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Irony was a main theme in both the deaths of Achilles and Balder. Achilles died by getting an arrow to the heel and Balder died by getting hit with some mistletoe that his blind brother threw at him. Achilles’ death was ironic because when he was a baby his mother dipped him into the Styx River to make him invincible, but his mother forgot to dip his heel in the water, which was the part of his body that she was holding him by. As for Balder, he was set to die and when his mother heard of this she went to everyone and everything on earth to secure his life but she mistakably forgot the mistletoe and Loki found the mistletoe ad gave it to Balder’s blind brother to throw at him and fatally wound him. Each of these deaths plays a big part of their stories because the vulnerability in Achilles’ heel explains why we humans today have that tender spot above our heel called the Achilles tendon that hurts excruciatingly if it is hit. For Balder, his story gives an explanation for the earthquakes that occur because of the pain that Loki has due to his punishment for instigating Balder’s death. What are some other ways that explain why these deaths play a big role in the story they are in?
Re: emmymolina921
I think had the two mothers been more careful it would have changed both the stories drastically. For Achilles, he would have truly been invincible; thus, the trojan war would have been won my Sparta because Achilles was the best fighter and he could have obliterated everyone in the Trojan army; therefore, the Trojan Horse trickery would not have been needed. As for Balder, he would have most likely remained a live and Loki would not be severely punished and would probably still be seeking to ruin Balder.Achilles died by an arrow shot at his heel. When Achilles was young, his mother, Thetis, held on to Achilles by his ankle and dunked him into the Styx river. During the Trojan War, Paris shot the fatal arrow, which was guided by Apollo, at Achilles, piercing his ankle. His ankle was the only area on his body that could be injured because his mother forgot to make his ankle invincible. Therefore, the little arrow in his ankle was the cause of his death. Balder died by a mistletoe which was thrown at his heart. When Balder’s mother, Frigga, heard that her son was going to be in terrible danger, she decided to protect her son. While roaming the world, she made positively sure nothing would harm Balder. However, she managed to miss one small shrub. Loki, who despised Balder, found his only weakness, the mistletoe, and plotted to finally kill Balder. He guided Balder’s blind brother, Holder, to throw the mistletoe at Balder’s heart, causing his death. The death of Achilles determined who won the Trojan War. Balder was the most beloved of the gods and his death was tragic for everyone, on earth and heaven.
Question: How do you think the story would have played out if neither Balder nor Achilles were invincible?
Re:julianarenee72
I believe Holder would feel a tinge of guilt for accidentally killing the most beloved god in Norse mythology.Balder and Achilles, heroes of mythology and the center of attention in their respective societies, both died because of overlooked problems from their protectors. The mothers of the heroes, Frigga to Balder and Thetis to Achilles, both knew that their sons were destined to die through their invincibility and both tried in vain to go against fate. Frigga attempted to prevent her son’s death by asking every possible thing to not hurt Balder. In response, nothing was able to even touch him let alone kill him. The plan seemed flawless, however, Frigga overlooked one object – the mistletoe. Hoder, the blind brother of Balder, was tricked into hurling the mistletoe directly at him, piercing his body and killing him. In this way, the supposed invincible man met death.
Thetis, Achilles’ mother, also tried to cheat his inevitable death by dipping him into the river Styx. This idea like Frigga’s would have been perfect; however, like Frigga she too overlooked a literally fatal problem. Thetis had dipped Achilles into the Styx and made him unstoppable, at least the majority of him. Achilles’ mother had mistakenly not dipped his heel by which she held him, which came back to haunt her later in his life when Paris shot the Apollo guided arrow at his heel killing him instantly. Balder’s death showed importance because of the imprisoning and torturing of Loki, and thus the explanation of earthquakes. Achilles’ death showed importance because the Greeks had now lost their hero, just as the Trojan’s had lost their hero, Hector.
If Frigga and Thetis did not know their sons would die this early, would the story have turned out in the same fashion?
It is true that in both instances, the result of these wounds would not be death; however, this is not true when the supernatural is involved. Similarly, both injuries show that you need to do the small things well in order to do the big things right. In Balder’s instance, his mom had every thing in existence pledge to not hurt him, but she did not think of the smallest thing, mistletoe. In each circumstance, it was only one in a billion chance that something so small could take a life, nevertheless the one in a billion chance came and they were killed. What’s another example of someone not being faithful in the little things and losing the big things?
