Hel (location) facts for kids
Hel is a special place in Norse mythology where some people go after they die. It's like an underworld. This place is ruled by a powerful being also named Hel. Ancient stories from Iceland describe Hel in different ways. They also mention people being buried with items to help them on their journey to Hel.
In old poems like the Poetic Edda, we read about Brynhildr traveling to Hel after she died. Even Odin, a main god, visited Hel while he was still alive. He rode there on his amazing horse, Sleipnir. In the Prose Edda, another collection of stories, the god Baldr goes to Hel when he dies. Later, Hermóðr uses Sleipnir to try and bring Baldr back.
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What Does the Name "Hel" Mean?
The name Hel comes from an old Norse word. It is the same name as the ruler of this underworld. This word is related to the modern English word "hell". It also connects to words in other old Germanic languages.
All these words come from an even older word meaning "hidden place" or "the underworld." The term is also related to the word "hall." This means it's connected to Valhalla, which is another famous afterlife hall in Norse Mythology for warriors.
Some old Germanic terms also relate to "Hel." For example, there were words for "witches" or "sorceresses" that meant "one who travels to the netherworld." Another old word meant "hell-torment." These words show how people thought about Hel long ago.
Stories About Hel
Hel in the Poetic Edda
In the poem Völuspá, a wise woman called a völva says that Hel will be important during Ragnarök. Ragnarök is like the end of the world in Norse myths. The völva mentions a "sooty-red cock from the halls of Hel" crowing. This is one of three roosters that will signal the start of Ragnarök.
In another poem, Grímnismál, Hel is described as being under one of the three roots of the world tree Yggdrasil. One root goes to the frost giants, and another to humans.
In Guðrúnarkviða I, a woman named Herborg talks about her sadness. She had to prepare funerals for her family. She described this as "arranging their journey to Hel."
The short poem Helreið Brynhildar means "Brynhild's Hel-Ride." In this story, Brynhildr rides along a road near Hel in a fancy cart. This was the same cart her body was burned in. She meets a dead giantess and they argue. Brynhildr tells her life story during this argument.
In Baldrs draumar, Odin rides to the edge of Hel. He wants to find out why Baldr is having bad dreams. Odin uses a spell to bring a dead Völva (wise woman) back to life. He asks her about Baldr's dreams. The völva then shares prophecies about Ragnarök.
This poem also gives clues about where Hel is. It mentions Niflhel as being just outside Hel. A bloody dog named Garmr appears and meets Odin on his ride. Odin continues his journey and reaches Hel, which is called the "high hall of Hel."
Hel in the Prose Edda
The Prose Edda gives more details about Hel. It includes a long story about a trip to Hel after the god Baldr died. The writer, Snorri, describes Hel in a way that isn't always found in other old stories.
Gylfaginning
In the book Gylfaginning, Hel is first described as a place where "evil men" go after death. It also says Hel is in the ninth of the Nine Worlds.
Later, the being Hel is introduced. Snorri writes that Odin sent Hel down to this place. Odin made her ruler over "Nine Worlds." Snorri also says Hel is in Niflheim. She could give shelter and items to those who died from sickness or old age. Her home in Niflheim is described as a very large dwelling with huge walls and gates. Inside, her hall is called Éljúðnir.
After Baldr dies, Hermóðr sets out for Hel on horseback to bring him back. Hermóðr rides for nine nights through very deep and dark valleys. He sees nothing until he reaches the river Gjöll ("Noisy") and the Gjöll bridge. This bridge has a roof made of shining gold.
Hermóðr crosses the bridge and meets Móðguð, who guards the bridge. Móðguð tells Hermóðr that the bridge echoes more under him than it did for five people who just passed. This refers to Baldr, Nanna, and others who died and were burned. Móðguð also says that the dead in Hel look different from the living. She tells him to go "down and to the North" to find the Road to Hel.
Hermóðr continues along the Road to Hel and finds the Gates of Hel. He makes Sleipnir jump high over the gates. Hermóðr then rides further until he reaches the hall. He gets off his horse and goes inside. There, he sees Baldr sitting in a special "seat of honor." Hermóðr stays in Hel for one night.
The next day, Hermóðr asks Hel, the ruler, to let Baldr leave. Hel gives him an offer. Baldr then leads Hermóðr out of the hall. Baldr gives Hermóðr gifts from Nanna and himself to take back to the living gods. Hermóðr then goes back the way he came. Hel's offer fails, and Loki is blamed for Baldr staying in Hel.
Hel is mentioned one last time in the Prose Edda. It says that Höðr and Baldr will return from Hel after Ragnarök. They will sit together, talk, and remember old stories.
Hel in Gesta Danorum
The book Gesta Danorum tells a story that many think is a trip to Hel. King Hadingus is eating dinner when a woman visits him. She has fresh herbs and asks if he knows where they grow in winter. Hadingus wants to know. The woman then covers him with her cloak, pulls him into the ground, and they disappear. The story suggests the gods wanted Hadingus to visit the place he would go after he died.
They go through a dark, misty cloud and follow a well-used path. They see people in rich robes. They pass them and reach sunny areas where the herbs grow.
Hadingus and the woman continue until they reach a river. The river has dark water, moves fast, and is full of weapons. They cross a bridge and see two armies fighting. Hadingus asks who they are. The woman says they are men who died by the sword. They are forever showing their battles, trying to act like they did in life.
Moving on, they find a wall they cannot get over. The woman tries to jump over it but cannot. She takes the head of a rooster she was carrying and throws it over the wall. The bird crows right away, meaning it has come back to life. Hadingus then returns to his wife and stops a threat from pirates.
Ideas About Hel
Historians have different ideas about Snorri's descriptions of Hel in his Prose Edda. Some believe that Snorri's account of the underworld is mostly his own ideas. They think his idea that people who die of sickness or old age go to Hel might have been his way of making sense of it. This is because Baldr went to Hel without dying of old age or sickness.
It's possible Snorri used other old stories we don't know about for his descriptions. However, his ideas about Hel might also have been influenced by Christian teachings about the afterlife.
See also
In Spanish: Helheim para niños
