Hel: Matron of the Silent Depths
The Keeper of Stillness, the Half-Queen of the Forgotten Dead

---

I. Understanding Hel

Who is Hel?

Hel is the Norse goddess of death and ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead. Born of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, she is sister to Fenrir and Jörmungandr. Her body is divided—half beautiful woman, half decaying corpse—symbolizing her dominion over both life and death. She governs not with malice, but with inevitability and stillness.

II. Mythology and Historical Origins

Myths and Mentions

In the Prose Edda (Gylfaginning), Odin casts Hel into Niflheim, giving her authority over those who die of illness or old age. In Baldrs draumar, Odin journeys to Helheim to uncover the fate of his son, revealing Hel’s role as a judge of the dead. Hel resides in Éljúðnir, a grand and eerie hall where her plates are named Hunger, her knives Famine, and her bed Sickness. Hel’s role is not one of punishment but transition. She is a gatekeeper of the final mystery and an essential figure in the Norse understanding of death.

III. Working With Hel

What Practitioners Should Know

Silence is sacred. Hel often communicates through dream, intuition, or stillness. She is not warm or forgiving, but truthful and deeply wise. Shadow work is central; you will face your fears, past trauma, and identity death. She values reverence, not fear.

How to Build a Relationship

Dedicate time in silence or still meditation. Honor the forgotten dead by visiting graveyards or leaving offerings. Observe the dark moon and winter months. Keep a dream journal and watch for symbols such as mist, bones, gates, and thresholds.

IV. Altar Setup and Correspondences

Colors associated with Hel include black, white, grey, and frost blue. She is aligned with the elements of Earth and Ice. Her runes are Hagalaz, representing chaos and transformation; Isa, for stillness; and Nauthiz, for need and shadow. Herbs and scents linked to Hel are mugwort, wormwood, myrrh, yew, and elder. Symbols that resonate with her include bones, half-masks, grave dirt, frozen water, and decayed wood. Traditional offerings include blood, hair, mourning cloth, personal grief, coins, and silence. An altar for Hel should include a black and white altar cloth, one white and one black candle representing life and death, a stone, bone, or bowl of ice at the center, a small bell or chime to mark entry and exit from ritual space, and optionally, Hel’s rune or a half-face mask as a devotional focus.

V. Ritual: "Mist and Memory"

Purpose

To honor Hel, open devotional contact, and align with her mysteries.

Ideal Timing

This ritual is best performed during the waning moon, winter nights, or times of personal loss or spiritual transition.

Materials

You will need black and white candles, incense such as mugwort, wormwood, or myrrh, a bell or chime, and an offering such as hair, blood, cloth, or another symbolic token.

Ritual Steps

Begin by preparing sacred space using cold water or ashes. Light the white candle for life, then the black for death. Speak this invocation:

“Hel of Half-Light, Queen of the Forgotten, Daughter of Depth and Shadowed Bone...”

Make your offering and speak your devotion. Sit in silence for ten to fifteen minutes, inviting her presence. Conclude the ritual with gratitude and the sounding of the bell.

VI. Pathworking: "The Road Beneath the Roots"

Preparation

Sit in darkness or by candlelight. Burn your chosen incense. Hold a black stone or bone in your hand.

Guided Journey Summary

Visualize yourself descending beneath Yggdrasil, moving through mist and ice. You pass through Hel’s gate and enter her realm. You see the throne of Éljúðnir and come before Hel. Offer your question, grief, or presence. Observe what she reveals to you. When ready, return up the path and back into your waking body.

Integration

Afterward, journal your experience in detail. Rest and ground yourself. If possible, observe a day of silence to deepen the spiritual integration.

VII. Aftercare

Journal your symbols, emotions, and insights. Eat warm food, drink water, or take a bath to ground yourself. Burn or bury symbolic items that represent what you are releasing. Continue working with silence and shadow in the days that follow.

VIII. Resource Material and Further Reading

Primary texts include the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson and the Poetic Edda, especially Baldrs draumar. Academic sources worth exploring are The Road to Hel by H.R. Ellis Davidson, Norse Mythology by John Lindow, and Death and the Afterlife in Norse Paganism by Thomas A. Dubois. For modern pagan perspectives, consider The Norse Shaman by Evelyn Rysdyk and Hel: A Devotional Anthology published by Asphodel Press. Online resources include norsemyth.org by Dr. Karl E.H. Seigfried, thetroth.org, and northernpaganism.org’s Hel shrine. Symbolic practices include studying the runes Isa, Hagalaz, and Nauthiz, tending forgotten graves, engaging in ancestor veneration, and working through grief intentionally.

 

Final Reflections

To walk with Hel is to walk into the silence within. She asks nothing but honesty. She gives nothing but truth. She reminds us: all ends are sacred—and through ending, we are made whole again