I agree ,emmymolina921, that this story plays the role of explanation as well as showing that no matter god or human, everyone has a weak spot. Even the gods whom are suppose to be the greatest of all cannot escape the fate of inevitable death. You also pose a good question, whether the mothers could have prevented their deaths if they were more careful. Personally, I believe that they did not die because of their mother’s mistakes but that they died solely because fate deemed them to die in this way, and if the mother’s had made their sons truly invincible their deaths would not have come to pass.
rachelnelson55, it would have been impossible for the killers to kill if there had been no help from the supernatural. Both would not have been able to hit their victim. In Balder’s case, a blind guy killed him with the help from Loki guiding him, and in Achilles’ case, no one can his someone’s heel without supernatural guidance.
If someone threw mistletoe or hit the heel of the average person, he would simply brush it off, and perhaps mumble a little “mmph,” but in no way would he die. However, the great heroes, Balder and Achilles met their demise in this way – Balder by mistletoe thrown by his blind brother, and Achilles by a strike to his heel in the Trojan War. Their mothers attempted to protect them, but in the end, their disregard of detail resulted in the death of their sons. Their deaths in the stories signify a great concept – that everyone has a weak spot. Nowadays, that vulnerable point is even called an “Achilles heel” after the Greek hero. No matter how massive or intimidating an opponent is, there will always be a chance of victory if you find their Achilles heel.
What other stories in literature had a character with a single weak point?
RE: craazykat
If neither Balder nor Achilles were invincible, their stories might not have ended so quickly. Instead of relying on their invulnerability, they could have worked hard to become better heroes, and thereby had the ability to protect themselves when opposition appeared. If only their mothers had allowed them to mature on their own, without the magical “bumpers,” they may have not fallen to such a short life.No doubt that both of these mythological beasts died from the most unlikely deaths ever. Achiklies’ whole body except his ankle was dipped in the Styx river. His ankle was his only weak spot. Unfortunately it was the target of one of the arrows in the war which put him to death. Balder’s death however was stranger different. His mother had been informed that he was going to die. In order to prevent this, she began to make deals with the gods and heavens about the materials and objects that would not harm him. Terribly, she av IDE toy passed by the mistletoe. Balder’s blind brother had thrown it at him and he died.I think their deaths are important to mythology because it shows that even the most invincible people die. Everyone dies at some point. Balder’s death proved that oracles are always right.
I agree with jacclewis about how both of the hero’s invincability may have been the cause of their deaths. Maybe ignorance of death will help you live longer?
Balder died by a mistletoe to the heart,and his death was important because his death was a catastrophe to the gods.
Achilles died by arrow to his heel, and as a result of his death Odysseus was then able to make the trojan horse idea which helped determine winner of Trogan war.They both ever invincible except for their one fatal point, proving that everyone has a faulty point and invulnerableness is impossible.
How would the plot have changed if Balder and Achilles did not die?I agree with kcjunior about how everyone dies at one point and how the oracles are correct and how they died from the most unexpected death.
I agree with kcjunior, loiswazhere, and jacclewis about the fact that everybody is going to have to die someday. Weather it is unexpected or planned, every single person dies. The irony of this story was that the death of them was so unexpected, it is almost expected because everything is so perfect except the little part of Achilles heal that was shot.
Balder dies from mistletoe puncturing his heart and Achilles was killed by getting shot by an arrow in the foot. The arrow was guided by Apollo, and the reason why that little part of his heal was revealed was because when he was younger he was dipped into the river of Styx by his mother. Both of their mothers new that Balder and Achilles were destined to die because of the Oracle, who were NEVER wrong.
These two stories are examples of poetic justice in literature. Both Achilles and Balder were pridefully invincible. Achilles’s armor was the best any person could ever wear; he was intimidatingly invulnerable when he war it. Balder was just plain old awesome; he was like the Chuck Norris of Norse mythology and nothing could hurt him. Both these heroes took their indomitableness to liberty. But pride always comes before a fall. Their strength was nothing against the might of justice, whether in the form of a heel-splitting arrow (Achilles) or a little mistletoe twig (Balder). Their deaths were symbolic of the prideful fall of man.
Question: What other character we have read about is almost invincible like these two meat-headed heroes?
Both deaths of Achilles and Balder were very ironic. Achilles death was caused by his mothers carelessness of holding his heel in the water trying to make him invicible. If achilles were a normal man he would have just been wounded but his mother was his ultimate downfall and was shot in his heel or his Achilles his only venerability.Balder mother was also his downfall she collected everything that would hurt balder but overlooked the mistletoe and balder was stabbed in the heart with a mistletoe by the jealous loki. I think their mothers were ultimately the end of them and that irony of their deaths really twisted the story. Do you think the stories would be much of a story if their mothers did not overlook things?
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