Hel (Old Norse) is a female being inNorse mythology who is said to preside over an underworld realm of thesame name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in thePoetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and theProse Edda, written in the 13th century. In addition, she is mentioned in poems recorded inHeimskringla andEgils saga that date from the 9th and 10th centuries, respectively. An episode in the Latin workGesta Danorum, written in the 12th century bySaxo Grammaticus, is generally considered to refer to Hel, and Hel may appear on variousMigration Periodbracteates.
In thePoetic Edda,Prose Edda, andHeimskringla, Hel is referred to as a daughter ofLoki. In theProse Edda bookGylfaginning, Hel is described as having been appointed by the godOdin as ruler of a realm of the same name, located inNiflheim. In the same source, her appearance is described as half blue and half flesh-coloured and further as having a gloomy, downcast appearance. TheProse Edda details that Hel rules over vast mansions with many servants in her underworld realm and plays a key role in the attempted resurrection of the godBaldr.
TheOld Norse nameHel is identical to the name of thelocation over which she rules. It stems from theProto-Germanic feminine noun*haljō- 'concealed place, the underworld' (compare withGothichalja,Old Englishhel orhell,Old Frisianhelle,Old Saxonhellia,Old High Germanhella), itself aderivative of*helan- 'to cover > conceal, hide' (compare with OEhelan, OFhela, OShelan, OHGhelan).[1][2] It derives, ultimately, from theProto-Indo-European verbal root*ḱel- 'to conceal, cover, protect' (compare withLatincēlō,Old Irishceilid,Greekkalúptō).[2] The Old Irish masculine nouncel 'dissolution, extinction, death' is also related.[3]
Other related early Germanic terms and concepts include thecompounds*halja-rūnō(n) and *halja-wītjan.[4] The feminine noun*halja-rūnō(n) is formed with*haljō- 'hell' attached to*rūno 'mystery, secret' >runes. It has descendantcognates in the Old Englishhelle-rúne 'possessed woman, sorceress, diviner',[5] the Old High Germanhelli-rūna 'magic', and perhaps in the Latinized Gothic formhaliurunnae,[4] although its second element may derive instead fromrinnan 'to run, go', leading to Gothic*haljurunna as the 'one who travels to the netherworld'.[6][7] The neutral noun *halja-wītjan is composed of the same root*haljō- attached to *wītjan (compare with Goth.un-witi 'foolishness, understanding', OEwitt 'right mind, wits', OHGwizzi 'understanding'), with descendant cognates in Old Norsehel-víti 'hell', Old Englishhelle-wíte 'hell-torment, hell', Old Saxon helli-wīti 'hell', orMiddle High Germanhelle-wīzi 'hell'.[8]
Hel is also etymologically related—although distantly in this case—to the Old Norse wordValhöll 'Valhalla', literally 'hall of the slain', and to the English wordhall, both likewise deriving from Proto-Indo-European*ḱel- via the Proto-Germanic root *hallō- 'covered place, hall'.[9]
ThePoetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, features various poems that mention Hel. In thePoetic Edda poemVöluspá, Hel's realm is referred to as the "Halls of Hel".[10] In stanza 31 ofGrímnismál, Hel is listed as living beneath one of three roots growing from the world treeYggdrasil.[11] InFáfnismál, the heroSigurd stands before the mortally wounded body of the dragonFáfnir, and states that Fáfnir lies in pieces, where "Hel can take" him.[12] InAtlamál, the phrases "Hel has half of us" and "sent off to Hel" are used in reference to death, though it could be a reference to the location and not the being, if not both.[13] In stanza 4 ofBaldrs draumar, Odin rides towards the "high hall of Hel".[14]
Hel may also be alluded to inHamðismál. Death is paraphrased as "joy of the troll-woman"[15] (or "ogress"[16]) and ostensibly it is Hel being referred to as the troll-woman or the ogre (flagð), although it may otherwise be some unspecifieddís.[15][16]
A depiction of a young Hel (center) being led to the assignment of her realm, while her brother Fenrir is led forward (left) and Jörmungandr (right) is about to be cast by Odin (1906) byLorenz Frølich."Hermod before Hela" (1909) byJohn Charles Dollman."The children of Loki" (1920) byWilly Pogany."Loki's Brood" (1905) byEmil Doepler.
