Hell

Heimskringla

• attestation: Hel is a name meaning Death, referring to the goddess of Death (Heimskringla > part in the government with his brother Hardaknut. In the same autumn > 29. Battle Of Hlyrskog Heath.)

  "Hel--Death: the goddess of Death."

Poetic Edda

• attestation: Hel ruled the world of the unhappy dead, either those who led evil lives or those who did not die in battle (The > Volume I > Notes)

  "She ruled the world of the unhappy dead, either those who had led evil lives or, according to another tradition, those who had not died in battle"

• attestation: Hel was the offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrbotha, as were the wolf Fenrir and Mithgarthsorm (The > Volume I > Notes)

  "Hel: offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrbotha, as were the wolf Fenrir and Mithgarthsorm"

• attestation: The gate of Hel's domain closes so fast it catches those attempting to pass; Brynhild intends to keep it open for Sigurth's retinue (The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Notes)

  "The door: The gate of Hel's domain, like that of Mengloth's house (cf. Svipdagsmol, 26 and note), closes so fast as to catch any one attempting to pass through. Apparently the poet here assumes that the gate of Valhall does likewise, but that it will be kept open for Sigurth's retinue."

• attestation: The giantess mentioned in stanza 17 presumably refers to Hel, goddess of the dead (The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Notes)

  "The giantess: presumably the reference is to Hel, goddess of the dead"

• attestation: Hel is the goddess of the dead (The > part in a few of the Eddic poems. > Pronouncing Index)

  "Hel, goddess of the dead"

Prose Edda

• attestation: Hel was cast into Niflheim and given power over nine worlds, ruling the dead (The Younger Edda: > Chapter Ix. > Loke And His Offspring.)

  "Hel he cast into Niflheim, and gave her power over nine worlds"

• attestation: The way to Hel lies downward and northward from the Gjallar-bridge (The Younger Edda: > Chapter Xv. > The Death Of Balder.)

  "downward and northward lies the way to Hel"

• attestation: Hel agreed to release Balder if all things in the world would weep for him (The Younger Edda: > Chapter Xv. > The Death Of Balder.)

  "If all things, said she, both quick and dead, will weep for him, then he shall go back to the asas, but if anything refuses to shed tears, then he shall remain with Hel"

• attestation: One German fay is called Held (or Rachel/Rach-Hel), described as black or half dark half white, paralleling the Norse Hel (The Younger Edda: > Chapter Vi.)

  "One of these fays is sometimes called Held, and described as black, or as half dark half white--like Hel, the Mistress of the Nether World"

Prose Merlin

• attestation: Hell features in narrative clause within text beginning "infer. Tant le di- sent" (Prose Merlin > Tome I > Page 1)

  "deiiverroit des painnes d'infer. Tant le di- sent li prophète que ore est avenu. Si nous"

Myths of the Norsemen: From the Eddas and Sagas

• attestation: Hel, daughter of Loki and Angurboda, was hurled by Odin into Niflheim and given power over nine worlds of the dead; she ruled a realm only accessible after a long painful journey over rough roads in cold, dark regions. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "Hel, goddess of death, was the daughter of Loki, god of evil, and of the giantess Angurboda, the portender of ill... the wolf Fenris was secured in chains, thanks to the dauntless Tyr; and Hel or Hela, the goddess of death, was hurled into the depths of Nifl-heim, where Odin gave her power over nine worlds."

• attestation: To reach Hel's realm, spirits had to cross the river Gjoll over a bridge of crystal arched with gold, hung on a single hair, guarded by the skeleton Modgud who demanded a toll of blood. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "Hermod the swift, mounted upon Sleipnir, had to journey nine long nights ere he reached the river Gióll. This formed the boundary of Nifl-heim, over which was thrown a bridge of crystal arched with gold, hung on a single hair, and constantly guarded by the grim skeleton Módgud, who made every spirit pay a toll of blood ere she would allow it to pass."

