Alternatives: Hela, Hell Pronunciation: Hel-lah Old High German: Hol Proto-Germanic:Haljô (meaning unknown)
Hella was the Germanic Goddess of the two underworlds: Helheim and Niflheim.
Hel is a daughter of Loki and Angerboda, and she is said to have a body which is half black, half flesh-covered, and appears downcast yet fierce,
Her dwelling place is the hall Eliudnir (“Rain Damp”). Her servants were Ganglati and Ganglot both of whose names translate as “tardy”.
Hella welcomes all those who do not die gloriously in battle but of accidents, sickness or of old age, and are hence unworthy of the higher abodes of the Gods. Hellas realm in itself isn’t bad, with older sources make it rather pleasant, and indeed a close reflection of the idealized god-house seen in descriptions of Valhall (Hel and Odin have much in common, in fact). The concept of Hella and her kingdom is certainly something that has been immensely twisted by later Christian writers into something more fitting of horror fiction rather than the ruler of the kingdom of death,
There is no evidence for the worship of the goddess Hel in elder times, but there are some few folk who work with her today. .
