Hel – Queen of the Dead, Guardian of the Hidden Realm
Good morning, afternoon, evening, or night, wherever in Midgard you may be reading from.
Among the many enigmatic figures of Norse mythology, few inspire as much fascination, fear, and reverence as Hel — goddess of death, ruler of the underworld, and daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Her story is not merely about darkness, but about transition, inevitability, and the balance between life and death. Unlike Odin or Thor, whose tales dominate the popular imagination, Hel’s narrative draws us deep into the mysteries of mortality, reminding us that death is not an ending but a transformation.
So, brothers and sisters, pour a mead, settle into your seat, and join me as we journey into the realm of one of Norse mythology’s most profound and misunderstood deities.
The Meaning of Her Name
Hel’s name in Old Norse means both “underworld” and “hidden.” The goddess and her realm share the same name, emphasizing the inseparability of the deity from the place she governs. In Proto-Germanic, her name stems from haljo, meaning “concealed place” or “realm of the dead.”
This linguistic root appears across Germanic traditions: Gothic halja, Old English hel or hell, and Anglo-Saxon hellia. In every case, the meaning is tied to concealment, shadow, or what lies beneath. The universality of this linguistic tradition shows that the concept of a hidden world of the dead was shared across northern Europe long before the Viking Age.
Family and Origins
Hel was born into a family destined for chaos. Her father, Loki, the trickster god, and her mother, Angrboða, a fearsome giantess of Jötunheim, produced three children whose fates would shape the cosmos:
Fenrir, the monstrous wolf who would kill Odin.
Jörmungandr, the world serpent who encircled Midgard.
Hel, destined to rule over the dead.
The Aesir, fearing their potential, separated the siblings. Jörmungandr was cast into the sea, Fenrir was bound in chains, and Hel was banished by Odin into Niflheim, where she would establish her dominion over Helheim, the realm of the dead.
Unlike many deities, Hel is not depicted as a lover or mother. Her narrative is one of rulership, inevitability, and solitude. Her power lay not in creating new life, but in presiding over the countless souls who had already passed from it.
Her Appearance and Symbolism
Hel’s form is as striking as it is symbolic. Half of her body appears alive and flesh-colored, while the other half is blue or blackened, cold like a corpse. This duality is a living symbol of the boundary between life and death, embodying the liminal space she governs.
She is not described as beautiful, but neither is she a grotesque monster. Instead, she is somber, stern, and inevitable — a mirror of death itself. Her divided body reminds us that mortality is woven into existence, inseparable from life.
Symbols associated with Hel reinforce her liminal role: mist, cold, silence, and descent. These motifs permeate Old Norse poetry and prose, highlighting her dominion over transitions and the unknown.
Helheim – Realm of the Dead
Helheim lay beneath one of the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, linking it cosmologically to Midgard and Jötunheim. Her hall, Éljúðnir, was described as vast and imposing, with walls and gates that separated the living from the dead.
Everything within her hall carries meaning:
Her table was called Famine.
Her knife was Starvation.
Her bed was Sick-bed.
Her servants, Ganglati and Ganglöt, embodied lethargy and decay.
At the gates of her realm stood Garmr, the monstrous hound, guarding the threshold. These symbols do not depict Helheim as a place of eternal torment but rather as a continuation of existence — a neutral afterlife for those who died of old age, sickness, or misfortune.
Only certain souls were condemned to the darker corner of her realm: Náströnd, the “corpse shore,” where oathbreakers and murderers endured torment. Thus, Hel’s dominion reflected both neutrality and justice, distinguishing between the ordinary dead and those who had gravely transgressed.
Hel and the Afterlife in Norse Belief
Unlike Christianity, where “Hell” became synonymous with damnation, the Norse Helheim was not primarily a place of punishment. It was a realm of rest, reflection, and continuity for those who did not die in battle.