• attestation: After the Gjallar bridge, spirits passed through the Ironwood to Hel-gate, guarded by the blood-stained hound Garm cowering in the Gnipa cave; only those who had given bread to the needy could appease him with a Hel-cake. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "passing through it, reached Hel-gate, beside which the fierce, blood-stained dog Garm kept watch, cowering in a dark hole known as the Gnipa cave. This monster's rage could only be appeased by the offering of a Hel-cake, which never failed those who had ever given bread to the needy."

• attestation: Northern races bound specially strong Hel-shoes on the feet of the dead so they might not suffer during the long journey to Hel's realm. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "the Northern races were very careful to bind upon the feet of the departed a specially strong pair of shoes, called Hel-shoes, that they might not suffer during the long journey over rough roads."

• attestation: Hel received not only criminals and perjurers but also those who died without shedding blood — of old age or disease — a mode of death contemptuously called 'straw death'. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "she received not only perjurers and criminals of all kinds, but also those who were unfortunate enough to die without shedding blood. To her realm also were consigned those who died of old age or disease--a mode of decease which was contemptuously called "straw death," as the beds of the people were generally of that material."

• attestation: Criminals and the impure were consigned to Nastrond, wading through ice-cold venom streams in a serpent-walled cave, then washed into the cauldron Hvergelmir where Nidhug gnawed their bones. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "spirits being banished to Nastrond, the strand of corpses, where they waded in ice-cold streams of venom, through a cave made of wattled serpents, whose poisonous fangs were turned towards them. After suffering untold agonies there, they were washed down into the cauldron Hvergelmir, where the serpent Nidhug ceased for a moment gnawing the root of the tree Yggdrasil to feed upon their bones."

• attestation: Hel occasionally left her realm to ride the earth on her three-legged white horse; when only some inhabitants escaped pestilence she was said to use a rake, but when entire villages perished she had used a broom. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "Hel herself was supposed occasionally to leave her dismal abode to range the earth upon her three-legged white horse, and in times of pestilence or famine, if a part of the inhabitants of a district escaped, she was said to use a rake, and when whole villages and provinces were depopulated, as in the case of the historical epidemic of the Black Death, it was said that she had ridden with a broom."

• attestation: Hel's hall Elvidner was described with named personifications: Hunger was her dish, Greed her knife, Idleness her man, Sloth her maid, Ruin her threshold, Sorrow her bed, and Conflagration her curtains. (Contents > Chapter Xix: Hel)

  "Further on in this gruesome place was Elvidner (misery), the hall of the goddess Hel, whose dish was Hunger. Her knife was Greed. "Idleness was the name of her man, Sloth of her maid, Ruin of her threshold, Sorrow of her bed, and Conflagration of her curtains.""

• attestation: Hel agreed to release Balder on condition that all animate and inanimate things in the world shed tears for him; if even one thing failed to weep, Balder would stay. (Contents > Chapter Xxi: Balder)

  "she would allow her victim to depart provided that all things animate and inanimate would show their sorrow for his loss by shedding tears... Fails but one thing to grieve, here Balder stops!"

Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx

• attestation: On and on he rode afterwards till he came to the fence of Hell's abode, which his horse cleared at full speed (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XII: Race in Folklore and Myth)

  "On and on he rode afterwards till he came to the fence of Hell's abode, which his horse cleared at full speed."

• attestation: He abode with him that night, and in the morning he asked Hell to let Balder ride home with him to the Anses (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XII: Race in Folklore and Myth)

  "He abode with him that night, and in the morning he asked Hell to let Balder ride home with him to the Anses."

• attestation: He urged Hell to consider the grief which everybody and everything fell for Balder (Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx > Volume II > Chapter XII: Race in Folklore and Myth)

  "He urged Hell to consider the grief which everybody and everything fell for Balder."

Fridthjof's Saga: A Norse Romance

• attestation: Hel is the goddess of death; Hoder is the blind god and brother of Balder who, tempted by Loki, slew Balder with the mistletoe. (Pmb 113 > StartThe Small Print!For Public Domain EtextsStart** > Glossary.)

  "HEL. The goddess of death. HODER. The blind god; brother of Balder. Tempted by Loke, he slew Balder with the mistletoe."