| HEL:
Hel is the Germanic goddess of the dead and ruler of NIFLHEIM, a brutal
underworld. She is the daughter of the trickster god LOKI and is
depicted as half human and half rotting corpse. Hel's palace is called
Sleetcold, and her kingdom is an icy, barren wasteland. Some legends
claim that in the underworld, Hel feasts on human flesh.
Hel's kingdom is surrounded by steep walls
that are impassable to the living. (The word Hel means "concealed.")
It is entered through GNIPAHELLI, a dank, foul-smelling cave. The
fortress of Sleetcold lies on the other side of Echoing Bridge, a
treacherous passageway to the land of spirits. Souls are challenged
and assaulted as they try to cross. The gates of Hel's realm are
guarded by GARM, a fierce dog who devours trespassers.
Some spirits of the dead are ferried to
Hel by the messenger Hermodr. At the lowest level of her kingdom lives
a monster named Nidhoggr (corpse tearer). He punishes the wicked by
eternally gnawing on their broken bodies. In some tales, the damned
are boiled in huge caldrons before being fed to the beast.
(o)
Resource List - all entries are taken verbatim from the
original source:
(o) "The Encyclopedia of Hell."
Miriam Van Scott. St. Martin's Press. ©1998
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