Hel (mythological being)
Hel is a figure in Norse mythology, a giantess and ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead. She is the daughter of the trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboða. Her siblings include the wolf Fenrir and the world serpent Jörmungandr.
Description: Hel is often depicted as having a dual nature: one half of her face is beautiful, while the other is decaying or skeletal. This symbolizes the duality of life and death, and the transition between the two. She is described as being of immense size and with a gloomy and fearsome demeanor.
Role in Mythology: Hel presides over Helheim, a cold, dark, and dismal realm located beneath the roots of the world tree Yggdrasil. Helheim is the destination for those who die of old age, illness, or cowardice, and those who are not chosen for Valhalla (for slain warriors) or Fólkvangr (for slain warriors chosen by Freyja). While not a place of torture in the Christian sense, Helheim is not a desirable afterlife.
Authority and Power: Hel possesses considerable authority within her realm. She is the ultimate judge of who enters and remains in Helheim. While her power is significant, she is still subject to the will of the gods and fate.
Attempts to Influence Events: In the Prose Edda, it is recounted that when Baldr, the beloved son of Odin, died, the gods sent Hermóðr to Helheim to plead with Hel to release him. Hel agreed, on the condition that all beings in the world must weep for Baldr. When a giantess named Þökk (often interpreted as Loki in disguise) refused to weep, Baldr was unable to return. This story demonstrates Hel's unyielding adherence to her own rules and her consequential role in Ragnarök, as Baldr's death is a key event leading to the end of the world.
Sources: Information about Hel is primarily derived from the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, both written down in Iceland during the 13th century but based on older oral traditions. The Prose Edda, particularly the Gylfaginning section, provides the most detailed descriptions of Hel and her realm.