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In Norse mythology, Gjallarbrú is a bridge spanning the river Gjöll in the underworld which must be crossed in order to reach Hel, according to Gylfaginning. It is described as a covered bridge, "thatched with glittering gold", and figures most prominently in the story of Baldr, when Hermód is sent to retrieve the fallen god from the land of the dead. When Hermód arrived at the bridge he was challenged by the giant maiden Módgud who demanded that he state his name and business before allowing him to pass.