Hel receives notable mention in theProse Edda. In chapter 34 of the bookGylfaginning, Hel is listed byHigh as one of the three children ofLoki andAngrboða; the wolfFenrir, the serpentJörmungandr, and Hel. High continues that, once the gods found that these three children are being brought up in the land ofJötunheimr, and when the gods "traced prophecies that from these siblings great mischief and disaster would arise for them" then the gods expected a lot of trouble from the three children, partially due to the nature of the mother of the children, yet worse so due to the nature of their father.[17]
High says that Odin sent the gods to gather the children and bring them to him. Upon their arrival, Odin threw Jörmungandr into "that deep sea that lies round all lands", Odin threw Hel intoNiflheim, and bestowed upon her authority overnine worlds, in that she must "administer board and lodging to those sent to her, and that is those who die of sickness or old age". High details that in this realm Hel has "great Mansions" with extremely high walls and immense gates, a hall calledÉljúðnir, a dish called "Hunger", a knife called "Famine", the servant Ganglati (Old Norse "lazy walker"[18]), the serving-maid Ganglöt (also "lazy walker"[18]), the entrance threshold "Stumbling-block", the bed "Sick-bed", and the curtains "Gleaming-bale". High describes Hel as "half black and half flesh-coloured", adding that this makes her easily recognizable, and furthermore that Hel is "rather downcast and fierce-looking".[19]
In chapter 49, High describes the events surrounding the death of the godBaldr. The goddessFrigg asks who among theÆsir will earn "all her love and favour" by riding to Hel, the location, to try to find Baldr, and offer Hel herself a ransom. The godHermóðr volunteers and sets off upon the eight-legged horseSleipnir to Hel. Hermóðr arrives in Hel's hall, finds his brother Baldr there, and stays the night. The next morning, Hermóðr begs Hel to allow Baldr to ride home with him, and tells her about the great weeping the Æsir have done upon Baldr's death.[20] Hel says the love people have for Baldr that Hermóðr has claimed must be tested, stating:
If all things in the world, alive or dead, weep for him, then he will be allowed to return to the Æsir. If anyone speaks against him or refuses to cry, then he will remain with Hel.[21]
Later in the chapter, after the femalejötunnÞökk refuses to weep for the dead Baldr, she responds in verse, ending with "let Hel hold what she has".[22] In chapter 51, High describes the events ofRagnarök, and details that when Loki arrives at the fieldVígríðr "all of Hel's people" will arrive with him.[23]
In chapter 12 of theProse Edda bookSkáldskaparmál, Hel is mentioned in akenning for Baldr ("Hel's companion").[24] In chapter 23, "Hel's [...] relative or father" is given as a kenning for Loki.[25] In chapter 50, Hel is referenced ("to join the company of the quite monstrous wolf's sister") in theskaldic poemRagnarsdrápa.[26]
In theHeimskringla bookYnglinga saga, written in the 13th century bySnorri Sturluson, Hel is referred to, though never by name. In chapter 17, the kingDyggvi dies of sickness. A poem from the 9th-centuryYnglingatal that forms the basis ofYnglinga saga is then quoted that describes Hel's taking of Dyggvi:
I doubt not but Dyggvi's corpse Hel does hold to whore with him; for Ulf's sib a scion of kings by right should caress in death: to love lured Loki's sister Yngvi's heir o'er all Sweden.[27]
In chapter 45, a section fromYnglingatal is given which refers to Hel as "howes'-warder" (meaning "guardian of the graves") and as taking KingHalfdan Hvitbeinn from life.[28] In chapter 46, KingEystein Halfdansson dies by being knocked overboard by a sail yard. A section fromYnglingatal follows, describing that Eystein "fared to" Hel (referred to as "Býleistr's-brother's-daughter").[29] In chapter 47, the deceased Eystein's son KingHalfdan dies of an illness, and the excerpt provided in the chapter describes his fate thereafter, a portion of which references Hel:
Loki's child from life summoned to herthing the third liege-lord, when Halfdan of Holtar farm left the life allotted to him.[30]
In a stanza fromYnglingatal recorded in chapter 72 of theHeimskringla bookSaga of Harald Sigurdsson, "given to Hel" is again used as a phrase to referring to death.[31]
TheIcelanders' sagaEgils saga contains the poemSonatorrek. The saga attributes the poem to 10th-century skaldEgill Skallagrímsson, and writes that it was composed by Egill after the death of his son Gunnar. The final stanza of the poem contains a mention of Hel, though not by name:
