goddess of the underworld in Norse mythology
AI overview
Hel is the goddess of the underworld in Norse mythology who rules over the dead. She matters because she represents an important part of the Norse religious worldview, governing what happened to souls and the afterlife in Viking-era beliefs.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
Hel (1889) by Johannes Gehrts, pictured here with her hound Garmr
Hel (Old Norse) is a female being in Norse mythology who is said to preside over an underworld realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century. In addition, she is mentioned in poems recorded in Heimskringla and Egils saga that date from the 9th and 10th centuries, respectively. An episode in the Latin work Gesta Danorum, written in the 12th century by Saxo Grammaticus, is generally considered to refer to Hel, and Hel may appear on various Migration Period bracteates.