⚰️ Hel

Attributes & Domains

Mythology & Stories

Hel was cast into the underworld by Odin when she was young, along with her monstrous siblings Fenrir and Jormungandr. There she built her kingdom and rules with absolute authority over her realm. Her hall is called Eljudnir ("Misery"), her plate is called Hunger, her knife is called Famine, and her bed is called Sick-bed.

Key Myths:

• Banishment to Helheim: Odin threw the young Hel into the underworld, giving her authority over nine worlds and decreeing that she must provide food and lodging to all sent to her - those who die of old age or illness.
• Baldr's Death: When Baldr died, Hermod rode to Helheim to plead for his release. Hel agreed to release Baldr only if all things in the world would weep for him. When one giantess (Loki in disguise) refused to weep, Hel kept Baldr, saying "Let Hel hold what she has."
• The Journey to Helheim: The road to Hel is long and dark, crossing the bridge Gjallarbrú over the river Gjöll. The giantess Modgud guards the bridge, and the terrible hound Garmr guards the gates.

Relationships

Family

• Parents: Loki (father) and Angrboda (giantess mother)
• Siblings: Fenrir (great wolf), Jormungandr (world serpent)

Role Among the Gods

Unlike her father Loki, Hel is not a trickster or agent of chaos. She rules her realm with grim fairness, neither kind nor cruel, simply inevitable. The gods fear her power but respect her sovereignty. She represents the cold reality of death that comes to all, hero and coward alike.

Helheim - Realm of the Dead

Helheim is a cold, misty realm located in Niflheim, the world of ice and fog. It is not a place of punishment like later Christian Hell, but rather a gray, joyless existence. The dead who dwell there are shades, going through the motions of life without its warmth or vitality. At Ragnarok, Hel will release her legions to join the battle against the gods.