Now my course is tough: Death, close sister of Odin's enemy stands on the ness: with resolution and without remorse I will gladly await my own.[32]
In the account of Baldr's death inSaxo Grammaticus' early 13th-century workGesta Danorum, the dying Baldr has a dream visitation fromProserpina (here translated as "the goddess of death"):
The following night the goddess of death appeared to him in a dream standing at his side, and declared that in three days time she would clasp him in her arms. It was no idle vision, for after three days the acute pain of his injury brought his end.[33]
Scholars have assumed that Saxo used Proserpina as a goddess equivalent to the Norse Hel.[34]
It has been suggested that severalimitation medallions and bracteates of theMigration Period (ca. first centuries AD) feature depictions of Hel. In particular the bracteates IK 14 and IK 124 depict a rider traveling down a slope and coming upon a female being holding a scepter or a staff. The downward slope may indicate that the rider is traveling towards the realm of the dead and the woman with the scepter may be a female ruler of that realm, corresponding to Hel.[35]
Some B-class bracteates showing three godly figures have been interpreted as depicting Baldr's death, the best known of these is the Fakse bracteate. Two of the figures are understood to be Baldr and Odin while both Loki and Hel have been proposed as candidates for the third figure. If it is Hel she is presumably greeting the dying Baldr as he comes to her realm.[36]
An 18th-centuryProse Edda manuscript illustration featuring Hermóðr uponSleipnir (left),Baldr (upper right), and Hel (lower right). Details include but are not limited to Hel's dish "hunger" and the knife "famine"."Heimdallr desiresIðunn's return from the Underworld" (1881) byCarl Emil Doepler.
TheOld English Gospel of Nicodemus, preserved in two manuscripts from the 11th century, contains a female figure referred to asSeo hell who engages inflyting withSatan and tells him to leave her dwelling (Old Englishut of mynre onwununge). Regarding Seo Hell in theOld English Gospel of Nicodemus, Michael Bell states that "her vivid personification in a dramatically excellent scene suggests that her gender is more than grammatical, and invites comparison with the Old Norse underworld goddess Hel and theFrau Holle of German folklore, to say nothing of underworld goddesses in other cultures" yet adds that "the possibility that these gendersare merely grammatical is strengthened by the fact that an Old Norse version of Nicodemus, possibly translated under English influence, personifies Hell in the neutral (Old Norseþat helvíti)".[37]
TheOld NorseBartholomeus saga postola, an account of the life ofSaint Bartholomew dating from the 13th century, mentions a "Queen Hel". In the story, a devil is hiding within a pagan idol, and bound by Bartholomew's spiritual powers to acknowledge himself and confess, the devil refers toJesus as the one which "made war on Hel our queen" (Old Norseheriaði a Hel drottning vara). "Queen Hel" is not mentioned elsewhere in the saga.[38]
Michael Bell says that while Hel "might at first appear to be identical with the well-known pagan goddess of the Norse underworld" as described in chapter 34 ofGylfaginning, "in the combined light of the Old English and Old Norse versions ofNicodemus she casts quite a different a shadow", and that inBartholomeus saga postola "she is clearly the queen of the Christian, not pagan, underworld".[39]
Jacob Grimm described Hel as an example of a "half-goddess": "one who cannot be shown to be either wife or daughter of a god, and who stands in a dependent relation to higher divinities", and argued that "half-goddesses" stand higher than "half-gods" in Germanic mythology.[40] Grimm regarded Hel (whom he refers to here asHalja, the theorizedProto-Germanic form of the term) as essentially an "image of a greedy, unrestoring, female deity" and theorized that "the higher we are allowed to penetrate into our antiquities, the less hellish and more godlike mayHalja appear". He compared her role, her black color, and her name to "theIndianBhavani, who travels about and bathes likeNerthus andHolda, but is likewise calledKali orMahakali, the greatblack goddess" and concluded that "Halja is one of the oldest and commonest conceptions of our heathenism".[41] He theorized that theHelhest, a three-legged horse that in Danish folklore roams the countryside "as a harbinger of plague and pestilence", was originally the steed of the goddess Hel, and that on this steed Hel roamed the land "picking up the dead that were her due". He also says that a wagon was once ascribed to Hel.[42]