The afterlife in Norse tradition was multi-layered:
Warriors chosen by Odin went to Valhalla, to train for Ragnarök.
Warriors chosen by Freyja went to Fólkvangr.
Those who died at sea might be taken by Rán.
The rest went to Helheim, under the goddess Hel.
This diversity reflects the Norse view of death as part of the natural order, where the manner of one’s passing determined one’s destiny.
The Death of Baldr
Hel plays a central role in the most tragic tale of Norse myth: the death of Baldr, the shining son of Odin and Frigg. After Loki orchestrated Baldr’s death, the gods begged Hel to release him.
Hel agreed, but only on one condition: every being in existence must weep for Baldr. All creatures complied — except for one giantess (believed to be Loki in disguise) who refused. Because of this single refusal, Hel kept Baldr in her realm until Ragnarök.
This story reveals Hel’s fairness and impartiality. She did not deny the gods outright but set terms that required universal consensus. When the condition was not met, she kept Baldr, showing that death is inevitable and not even the most beloved god could escape it.
Hel and Ragnarök
At the end of time, during Ragnarök, Hel would march from the underworld leading an army of the dead. Alongside her brothers, Fenrir and Jörmungandr, she represented the inescapable collapse of the old order.
Her role is not described in detail, but her presence signifies that death itself joins the final battle. Yet Ragnarök is not only destruction — it is renewal. In this way, Hel’s participation represents not just the end, but the necessary clearing for new beginnings.
Hel in Comparative Mythology
Hel’s story echoes across cultures.
In Greek mythology, Hades ruled the underworld, not as a villain but as a necessary part of the cosmic order. Like Hel, he presided over both punishment and rest.
In Christianity, Lucifer’s fall from heaven into Hell parallels Hel’s banishment to the underworld. Both become rulers of realms feared yet essential to the cosmic balance.
In Egyptian belief, Osiris reigned as lord of the underworld, embodying death and rebirth - another echo of Hel’s dual role as ruler and guardian.
These comparisons show that the Norse did not imagine death in isolation but within a broader human tradition of underworld deities.
Sources in the Lore
Hel is mentioned in several key texts:
Gylfaginning (Prose Edda): Describes her origins, her banishment, and her appearance.
Skáldskaparmál: Uses Hel in kennings (poetic metaphors), linking her with Baldr’s fate.
Völuspá: References her halls and their grim atmosphere.
Grímnismál: Places her beneath one of Yggdrasil’s roots.
Baldrs Draumar: Tells of Odin’s journey to consult a seeress in Hel’s realm.
Egils saga: The skald Egill Skallagrímsson invokes Hel in his mourning poetry.
These references establish her as a central, if shadowed, figure in Norse cosmology.
Closing Reflection
Hel is more than a goddess of death. She is the embodiment of inevitability, the reminder that all things end, and yet that endings are part of a larger cycle. Her dual appearance, her impartiality, and her role as ruler of Helheim reflect the Norse acceptance of death as natural and necessary.
Far from being merely grim, she represents continuity, transformation, and balance. Through her, we see that death is not to be feared but to be respected as part of the eternal rhythm of existence.
A Prayer to Hela
Mother of bones and barren flesh,
Mistress of the land of death,
Great Lady of endless transformations,
Protectress of the lost, the weary, the hungry,
Mighty guardian, shelter of the dead,
Humbly we ask for grace.
Teach us to honor you well.
Teach us to live in a way that honors our death.
Teach us to die in a way that celebrates our life.
Let our actions be my prayer.
May we remember the living, the dead, and the passages marking the way between them.
Hail Hela, Lady Death and Mother of Bones.
Conclusion
Hel’s story teaches us that death is not an end but a passage. For pagans today, her realm is not one of despair but of reflection, rest, and renewal. She reminds us to live fully, to prepare for our end, and to recognize that in death, as in life, there is balance and purpose.
Hail the gods.
Hail the old ways.
Wyrd & Flame 🔥
