Hel

Hel

In Loki and Angrboda's family, Hel is the odd one out. That's because unlike her brothers Jormungand and Fenrir, she's not a freakishly-large animal. She does have a pretty unusual complexion, though: half her face is black and half is white. Given this strange appearance, plus Hel's unfortunate family connections, Odin decides not to take any chances with her. He exiles her to the Underworld, condemning her to a life as landlady to the dead. Compared to her brothers, though, Hel's got it pretty good. She has her own enormous hall, Éljuðnir, and a few servants to keep the floors shiny. Plus, she has absolute control over a kingdom whose population just keeps growing and growing. It's even named after her! Of course, nobody who ends up in Hel really wants to be there, which might be why its mistress looks so grim all the time.

Basic Information

NameHel
Nickname"Monstrous Wolf's Sister" (Ragnarsdrápa stanza 9), "Grave-Guardian" (Ynglingatal Ch. 45), "Hellie" (But only my mom's allowed to use that one), "Hel-lo Gorgeous"
SexFemale
Current cityHel. Duh. It's in Niflheim, in case you're wondering.

Work & Education

OccupationQueen of the Underworld
EducationThe collected lifetime wisdom of many, many dead people.

Beliefs

Political viewsI don't believe in parole. Once you're my prisoner, you're here to stay.

Family & Friends (& Enemies)

ParentsLoki and Angrboda
SiblingsFenrir Wolf
Jormungand, the World-Serpent
Half-Brothers Narfi and (possibly) Váli
Half-Brother Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse
ChildrenAll the dead are my children, sort of. At least I give them room and board.
FriendsBalder
Hod
Modgud (Móðguðr)
EnemiesAll the Asgard gods, but particularly Odin, who masterminded my exile.

Relationships

Relationship statusSingle
Interested inSomeone who'll bring a little life to this place.

Favorites

Quotations"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."
– J. Robert Oppenheimer

"Pale death beats equally at the poor man's gate and at the palaces of kings."
– Horace

"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company."
– Mark Twain

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."
– William Congreve
BooksThe Masque of the Red Death (and pretty much everything) by Edgar Allan Poe 
The Canterbury Tales: The Pardoner's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer 
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman  
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 
Inferno by Dante Alighieri 
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving 
Macbeth by William Shakespeare 
The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs 
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 
"Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson 
"Acquainted with the Night" by Robert Frost 
MusicAlice in Chains 
Marilyn Manson 
Bring Me to Life by Evanescence 
Phantom of the Opera by Nightwish 
The Different Story by Peter Schilling 
Kiss 
Rosenrot by Rammstein 
MoviesThe Addams Family 
The Nightmare Before Christmas 
What Dreams May Come 
The Crow 
Underworld 
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 
Dark Shadows 
TV ShowsDead Like Me 
Six Feet Under 
Grimm 

Activities & Interests

LikesDeath and Dying
The Dark
Heavy Eyeliner
Pale Skin
Long black dresses
ActivitiesHanging out with Balder and Hod
Hosting feasts for the dead
Preventing anyone from leaving Hel, ever
Listening to death metal
InterestsEmbalming
Forensic Pathology
Mortuary Studies
Gothicism
Hospitality Management
GroupsChildren of Loki
Residents of Hel
Queens of the Cosmos
International Mortuary and Embalming Association