Balder was said to be the fairest of all of the Norse deities, both in appearance and in character. For these reasons, he actually radiated light. He was so eloquent and gracious that when he pronounced a judgment on any matter, no one could find a way to criticize it. The main surviving myth of Balder was his murder by Loki and the blind god Hod, most famously told by Snorri Sturluson. When Loki, heard that the only thing that could harm Balder was a mistletoe, he made a magical spear from this plant. Loki went to the place where the gods were indulging in their favorite pastime of hurling random objects at Baldr, which would all bounce off without harming him. Loki gave the spear to Baldr’s brother, the blind god Hod, who then inadvertently killed his brother with it. For this act alone, Odin and the giantess Rindr gave birth to Vali who grew to adulthood within a day and killed Hod.
Balder of course was an accomplished and formidable warrior like any Norse god. The most straightforward translation of Balder was that to came from the adjective “bold” attributed for his eagerness of battle. Other than the story of his death, not much else survived to today about the god Balder.