Hel was the Norse* goddess of the dead, daughter of the
trickster god Loki and the giantess Angrboda. Shortly after her
birth, Hel was cast out of Asgard, home of the gods, by Odin*.
He sent her to Niflheim, the underworld, and made her queen of
all who died from old age or sickness. Warriors who fell in
combat did not become her subjects but went instead to the hall
called Valhalla to live with Odin. In early Norse mythology, Hel
was also the name of the world of the dead. trickster
mischievous figure appearing in various forms in the folktales
and mythology of many different peoples underworld land of the
dead Sources describe the goddess as a half-flesh-colored and
half-black monster. She lived in a castle called Eljudner and
ate her meals with a dish named Hunger and a knife called
Famine. She was attended by two servants, Ganglati and Ganglot,
who moved so slowly that they appeared to be standing still.
Hell, the English word for the underworld, comes from the Norse
word Hel.