Balder's Death is meant to stimulate mortal's ability to think beyond the normally accepted 'truths', to make them think for themselves. Dreams change nothing. Thoughts change nothing either, but perhaps the next album will stimulate mortal's will to act? We need no more dreams. We need no more dreamers. We need people who think, act, and people who know what they are doing. Nothing changes nothing right? The will to act changes everything!
Varg Vikernes / Burzum interview, Heresy #3, 1998
Originally entitled Balder's Død, BURZUM released Dauði Baldrs on this day in 1997.
The myth about Balder's Death is a metaphor, where the Æsir are used as pictures for different sides of the human psyche. In this myth, the meaning of life (Balder) is killed. Logic (Loki) finds a problem, and wishes to solve it with no consideration of the consequences this will lead to. Loki asks our pure of heart (Frigg) if there is anything that can hurt Balder. She reveals that the seemingly innocent mistletoe - a parasite on Yggdrasil (the tree of life/humankind) - is able to hurt Balder. Then Loki uses the blind in us (Hodr) to fire a shoot at Balder, with the mistletoe. It kills him instantly. When Balder is buried, his wife, Nanna (nearness) dies from grief, and in anger Thorr kicks a dwarf onto the fire, killing it. The dwarf is called Lit (trust). i.e. The Nearness between us and trust dies when the meaning of life dies.
Further on the Æsir sends Heremod (The Mercurian force in us. i.e. The mysterious occult forces within us) to Hel's home (The subconscious). He finds Balder, sitting on the throne besides Hel (our self-censorship). However, for Balder to be able to return to Asgard (the conscious), Hel demands that everybody, and everything cries for him - to prove that he is loved above everything else. Heremod brings this news back to the Æsir, and they get everything to cry, except one old woman, who really is Loki in disguise. As you know, logic has no feelings. A computer can't cry, so Loki prevents humankind from getting back the meaning of life. In other words, modern science prevents us from getting back to the meaning of life.
Varg Vikernes / Burzum interview, Heresy #3, 1998
The first painting shows a Teutonic Chieftain being forced to accept Judeo-Christianity. To make him the Judeo-Christians hold a knife to the throat of his child. This was a common practice when Northern Europe was Christianized, so it should not be too hard to understand. Next painting shows thirteen Teutonic Women, traveling into the subconscious through a Pagan ritual on a search for the meaning of life. The third painting shows the burial of the meaning of life, when brother torture brothers to make them accept the new foul "faith". Lower once cannot sink, so this is the point when nearness between brothers, when trust between brothers are burned with Balder! Fourth painting shows the meaning of life, it shows what Heremod sees, but is unable to bring back to the conscious world, when he visits the subconscious world. The fifth painting shows what happened to the women who searched for the truth. They are burned at the stake - another historical fact. The sixth and last painting shows what lies ahead: a twilight... or a sunset?
Varg Vikernes / Burzum interview, Heresy #3, 1998