Hel is the queen of the underworld and the dead in Norse Mythology. She rules over the world Hel, located in Niflheim (world of mist and primordial darkness) one of the nine worlds within Norse cosmology. Hel should not be confused with the Hell of Christian cosmology or of evil. Norse mythology with its goddesses, gods or deities do not fit into the binary categories or good/evil, although Hollywood would have you believe otherwise.

The word Hel also means ‘concealed place’, and although Hel is related to the realm of the dead, I also intuitively connect her to the subconscious and unconscious world within us and our shadow side. She is described as half human, half corpse or half blue and half flesh colour. There have been understandable parallels made between her and the Hindu goddess Kali. I believe Hel’s two sides symbolises our inner and outer worlds’, the dark and light that exist side by side in all beings and she encourages you to look at the shadows that are concealed.

Art by Vesper Moth, Tumblr