, as Oðinn asked the Volva to speak of hell. Then hróðrbarmr could be the horizon. (barmr being a rim) So then Höðr carries the sun, from hell, up to the horizon into the sky. And he too brings it down again. Kills it with mistletoe. Perhaps we're talking seasonal, not daily here. Especially since the sun actually doesn't rise (out of hell, past the horizon) deep in the winter high in the north. And of course because mistletoe stands out in the winter, green, amidst leafless trees. Which is why people associate it with winter. When mistletoe lives, the light, baldr, is dead. Please let me know if the second paragraph is even linguistically possible!

[@tracieh215]

I see that one niding has downvoted this....how on earth is that possible?

[@godsaveme]

Must be Loki, only possible explaination.

[@swinhelm389]

@@godsaveme I heard it was Þǫkk

[@maia2259]

In Norwegian (Nynorsk): Balders draumar:)

[@thebrownhound1343]

In Old English (Anglesaxish): Bældæges dreamas :)

[@faramund9865]

Just checked the manuscript. It also reads 'haran' not 'havan', I guess that's just dialect difference? And yeah, hroðr b[r]m þinig. So I think barm is the correct reading and means rim. But what the hell does þinig mean?

[@tamerofhorses2200]

I just realised that the portions where Odin says "thegj-at-tu" are actually written in Galdralad. Am I correct?

[@Zapp4rn]

Balders drömmar 🇸🇪

[@robbiemaddisonftw]

Where are you? Does it snow there all year?

[@hotspurre]

Interesting. So if it was composed in the early 1000s, that makes it fairly likely that the composer was (at least nominally) a Christian? Hadn't most of the Scandinavian world converted by that point, albeit not necessarily very strongly? This isn't impossible. A lot of these poems were seen as much more of a literary rather than religious tradition, and so survived much better than other pagan traditions...

[@faramund9865]

So 'þinig' means...?

[@mghbg]

In modern Swedish : Balders drömmar

[@mghbg]

@Melanie Boots Varfor skulle dom smaka natt overhuvudtaget ?

[@VanaheimrUllr]

Tegja = Tie in modern norwegian. Å tie = be silent

[@squidking762]

Is "koma mér" the proper way to say "come to me," in the sense of "koma mér, argr" meaning "Come to me, coward?"

[@dopaminn585]

SquidKing have you gotten an answer to this? Would be cool to know

[@squidking762]

@@dopaminn585 No, I haven't, and it seems that I can't get in contact with the only person who would know, which is Dr. Jackson Crawford himself

[@dopaminn585]

SquidKing I have been looking for tatoo ideas, i am a fan of Norse mythologi so i thought it would be nice to have a tatoo written in old Norse. Having a hard time finding someone that can help me tho

[@squidking762]

@@dopaminn585 Idk why it's so hard to find people who know the language, it's weird

[@jenniferperrier7563]

@@squidking762 are u a patreon? Dr Crawford does translations for all his patreons for free. if u arent a patreon its like $10 You have to send an Email to Stella