Editing Hel (mythological being) (section)

==Attestations==
===''Poetic Edda''===
The ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, features various poems that mention Hel. In the ''Poetic Edda'' poem ''[[Völuspá]]'', Hel's realm is referred to as the "Halls of Hel".<ref name="LARRINGTON9">Larrington (1999:9).</ref> In stanza 31 of ''[[Grímnismál]]'', Hel is listed as living beneath one of three roots growing from the world tree [[Yggdrasil]].<ref name="LARRINGTON56">Larrington (1999:56).</ref> In ''[[Fáfnismál]]'', the hero [[Sigurd]] stands before the mortally wounded body of the dragon [[Fáfnir]], and states that Fáfnir lies in pieces, where "Hel can take" him.<ref name="LARRINGTON161">Larrington (1999:61).</ref> In ''[[Atlamál]]'', 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.<ref name="LARRINGTON225-232">Larrington (1999:225 and 232).</ref> In stanza 4 of ''[[Baldrs draumar]]'', Odin rides towards the "high hall of Hel".<ref name="LARRINGTON243">Larrington (1999:243).</ref>

Hel may also be alluded to in ''[[Hamðismál]]''. Death is paraphrased as "joy of the troll-woman"<ref name="LARRINGTON240"/> (or "ogress"<ref name="DRONKE164"/>) and ostensibly it is Hel being referred to as the troll-woman or the ogre (''flagð''), although it may otherwise be some unspecified ''[[dís]]''.<ref name="LARRINGTON240">Larrington (1999:240 and notes).</ref><ref name="DRONKE164">Dronke (1969:164).</ref>

===''Prose Edda''===
[[Image:Loki's children by Frølich.jpg|thumb|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) by [[Lorenz Frølich]].]]
[[Image:Hermod before Hela.jpg|right|thumb|"[[Hermóðr|Hermod]] before Hela" (1909) by [[John Charles Dollman]].]]
[[Image:The children of Loki by Willy Pogany.png|thumb|"The children of Loki" (1920) by [[Willy Pogany]].]]
[[Image:Lokis Gezücht.jpg|thumb|"Loki's Brood" (1905) by [[Emil Doepler]].]]

Hel receives notable mention in the ''[[Prose Edda]]''. In chapter 34 of the book ''[[Gylfaginning]]'', Hel is listed by [[High, Just-As-High, and Third|High]] as one of the three children of [[Loki]] and [[Angrboða]]; the wolf [[Fenrir]], the serpent [[Jörmungandr]], and Hel. High continues that, once the gods found that these three children are being brought up in the land of [[Jötunheimr]], 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.<ref name="FAULKES26-27">Faulkes (1995:26–27).</ref>

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 into [[Niflheim]], and bestowed upon her authority over [[Norse cosmology|nine 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 called [[Éljúðnir]], a dish called "Hunger", a knife called "Famine", the servant Ganglati (Old Norse "lazy walker"<ref name="ORCHARD79">Orchard (1997:79).</ref>), the serving-maid Ganglöt (also "lazy walker"<ref name="ORCHARD79" />), 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".<ref name="FAULKES27">Faulkes (1995:27).</ref>

In chapter 49, High describes the events surrounding the death of the god [[Baldr]]. The goddess [[Frigg]] asks who among the [[Æsir]] 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 god [[Hermóðr]] volunteers and sets off upon the eight-legged horse [[Sleipnir]] 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.<ref name="FAULKES49-50">Faulkes (1995:49–50).</ref> Hel says the love people have for Baldr that Hermóðr has claimed must be tested, stating:

<blockquote>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.<ref name="BYOCK68">Byock (2005:68).</ref></blockquote>

Later in the chapter, after the female [[jötunn]] [[Þökk]] refuses to weep for the dead Baldr, she responds in verse, ending with "let Hel hold what she has".<ref name="BYOCK69">Byock (2005:69).</ref> In chapter 51, High describes the events of [[Ragnarök]], and details that when Loki arrives at the field [[Vígríðr]] "all of Hel's people" will arrive with him.<ref name="FAULKES54">Faulkes (1995:54).</ref>

In chapter 12 of the ''Prose Edda'' book ''[[Skáldskaparmál]]'', Hel is mentioned in a [[kenning]] for Baldr ("Hel's companion").<ref name="FAULKES74">Faulkes (1995:74).</ref> In chapter 23, "Hel's [...] relative or father" is given as a kenning for Loki.<ref name="FAULKES76">Faulkes (1995:76).</ref> In chapter 50, Hel is referenced ("to join the company of the quite monstrous wolf's sister") in the [[skald]]ic poem ''[[Ragnarsdrápa]]''.<ref name="FAULKES123">Faulkes (1995:123).</ref>

===''Heimskringla''===
In the ''Heimskringla'' book ''[[Ynglinga saga]]'', written in the 13th century by [[Snorri Sturluson]], Hel is referred to, though never by name. In chapter 17, the king [[Dyggvi]] dies of sickness. A poem from the 9th-century ''[[Ynglingatal]]'' that forms the basis of ''Ynglinga saga'' is then quoted that describes Hel's taking of Dyggvi:

{{poemquote|
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.<ref name="HOLLANDER20">Hollander (2007:20).</ref>
}}

In chapter 45, a section from ''Ynglingatal'' is given which refers to Hel as "[[Bowl barrow|howe]]s'-warder" (meaning "guardian of the graves") and as taking King [[Halfdan Hvitbeinn]] from life.<ref name="HOLLANDER46">Hollander (2007:46).</ref> In chapter 46, King [[Eystein Halfdansson]] dies by being knocked overboard by a sail yard. A section from ''Ynglingatal'' follows, describing that Eystein "fared to" Hel (referred to as "[[Býleistr]]'s-brother's-daughter").<ref name="HOLLANDER47">Hollander (2007:47).</ref> In chapter 47, the deceased Eystein's son King [[Halfdan the Mild|Halfdan]] dies of an illness, and the excerpt provided in the chapter describes his fate thereafter, a portion of which references Hel:

{{poemquote|Loki's child
from life summoned
to her [[Thing (assembly)|thing]]
the third liege-lord,
when Halfdan
of Holtar farm
left the life
allotted to him.<ref name="HOLLANDER20-21">Hollander (2007:20–21).</ref>
}}

In a stanza from ''Ynglingatal'' recorded in chapter 72 of the ''Heimskringla'' book ''[[Harald Sigurdsson|Saga of Harald Sigurdsson]]'', "given to Hel" is again used as a phrase to referring to death.<ref name="HOLLANDER638">Hollander (2007:638).</ref>

===''Egils saga''===
The [[Sagas of Icelanders|Icelanders' saga]] ''[[Egils saga]]'' contains the poem ''[[Sonatorrek]]''. The saga attributes the poem to 10th-century skald [[Egill 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:

{{poemquote|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.<ref name=SCUDDER159>Scudder (2001:159).</ref>
}}

===''Gesta Danorum''===
In the account of Baldr's death in [[Saxo Grammaticus]]' early 13th century work ''[[Gesta Danorum]]'', the dying Baldr has a dream visitation from [[Proserpina]] (here translated as "the goddess of death"):

<blockquote>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.<ref>Fisher (1999:I 75).</ref></blockquote>

Scholars have assumed that Saxo used Proserpina as a goddess equivalent to the Norse Hel.<ref>Davidson (1999:II 356); Grimm (2004:314).</ref>