In her 1948 work on death in Norse mythology and religion,The Road to Hel,Hilda Ellis Davidson argued that the description of Hel as a goddess in surviving sources appeared to be literary personification, the wordhel generally being "used simply to signify death or the grave", which she states "naturally lends itself to personification by poets". While noting that "whether this personification has originally been based on a belief in a goddess of death called Hel [was] another question", she stated that she did not believe the surviving sources gave any reason to believe so, while they included various other examples of "supernatural women" who "seem to have been closely connected with the world of death, and were pictured as welcoming dead warriors". She suggested that the depiction of Hel "as a goddess" inGylfaginning "might well owe something to these".[43]
In a later work (1998), Davidson wrote that the description of Hel found in chapter 33 ofGylfaginning "hardly suggests a goddess", but that "in the account of Hermod's ride to Hel later inGylfaginning (49)", Hel "[speaks] with authority as ruler of the underworld" and that from her realm "gifts are sent back toFrigg andFulla by Balder's wifeNanna as from a friendly kingdom". She posited that Snorri may have "earlier turned the goddess of death into an allegorical figure, just as he made Hel, the underworld ofshades, a place 'where wicked men go,' like the Christian Hell (Gylfaginning 3)". She then, like Grimm, compared Hel toKali:
On the other hand, a goddess of death who represents the horrors of slaughter and decay is something well known elsewhere; the figure of Kali in India is an outstanding example. Like Snorri's Hel, she is terrifying to in appearance, black or dark in colour, usually naked, adorned with severed heads or arms or the corpses of children, her lips smeared with blood. She haunts the battlefield or cremation ground and squats on corpses. Yet for all this she is "the recipient of ardent devotion from countless devotees who approach her as their mother" [...].[44]
Davidson further compared Hel to early attestations of theIrish goddessesBadb (described inThe Destruction of Da Choca's Hostel as dark in color, with a large mouth, wearing a dusky mantle, and with gray hair falling over her shoulders, or, alternatively, "as a red figure on the edge of the ford, washing the chariot of a king doomed to die") andthe Morrígan. She concluded that, in these examples, "here we have the fierce destructive side of death, with a strong emphasis on its physical horrors, so perhaps we should not assume that the gruesome figure of Hel is wholly Snorri's literary invention".[45]
John Lindow stated that most details about Hel, as a figure, are not found outside of Snorri's writing inGylfaginning, and that when older skaldic poetry "says that people are 'in' rather than 'with' Hel, we are clearly dealing with a place rather than a person, and this is assumed to be the older conception". He theorizes that the noun and placeHel likely originally simply meant "grave", and that "the personification came later".[46] Lindow also drew a parallel between the personified Hel's banishment to the underworld and the binding of Fenrir as part of a recurring theme of thebound monster, where an enemy of the gods is bound but destined to break free at Ragnarok.[47]Rudolf Simek similarly stated that the figure of Hel is "probably a very late personification of the underworld Hel", that "on the whole nothing speaks in favour of there being a belief in Hel in pre-Christian times", and noted that "the first scriptures using the goddess Hel are found at the end of the 10th and in the 11th centuries". He characterized the allegorical description of Hel's house inGylfaginning as "clearly ... in the Christian tradition".[48] However, elsewhere in the same work, Simek cites an argument made byKarl Hauck [de] that one of three figures appearing together on Migration PeriodB-bracteates is to be interpreted as Hel.[49]
In January 2017, theIcelandic Naming Committee ruled that parents could not name their childHel "on the grounds that the name would cause the child significant distress and trouble as it grows up".[50][51]
Bonnetain, Yvonne S. (2006). "Potentialities of Loki" inOld Norse Religion in Long Term Perspectives edited by A. Andren, pp. 326–330. Nordic Academic Press.ISBN91-89116-81-X
Pesch, Alexandra (2002). "Frauen und Brakteaten – eine Skizze". In Rudolf Simek; Wilhelm Heizmann (eds.).Mythological Women. Vienna: Verlag Fassbaender. pp. 33–80.ISBN3-900538-73-5.
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