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English translation for all norse realms8/13/2023 ![]() ![]() Apart from the fact Hel and Hell are both the realms of the dead and located underground, these concepts have little in common. If someone is naive enough to think that the Norse realm of the dead and the Christian concept of hell share a lot of similarities – they would certainly make a big mistake. ![]() This world is damp, dark, cold, dreary, and misty. Although Helheim is not a place of punishment of any kind – it is far from a pleasant realm overall. Helheim, as a subterraneous place, is positioned in the cold, dark north and is buried deep underneath one of three roots of the world tree Yggdrasil. All these forms derive from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic feminine noun xaljō – meaning “concealed place.” Where Is Helheim and What Does It Look Like? The word has linguistic equivalents in all branches of the Germanic languages, including Old English hell (and thus Modern English hell), Old Frisian helle, Old Saxon hellia, Old High German hella, and Gothic halja. The name of the underworld is directly taken from the Old Norse word “Hel” – meaning “hidden.” That may be a reference to Hel’s distant, underground location. The souls of those who drowned belong to goddess Rán – wife of the sea god Aegir, while the ones fallen during the battle go to Odin’s Valhalla or Freyja’s Fólkvangr. Those who have died of illness or old age or are considered cowards or dishonorable by the gods and goddesses – were sent into the underworld, where they could never leave. Existence of Hel in Pre-Christian ScandinaviaĪs a resting place for the majority of the dead, this is not a place of punishment but simply a residence of the deceased. ![]()
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