by bright Baldr's eyebrows, it's his Sea Mayweed. ⚘

I've presented a theory before about curative flowers potentially associated with the Healing Goddess Eir, and recently ran across yet another Norse God attached by name to a plant. While most of the Gods are spoken of as handsome, it's Baldr the Bright who gets made into an exceptional standard, so when things get named after him this quality transitively becomes a namesaking compliment and reflexive reference to the Bright God. From Gylfaginning §22:

"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."

This gives us the Icelandic Baldursbrá, or Baldr's Brow (but this can also translate to be his eyelashes), which is the sea mayweed:

[Tripleurospermum maritimum]

Like the Eirflower being used as an anti-inflammatory, Baldursbrá also has herbal medicinal properties: it's good for regulating menses, which is a very thank-the-Gods aspect, and may also refer to Völuspá §32, where Baldr is called "the bleeding god" which refers to his tragic death, and perhaps his return if we consider the menses a sort of deathing cycle one returns from. Magically, Baldursbrá was said to be helpful if you place it by the ear of someone suffering from toothache. This latter could possibly be a mirroring of Odin at his son's funeral speaking a helpful secret into dead Baldr's ear. 

Outside of Iceland, the name Baldersbrår is used more generally for all mayweed flowers in Sweden. The flower is also native to Europe, Greenland, the Azores, Northwest Russia (near St. Petersburg), France, Spain, and Portugal, Poland, and Germany, usually growing by the seashores.

[Innri Njarðvík garden photo by Vigdís Viggósdóttir.]

#    #    #

Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.