Breidablik
Breiðablik is the home of Baldr in Nordic mythology.
Meaning
The word Breiðablik has been variously translated as 'broad sheen', 'Broad gleam', 'Broad-gleaming' or 'the far-shining one',Attestations
Grímismál
The Eddic poem Grímnismál describes Breiðablik as the fair home of Baldr:Gylfaginning
In Snorri Sturluson's Gylfaginning, Breiðablik is described in a list of places in heaven, identified by some scholars as Asgard:Later in the work, when Snorri describes Baldr, he gives another description, citing Grímnismál, though he does not name the poem:
Interpretation and discussion
The name of Breiðablik has been noted to link with Baldr's attributes of light and beauty.Similarities have been drawn between the description of Breiðablik in Grímnismál and Heorot in Beowulf, which are both free of 'baleful runes'. In Beowulf, the lack of fācenstafas refers to the absence of crimes being committed, and therefore both halls have been proposed to be sanctuaries.
In popular culture
- Breidablik is a sacred weapon in Fire Emblem Heroes that the Summoner uses to summon Heroes coming from different Fire Emblem games.
- In the PlayStation game Xenogears, Bledavik is the name of the capital city of the desert kingdom of Aveh on the Ignas continent.